Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
National
Chiara Fiorillo & Aaron Morris

Police dig for Ian Brady and Myra Hindley victim Keith Bennett after skull is found on Manchester Moors

Police are digging on Saddleworth Moor for murder victim Keith Bennett, after a skull - believed to be of a child aged around 12 - has been found.

The boy was snatched 58 years ago by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, and his body was sadly never found - but now, detectives are preparing to dig up a selected area in hope that they can recover Bennett's remains.

Last night, forensic anthropologists from Greater Manchester Police were examining potential samples of body tissue taken from the moors - with hopes that a breakthrough can help crack the infamous Moors Murder case which has been unresolved for six decades.

Read more: Japanese Akita that bit woman's face during unprovoked attack in County Durham could be put-down

The Mirror reports that Keith Bennett is the only victim of Brady and Hindley who has never been found - with his killers refusing to disclose the location of his body. The recent development came after author Russell Edwards put together a stellar team of experts to try and solve the case.

Forensic archaeologist Dawn Keen, who specialises in the study of human remains, remotely supervised the "grave cut", reports the Daily Mail. She said yesterday: "I do believe there are human remains there. They [police] have got to look.

Moors Murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady (PA)

"From the photographs, I saw the teeth, I could see the canines, I could see the incisors, I could see the first molar. It is the left side of an upper jaw. There is no way that it is an animal."

Another unnamed archaeologist added: "It is a human skull. It cannot be anything else."

Experts believe that the skull belongs to Keith, however, stringent DNA testing will have to be carried out before this can be officially confirmed.

Mr Edwards, added: "This is about peace for Keith and closure for the family."

Police using specially trained sniffer dogs on Saddleworth Moor (PA)

Ian Brady and Myra Hindley are two of the most notorious killers in British history, kidnapping and murdering five children over the span of 18 months between July 1963 and October 1965.

The pair were sentenced to life behind bars for the murders of Pauline Reade, 16, John Kilbride, 12, Keith Bennett, 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and Edward Evans, 17, all from the Manchester area.

Brady and Hindley, both in their 20s at the time, lured the youngsters to their deaths - sexually torturing their victims before burying them on Saddleworth Moor in the Pennines above Manchester.

Read next:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.