Police send up drone in bid to find remains of moors murder victim Keith Bennett

By Grace Hammond
Published 3rd Oct 2022, 06:40 BST
Updated 3rd Oct 2022, 06:41 BST
Police searching an area of moorland where the body of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley's final missing victim could be buried have been spotted using a drone.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police continued their search of part of Saddleworth Moor yesterday after an author reportedly found possible bone fragments.

Forensic teams and uniformed cops were spotted surveying the remote terrain near two blue inspection tents this morning, which were first erected on Thursday.

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It was hoped their excavations would reveal the remains of Keith Bennett, a 12-year-old schoolboy who was killed by the serial killers in June 1964.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police continue a search on Saddleworth Moor, in north west England, for the remains of the body of 12-year-old Keith Bennett, one of five victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, with three of them later found buried on the moor.Officers from Greater Manchester Police continue a search on Saddleworth Moor, in north west England, for the remains of the body of 12-year-old Keith Bennett, one of five victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, with three of them later found buried on the moor.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police continue a search on Saddleworth Moor, in north west England, for the remains of the body of 12-year-old Keith Bennett, one of five victims of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, with three of them later found buried on the moor.

However, an update given by GMP Force Review Officer Cheryl Hughes on Saturday confirmed the teams hadn’t found any new evidence that he had been buried there.

She said: “Following information received which indicated that potential human remains had been found on the moors, specialist officers have today resumed excavation of a site identified to us.

“This information included photographs of the site and show what experts working with the informant have interpreted as a human jawbone.

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“No physical evidence of a jawbone or skull has been examined.

“However, based on the photographs and information provided, and in line with GMP’s usual practice to follow up any suggestion of human burial, we began our search of the site of interest.

“We have not found any identifiable human remains but our work to excavate the site is continuing.

“Conditions are difficult and it may take us some time to fully complete the excavation but we are committed to ensuring this is undertaken in the most thorough way possible.”

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The latest information comes as Keith Bennett’s brother Alan, 64, posted on Facebook: "Nothing has been found on the moor as yet, despite all the headlines."

The schoolboy is the only one of the five victim’s of Hindley and Brady whose body has never been found, despite several searches of the moor and visits there by both Brady and Hindley in the 1980s and by Brady in 2011.

The 12-year-old was on the way to his grandmother's house in June 1964, when he was snatched by the killers. He was then assaulted and strangled by Brady.

The bone fragments were found through an independent search by an author who is writing a book on the murder, before being reported to the police.

GMP officer Martin Bottomley said on Friday: “We have always said that GMP would act on any significant information which may lead to the recovery of Keith .”