During the years 1963 through 1965, a series of five abductions and murders took place in Manchester, England, with the bodies of four of the five victims being dumped on Saddleworth Moor in Lancashire. These killings became known as the Moors Murders and the killers were later found to be Ian Brady and Myra Hindley: partners in both crime and romance. The savage nature of the abuses suffered by the victims would cause Brady and Hindley to become the most hated people in Britain. It all began with the abduction, rape and murder of 16 year old Pauline Reade during July 1963. 12 year old John Kilbride was next and, in November 1963, he was kidnapped and dispatched in the same way as Reade. The murders of Keith Bennett, also 12 years old, and Leslie Downey, 10 years old, followed in quick succession. What was different about Bennett was that his body was never found. And what was different about Downey, was that the killers made an audiotape of their assault on her. This was very similar to the actions of Bernardo and Homolka thirty years later when they videotaped their torture and rape of young Leslie Mahaffy. It can only be surmised how long Brady and Hindley would have continued their grisly work if they had not been apprehended after their murder of 17 year old Edward Evans in October 1965. For reasons known only to themselves, they had asked Hindley’s brother in law, Dave Smith, to help them kill Evans. Afraid for his own life, Smith helped. Then Smith left. Then Smith went straight to the police. The police arrived early on the morning of October 7th, discovered Evans’s body and immediately took both Hindley and Brady into custody. They also discovered something else: a baggage claim ticket that led them to two suitcases stored at the Manchester Central Station luggage depot. It was their lucky day because these suitcases contained evidence - including the Downey audiotape - that linked Brady and Hindley to the murders of Kilbride and Downey.
The death penalty for murder had been abolished by the time Brady and Hindley went to trial. Under the new law, if you were found guilty, you were sentenced to life in prison and this literally meant you would spend the rest of your natural life in jail. The only way you would get out was if you were judged no longer a risk to society and released in terms of a ‘life license’ and, all things considered, it was unlikely that this would happen to the Moors Murderers. The upshot of the trial was that Brady was found guilty of all three murders while Hindley was found guilty of only the murders of Evans and Downey. Both were sentenced to life in prison. Twenty years later, in November 1986, Brady finally confessed to the murders of Reade and Bennett and he and Hindley helped the police find Reade’s body. They also tried to find Bennett’s body but had, unfortunately, forgotten exactly where they had buried him… Brady met The Teacup Poisoner, Graham Young, while they were both serving their sentences at Parkhurst Prison and they found they had in common a long standing and abiding interest in the Nazi regime. Brady was also a lifelong fan of the Marquis de Sade and it has been presumed that it was this, combined with the Germanic influence, which pushed him over the edge. He is also accredited with having a Svengali-like hold over Hindley as it later came to be believed that Hindley - a former babysitter - would never have been involved in such heinous crimes if she had not been under Brady’s influence. Hindley has passed away, dying in 2002 at the age of 60 after becoming the longest detained female prisoner in Britain. Given all the atrocious crimes that have been committed since they were jailed, Brady and Hindley no longer seem to deserve being called the “most hated couple”.
Transcript of the murder of Lesley Ann Downey (shown in the 4th picture).
It’s worth pointing out that they are urging her to put a scarf gag in her mouth, nothing sexual as many assume.
Man - This is track four.
Man - Get out of the fucking road.
Man - Get in the fucking basket.
(sound of door banging) (crackling noise) (footsteps-heavy) (steps across the room and then a recording noise followed by blowing sound into the microphone)(Footsteps)
Woman - (Voice quiet, unreadable)
(footsteps, light, walking across room; whispered conversation at the same time)
(footsteps) (speech, distant, containing word ‘upstairs’; then two footsteps)
Child - (screaming) Don’t. Mum—Ah.
Woman - (whispering) Come on.
(footsteps)
Woman - (whispering) Shut up.
Child - (pleading) Oh, please.
Child - Oh. (then faintly Help - oh.
Child - Help. (followed by gurgling noise)
Woman - Sh. Sh.
Woman - Shut up. Shut UP.
(Screams and gurgles)
Child - Oh. Oh. Oh. (child crying)
Woman - (whispering) Keep - and you’ll be all right.
Woman - (whispering) Go on.
(Quick footsteps mounting stairs, then entering room) (Child crying, muffled)
Man - (whispering) Here.
Woman - Hush, hush. Go on.
(woman speaking, unreadable) (Child crying)
Woman - You are all right. Hush, hush. Put it in your mouth - hush and shift that hand.
(child crying)
Woman- Put it in your mouth and keep it in and you’ll be all right.
Woman - Put it in, stop it.
Woman- If you don’t—shh.
(child crying)
Woman - In your mouth. Hush, hush. Shut up or I’ll forget myself and hit you one. Keep it in.
(Child whimpering)
Man - Put it in.
Woman- (Spoken quickly) Put it in.
Man - (speaks, but words unreadable except for the word ‘hand’) (footsteps)
Man - Put it in. Keep it in. Stop it now. Stop it now.
Woman - I’m only doing this and you’ll be all right.
Woman - Put it in your mouth. Put it in—in.
(further words spoken by the woman which are unreadable except for ‘put it in’)
Woman - Will you stop it, stop it.
(womans voice unreadable) (Child whimpering)
Woman - Shut—
Man - Quick. Put it in now.
(Child whimpering) (retching noise)
Man - Just put it in now, love. Put it in now.
(retching noise)
Child - (muffled) What’s this in for?
Man - Put it in.
Child - Can I just tell you summat? I must tell you summat. Please, take your hands off me a minute, please, please— Mummy—please.
Child- I can’t tell you.
(Grunting)
Child - (in quick sequence) I can’t tell you, I can’t breathe. Oh.
Child - I can’t—Dad-Will you take your hands off me?
(man whispering)
Man - No. Tell me.
Child - Please God.
Man - Tell me.
Child - I can’t while you’ve got your hands on me.
(mumbling sound)
Man - Why don’t you keep it in?
Child - Why? What are you going to do with me?
Man - I want some photographs, that’s all.
Man - Put it in.
Child - Don’t undress me, will you?
Woman - That’s right, don’t —
Child - It hurts me. I want to see Mummy, honest to God.
Man - Put it in.
Child - I’ll swear on the Bible.
Man - Put it in, and hurry up now. The quicker you do this, the quicker you’ll get home.
Child - I’ve got to go, because I’m going out with my Mamma. Leave me, please. Help me, will you?
Man - Put it in your mouth and you’ll be all right.
Child - Will you let me go when this is out?
Man - Yes. the longer it takes you to do this, the longer it takes you to get home.
Child - What are you going to do with me first?
Man - I’m going to take some photographs. Put it in your mouth.
Child - What for?
Man - Put it in your mouth. (pause) Right in.
Child - I’m not going to do owt.
Man - Put it in. If you don’t keep that hand down, I’ll slit your neck. (pause) Put it in.
Child - Won’t you let me go? Please.
Man - No, no. Put it in, stop talking.
Man - What’s your name?
Child - Lesley.
Man - Lesley what?
Child - Ann.
Man - What’s your second name?
Child - Westford. Westford.
Man - Westford?
Child - I have to get home before 8 o’clock. I got to get —(pause) Or I’ll get killed if I don’t. Honest to God.
Man - Yes.
(Quick footsteps of woman leaving room and going downstairs; then a click; then woman’s footsteps coming upstairs; then eight longer strides)
Man - What is it?
Woman - I’ve left the light on.
Man - You ‘ave?
Woman - So that — (remainder of sentence unreadable)
(Child starts crying)
Child - It hurts me neck.
Man - Hush, put it in your mouth and you’ll be all right.
Woman - Now listen, shurrup crying.
Child - (crying) It hurts on me —
Woman - (interrupting) Hush! Shut up. Now, put it in. Pull that hand away and don’t dally and just keep your mouth shut, please.
Woman - Wait a bit, I’ll put this on again. D’you get me?
Child - (whining) No, I — (remainder of sentence unreadable)
Woman - Sh. Hush. Put that in your mouth. And again, packed more solid.
(whispered sentences, unreadable)
Child - I want to go home. Honest to god. I’ll (further speech muffled but uninterrupted) — before eight o’clock.
Woman - No, it’s all right.
Man - Eh!
(Music commences, country-style tune followed by ‘Jolly St Nicholas’, during which various non-vocal noises can be heard; then tune ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ during which a voice speaks -unreadable) (Three loud cracks, systematic, even-timed) (Music- ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ — goes fainter) (Footsteps) (Sounds on tape cease)
The death penalty for murder had been abolished by the time Brady and Hindley went to trial. Under the new law, if you were found guilty, you were sentenced to life in prison and this literally meant you would spend the rest of your natural life in jail. The only way you would get out was if you were judged no longer a risk to society and released in terms of a ‘life license’ and, all things considered, it was unlikely that this would happen to the Moors Murderers. The upshot of the trial was that Brady was found guilty of all three murders while Hindley was found guilty of only the murders of Evans and Downey. Both were sentenced to life in prison. Twenty years later, in November 1986, Brady finally confessed to the murders of Reade and Bennett and he and Hindley helped the police find Reade’s body. They also tried to find Bennett’s body but had, unfortunately, forgotten exactly where they had buried him… Brady met The Teacup Poisoner, Graham Young, while they were both serving their sentences at Parkhurst Prison and they found they had in common a long standing and abiding interest in the Nazi regime. Brady was also a lifelong fan of the Marquis de Sade and it has been presumed that it was this, combined with the Germanic influence, which pushed him over the edge. He is also accredited with having a Svengali-like hold over Hindley as it later came to be believed that Hindley - a former babysitter - would never have been involved in such heinous crimes if she had not been under Brady’s influence. Hindley has passed away, dying in 2002 at the age of 60 after becoming the longest detained female prisoner in Britain. Given all the atrocious crimes that have been committed since they were jailed, Brady and Hindley no longer seem to deserve being called the “most hated couple”.
Transcript of the murder of Lesley Ann Downey (shown in the 4th picture).
It’s worth pointing out that they are urging her to put a scarf gag in her mouth, nothing sexual as many assume.
Man - This is track four.
Man - Get out of the fucking road.
Man - Get in the fucking basket.
(sound of door banging) (crackling noise) (footsteps-heavy) (steps across the room and then a recording noise followed by blowing sound into the microphone)(Footsteps)
Woman - (Voice quiet, unreadable)
(footsteps, light, walking across room; whispered conversation at the same time)
(footsteps) (speech, distant, containing word ‘upstairs’; then two footsteps)
Child - (screaming) Don’t. Mum—Ah.
Woman - (whispering) Come on.
(footsteps)
Woman - (whispering) Shut up.
Child - (pleading) Oh, please.
Child - Oh. (then faintly Help - oh.
Child - Help. (followed by gurgling noise)
Woman - Sh. Sh.
Woman - Shut up. Shut UP.
(Screams and gurgles)
Child - Oh. Oh. Oh. (child crying)
Woman - (whispering) Keep - and you’ll be all right.
Woman - (whispering) Go on.
(Quick footsteps mounting stairs, then entering room) (Child crying, muffled)
Man - (whispering) Here.
Woman - Hush, hush. Go on.
(woman speaking, unreadable) (Child crying)
Woman - You are all right. Hush, hush. Put it in your mouth - hush and shift that hand.
(child crying)
Woman- Put it in your mouth and keep it in and you’ll be all right.
Woman - Put it in, stop it.
Woman- If you don’t—shh.
(child crying)
Woman - In your mouth. Hush, hush. Shut up or I’ll forget myself and hit you one. Keep it in.
(Child whimpering)
Man - Put it in.
Woman- (Spoken quickly) Put it in.
Man - (speaks, but words unreadable except for the word ‘hand’) (footsteps)
Man - Put it in. Keep it in. Stop it now. Stop it now.
Woman - I’m only doing this and you’ll be all right.
Woman - Put it in your mouth. Put it in—in.
(further words spoken by the woman which are unreadable except for ‘put it in’)
Woman - Will you stop it, stop it.
(womans voice unreadable) (Child whimpering)
Woman - Shut—
Man - Quick. Put it in now.
(Child whimpering) (retching noise)
Man - Just put it in now, love. Put it in now.
(retching noise)
Child - (muffled) What’s this in for?
Man - Put it in.
Child - Can I just tell you summat? I must tell you summat. Please, take your hands off me a minute, please, please— Mummy—please.
Child- I can’t tell you.
(Grunting)
Child - (in quick sequence) I can’t tell you, I can’t breathe. Oh.
Child - I can’t—Dad-Will you take your hands off me?
(man whispering)
Man - No. Tell me.
Child - Please God.
Man - Tell me.
Child - I can’t while you’ve got your hands on me.
(mumbling sound)
Man - Why don’t you keep it in?
Child - Why? What are you going to do with me?
Man - I want some photographs, that’s all.
Man - Put it in.
Child - Don’t undress me, will you?
Woman - That’s right, don’t —
Child - It hurts me. I want to see Mummy, honest to God.
Man - Put it in.
Child - I’ll swear on the Bible.
Man - Put it in, and hurry up now. The quicker you do this, the quicker you’ll get home.
Child - I’ve got to go, because I’m going out with my Mamma. Leave me, please. Help me, will you?
Man - Put it in your mouth and you’ll be all right.
Child - Will you let me go when this is out?
Man - Yes. the longer it takes you to do this, the longer it takes you to get home.
Child - What are you going to do with me first?
Man - I’m going to take some photographs. Put it in your mouth.
Child - What for?
Man - Put it in your mouth. (pause) Right in.
Child - I’m not going to do owt.
Man - Put it in. If you don’t keep that hand down, I’ll slit your neck. (pause) Put it in.
Child - Won’t you let me go? Please.
Man - No, no. Put it in, stop talking.
Man - What’s your name?
Child - Lesley.
Man - Lesley what?
Child - Ann.
Man - What’s your second name?
Child - Westford. Westford.
Man - Westford?
Child - I have to get home before 8 o’clock. I got to get —(pause) Or I’ll get killed if I don’t. Honest to God.
Man - Yes.
(Quick footsteps of woman leaving room and going downstairs; then a click; then woman’s footsteps coming upstairs; then eight longer strides)
Man - What is it?
Woman - I’ve left the light on.
Man - You ‘ave?
Woman - So that — (remainder of sentence unreadable)
(Child starts crying)
Child - It hurts me neck.
Man - Hush, put it in your mouth and you’ll be all right.
Woman - Now listen, shurrup crying.
Child - (crying) It hurts on me —
Woman - (interrupting) Hush! Shut up. Now, put it in. Pull that hand away and don’t dally and just keep your mouth shut, please.
Woman - Wait a bit, I’ll put this on again. D’you get me?
Child - (whining) No, I — (remainder of sentence unreadable)
Woman - Sh. Hush. Put that in your mouth. And again, packed more solid.
(whispered sentences, unreadable)
Child - I want to go home. Honest to god. I’ll (further speech muffled but uninterrupted) — before eight o’clock.
Woman - No, it’s all right.
Man - Eh!
(Music commences, country-style tune followed by ‘Jolly St Nicholas’, during which various non-vocal noises can be heard; then tune ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ during which a voice speaks -unreadable) (Three loud cracks, systematic, even-timed) (Music- ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ — goes fainter) (Footsteps) (Sounds on tape cease)