Family of Muriel McKay offer £40,000 to search Hertfordshire farm where she is buried
It's after Muriel's killer, Nizamodeen Hosein, revealed her body's location
Last updated 11th Jan 2024
The family of a woman who was kidnapped and murdered in 1969 have offered £40,000 to the landowner of the Hertfordshire farm where she's believed to be buried, to enable them to search the premises.
Muriel McKay's body has never been found following her kidnapping, and now the family are once again appealing to the owner of Stocking Farm in Stocking Pelham to allow them to search for her body.
It's after Mrs McKay's murderer Nizamodeen Hosein spoke with her family and broke his silence over her burial site.
The family had also offered to pay Hosein, however he refused the money and revealed the location willingly.
It's hoped the money on offer will encourage the landowner, Ian de Burgh Marsh, to allow a search to take place at his farm, which has already been searched once in 2022.
In a letter seen by Sky News, Muriel's Grandson Mark Dyer writes: "The perpetrator has admitted his part in this crime after so many years and he genuinely wishes to help us find Muriel. He has provided a written and sworn affidavit detailing the location of the burial site.
"We now wish to search a small, targeted and specific area with minimal police attendance. That way there will be no unnecessary searching.
"We agreed to a limited search previously and now the circumstances have changed as we have specific information as to the burial location from the person who actually dug the grave."
"As a family, we now offer you this sum for any inconvenience caused and any legal fees incurred. Please assist us as we need to have closure on this family tragedy."
The searches in 2022 led to no discoveries by police, which Muriel's family say is due to them looking in the wrong place. The family believe this could now be rectified, and say only a small area of land would need to be search, as Hosein has now given a location.
Speaking about the search in 2022, a spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said: "An extensive search for Muriel’s remains was conducted in March 2022 at a site in Hertfordshire, unfortunately it concluded unsuccessfully."
"We have been engaging with some members of Muriel’s family to keep them updated on an ongoing review."
"We will consider and assess any new information, keeping an open mind to all available options."
Speaking with Greatest Hits Radio previously, Muriel's Grandson, Mark Dyer, says they believe the new piece of information from Hosein gave Muriel's daughter, Dianne McKay, and himself, a new hope, after 54 years searching for answers.
On New Year's Day, the McKay family got in contact with Rupert Murdoch, a former business associate of Muriel's husband, whose wife was the initial target of the 1969 kidnap, as part of efforts to encourage the Home Office to lift Hosein's deportation order.
He is currently residing in Trinidad, where he was deported to after his prison release.