Muriel McKay: searches for her body continue into the weekend

The original search of five days will now continue until Monday and could further be extended

Author: Zoe Head-ThomasPublished 20th Jul 2024

Searches for the body of a woman kidnapped and killed in 1969 will continue into the weekend and Monday in Hertfordshire, with a possible extension into later next week.

Muriel McKay was taken from her home in Wimbledon, and taken to a farm in Stocking Pelham, where her killer, Nizamodeen Hosein, says she is buried.

Muriel's son Ian McKay, flew all the way from Australia to visit the site for the very first time, joined by his sister Dianne McKay, and Dianne's son Mark Dyer, who has been pushing for further searches for her body to be carried out for years.

Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio at the site where the dig is being carried out, in Stocking Pelham, Muriel's son Ian said: "We just live day by day, hope by hope."

"This does not make sense."

A first search in 1970, and a second one in 2022, were both unsuccessful.

This third and final search for her body was confirmed by the Metropolitan Police last month after reviewing consistent accounts from her killer who revealed last December where exactly on the farm land he believes her to be buried, narrowing down the dig to that specific area.

Forensics and search teams have been rotating throughout the week, digging the ground where Muriel is said to be buried.

A digger left the site late yesterday, with what appeared to be broken down concrete from a pathway by a barn under which her killer is consistent on her being.

A property solicitor working with the family, Robert Edgington, who visited the site, said: "I think based on the information that we had previously, the area which has yet to be searched is still quite promising, based on the information that Nizam gave in his testimony to the family and also to the police."

"They're currently still doing part of the grassy area out front and then they're concentrating on the other end and that all sort of corresponds with the line of the fence that he talked about to the police and to the family. So I'm quite hopeful."

"Four to six metres, stretching all the way out. They've only done just in front of the barn. Just that bit. They have to keep it in sections so they don't miss anything inside all the soil that they're digging up. So they've got that one strip and they've got a similar strip over the other side to dig."

A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said: "We anticipate the search will go into next week. Nothing has been found so far."

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