Muriel McKay: retracing the steps of her disappearance
She was kidnapped in 1969 from her Wimbledon home and murdered in Hertfordshire, but her body was never found
Last updated 16th Jul 2024
Searches at a Hertfordshire farm continue today for the remains of a woman kidnapped over half a century ago.
Muriel McKay was taken from her home in Wimbledon in 1969, and taken to a farm in Stocking Pelham, where her killer, Nizamodeen Hosein, says she is buried.
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 where exactly on the farm land he believes her to be buried, narrowing down the dig to that specific area.
Why was Muriel McKay kidnapped?
In 1969, two brothers, Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein, plotted the kidnap of newspaper giant Rupert Murdoch's wife, Anna Murdoch, demanding a £1 million ransom in exchange for her release.
However the brothers mistook Muriel McKay for Anna Murdoch, whose husbands were business partners, and abducted her instead from her Wimbledon home in December 1969.
From there commenced a series of failed attempts to drop a ransom off at various locations chosen by the brothers.
Tottenham
Postmarks from letters sent by the Hosein brothers to the McKay family indicated they had been in the Tottenham area, which was soon chosen as the first step in their plan to pick up the ransom.
They ordered for the suitcases full of money, which consisted of fake banknotes created by the Bank of England, to be delivered at a phone box.
Once the suitcases were delivered, the family was ordered to travel to another point to drop the money off instead.
Bethnal Green
The next step to the series of instructions given by the Hosein brothers was to deliver the suitcases in Bethnal Green, at another phone box.
This attempt failed again. The family was then ordered to travel to Epping, where a third phone box was chosen as a drop off point.
From there, they were told to make their way to a used car garage in Bishop's Stortford and drop the ransom off next to a chosen vehicle.
Stocking Pelham
Police surveillance in Hertfordshire allowed for a Volvo to be located, which eventually led them to Rooks Farm in Stocking Pelham, now known as Stocking Farm.
Soon after, both brothers were arrested. Followed an extensive search for Muriel McKay, who was never found.
The Old Bailey
It was at the Old Bailey that the two brothers were convicted to life in prison for the kidnap and murder of Muriel McKay in a landmark case, as her body was never found.
Decades later, after serving time behind bars, Nizamodeen Hosein was deported to Trinidad, where he still lives.
What happened next?
A second search for her body
Decades went by before a second dig of the farm was ordered by the Metropolitan Police, in 2022, after the McKay family urged them to conduct another search following contact made by a reporter with Nizamodeen Hosein, who indicated her body could still be there.
The second search was unsuccessful.
Contact made with Muriel's killer
Years of work carried out by the McKay family, particularly Muriel's grandson Mark Dyer, and legal teams working with them in Trinidad, allowed for contact to be made with Nizamodeen Hosein.
In December 2023, Mark Dyer offered him £40,000 ($50,000) in exchange for information.
Hosein declined the money but revealed in an affidavit the exact location in which he believes Muriel to be buried.
Months of regular contact between the McKay family and the Metropolitan Police followed, before Mark Dyer and his mother Dianne, Muriel's daughter, flew to Trinidad to meet Hosein in person.
The Metropolitan Police followed weeks after.
Third and final search confirmed
Upon their return, all information and evidence from Hosein, who was consistent about one specific location on Stocking Farm not previously searched, where he believes Muriel to be buried, was carefully reviewed.
The Metropolitan Police agreed to carry out one final search of the land in which Muriel McKay is said to be buried, assisted by Hertfordshire Police, 54 years after she was kidnapped and murdered.
This search is planned to take five days, with the possibility of being extended.