Who Was Ian Brady?

Ian Brady remains one of the most notorious figures in the annals of British crime, a name synonymous with pure evil. Together with his partner, Myra Hindley, he carried out the infamous Moors Murders, a series of child killings that horrified a nation and left a permanent scar on its psyche.

A Troubled Beginning

Born Ian Duncan Stewart in a Glasgow slum on January 2, 1938, Brady’s life began in instability. His single mother, a waitress, was unable to care for him, leading to his unofficial adoption by a local family, the Sloans, when he was just a few months old.

His childhood was marked by a sense of isolation and a volatile temper. He was a difficult, lonely boy who struggled to connect with his peers, instead finding solace in a dark inner world.

Ideological Influences

As a teenager, Brady developed a disturbing fascination with Nazism, the writings of the Marquis de Sade, and the nihilistic philosophy of Nietzsche. These ideologies fed his growing contempt for society and its moral codes.

His intellectual pursuits were matched by a descent into petty crime. After a series of burglaries, he was sent to live with his estranged mother and her new husband in Manchester, taking his stepfather’s surname, Brady. His criminal behavior continued, and he soon found himself serving a sentence in Strangeways Prison at the age of 17.

The Partnership with Myra Hindley

A Fateful Meeting

In 1961, after his release from prison, Brady took a job as a stock clerk at a chemical plant in Manchester. It was there he met a young secretary named Myra Hindley.

Hindley quickly became infatuated with Brady. He was her first lover, and she fell completely under his charismatic and manipulative spell. He molded her in his own image, shaping her views and appearance.

A Shared Depravity

Brady’s sadistic fantasies found a willing participant in Hindley. Their relationship spiraled into a shared world of depravity, where they began to plot the “supreme pleasure” of murder, a term Brady himself used.

The Moors Murders: A Reign of Terror

The Victims

Between July 1963 and October 1965, Brady and Hindley abducted, tortured, and murdered five children. Their victims were Pauline Reade, 16; John Kilbride, 12; Keith Bennett, 12; Lesley Ann Downey, 10; and Edward Evans, 17.

A Method of Cruelty

The pair lured their young victims into their car before subjecting them to unspeakable acts of sexual abuse and violence. The murders were meticulously planned and chillingly executed.

After killing their victims, Brady and Hindley buried their bodies in shallow graves on the desolate Saddleworth Moor, a bleak landscape that would forever be associated with their heinous crimes.

Capture, Trial, and Imprisonment

The Crime That Led to Their Downfall

Their reign of terror came to an end in October 1965. Hindley’s brother-in-law, David Smith, witnessed Brady brutally murdering their final victim, Edward Evans, with an axe.

Horrified, Smith went to the police, leading to the arrest of both Brady and Hindley. A search of their home uncovered a left-luggage ticket that led to a suitcase containing photographs and a horrifying audio tape of Lesley Ann Downey being tortured.

A Life Behind Bars

In 1966, Brady and Hindley were sentenced to life in prison. Brady spent the majority of his sentence at the high-security Ashworth Hospital after being diagnosed as a psychopath in 1985.

He showed no remorse for his crimes, embracing his notoriety and playing games with the media and the police for decades.

The End of a Dark Chapter: Ian Brady’s Death

Final Years and Hunger Strikes

From 1999, Brady was on a hunger strike, claiming he wished to die. He was force-fed for years, with authorities refusing his request to be moved to a regular prison where he could starve himself to death.

On May 15, 2017, at the age of 79, Ian Brady died at Ashworth Hospital, bringing an end to a life defined by cruelty.

A Legacy That Haunts Britain

Brady’s death did little to erase the horror of his actions. He and Hindley left an indelible mark on the British consciousness, their names becoming a byword for ultimate evil.

The Unsolved Mystery of Keith Bennett

To the very end, Ian Brady refused to reveal the location of Keith Bennett’s body on Saddleworth Moor. He took the secret to his grave, denying the boy’s family the peace of a proper burial.

The search for Keith continues to this day, a painful and enduring reminder of Brady’s final, cruel act.

Why Ian Brady Remains a Figure of Public Revulsion

Decades after his conviction, Ian Brady’s ability to fascinate and revolt has not diminished. He represents a chilling exploration of human depravity that is hard to comprehend.

His crimes, coupled with his unrepentant narcissism and the mystery of his final victim, have secured his place as one of history’s most monstrous figures, a dark shadow that still looms over Britain.