Memorial service for murdered Keith Bennett

Jan 23 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE MOTHER of the ‘lost’ victim of evil Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley has spoken of her joy after he was finally granted a memorial service – 46 years after his death.

Keith Bennett was 12 in 1964 when Hindley and Brady abducted him and then murdered him on Saddleworth Moor.

He has since become known as ‘The Lost Boy’ – the only Moors victim never to be found and without a body has never had an inquest.

Now Keith has been granted a memorial service on Friday, March 5, at Manchester Cathedral so his family can at last celebrate his life.

The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Rev Nigel McCulloch – a former Bishop of Wakefield – will oversee the 11am service for victim’s relatives, family, friends and the public with readings and hymns.

Winnie Johnson, 75, said: “All these years since Brady and Hindley took my Keith away I have never been able to properly celebrate his life.

“The only funeral I have read about is Hindley’s when she died – Keith has been left forgotten.

“Even the police gave up the search for his body last year meaning we’re having to carry on looking for his body ourselves.

“This service is what I have hoped for– although I still pray for the day we can find him and give him a decent, Christian burial.

“It is so hard to grieve without him found, yet for 46 years I have dreamed of a funeral that celebrates his life, however short it was.

“Now thanks to the bishop and my priest the Rev Ian Gomersall, this is finally going to happen.

“Hindley has already gone but Brady is alive in his cell and I hope he hears about this.