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Grandson of murder victim Muriel McKay slams Met for ‘not searching farmland’ as family issue new plea to find body
11 January 2024, 09:34 | Updated: 11 January 2024, 09:36
The grandson of murder victim Muriel McKay has slammed the decision by the Met Police 'not to search' the farmland where he believes she is buried.
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Mrs McKay's family have made a desperate new plea to help find her body, which they believe is buried on Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire.
Mrs McKay was murdered 55 years ago by Nizamodeen Hosein and his brother Arthur, but her body was never found.
There have been searches on Stocking Farm, where her killed said she died, but they have so far been inconclusive.
Mrs McKay's grandson, Mark Dyer, told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that his family had offered £40,000 to the owner of the farm, Ian de Burgh, to dig up the piece of land where they believe she is buried.
Mr de Burgh has previously refused to give up access to his land, though there was a search of a small area of land by Metropolitan Police officers.
Mr Dyer told LBC that the police had searched "everywhere expect the obvious places" and revealed he had spoken to his grandmother's killer to find out where she was buried.
LBC has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
Muriel McKay's grandson speaks to LBC
“I knew my grandmother. I remember her perfume, I was six years old…I always thought he’d murdered her…He didn’t want to harm her, he wanted a million pounds," Mr Dyer said.
"He told me in detail what happened. They used a drug…to keep her quiet. She died in the bedroom upstairs and she was dead. Then they panicked…they put her behind the barn."
"The Met, I’m sorry guys, you need to start behaving," Mr Dyer added.
Mrs McKay's family hope the large sum would compensate the banker who lives at Stocking Farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire, a sum that was previously offered to her killer.
Hosein, who has since been released from prison, revealed the location of her body without taking the sum.
In the letter written to the landowner, Mr Dyer said: "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," he added.
Hosein and his brother, Arthur, were given life sentences for the kidnap and murder of Ms McKay, who was 55 years old when she died.
She was the wife of Australian newspaper executive, Alick, who himself was Rupert Murdoch's deputy.
Hosein and Arthur had meant to kidnap Murdoch's former wife, Anna, though got the wrong person.
Hosein, now living in poverty in Trinidad, has offered to come back to the UK to reveal the exact spot where she was buried, though this would require Home Office approval following his deportation in 1990.
Some MPs have put pressure on the Metropolitan Police to get a search warrant to find the body, including former Cabinet minsiter Sir Robert Buckland and former solicitor general Sir Oliver Heald.
“It would give the family peace of mind. It was a horrendous case, yes it was 50 years ago but giving the family as much information as possible seems to be humane and just," Sir Robert told The Times.
