For more than half a century, the family of Muriel McKay has lived with an agonising uncertainty. Now, they believe they are closer than ever to finding her final resting place, allegedly a garden in east London, bringing a potential end to one of Britain's most protracted and tragic murder mysteries.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
The harrowing sequence of events began in December 1969. Muriel McKay, a 55-year-old woman, was kidnapped from her London home by two brothers, Nizamodeen and Arthur Hosein. The kidnappers had intended to abduct Anna, the wife of media titan Rupert Murdoch, but seized Mrs McKay in a devastating case of mistaken identity.
Her husband, Alick McKay, was a newspaper executive who served as Mr Murdoch's deputy. Despite realising their error, the Hosein brothers proceeded, demanding a £1 million ransom for her safe return. The ransom was never paid, and Muriel McKay was never seen again.
A Landmark Trial Without a Body
The subsequent investigation led to one of the first-ever murder trials in the UK to be conducted without the victim's body being found. Both Hosein brothers were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for her murder. Arthur Hosein later died in prison.
This month, 56 years after her disappearance, a High Court judge officially declared Muriel McKay dead. This legal step was a formality that acknowledged a painful truth long held by her family, but it also paved the way for a new chapter in their quest for answers.
The Search for Closure in a Bethnal Green Garden
On Monday, the High Court heard a pivotal application from lawyers representing two of Mrs McKay's children, Ian McKay and Dianne Levinson. They asked a judge to grant an injunction that would allow a 'ground-penetrating radar survey' of a shared back garden at two neighbouring properties on Bethnal Green Road.
The family believes this is the location where her remains were buried decades ago. One of the homeowners, Madeleine Higson, has opposed the injunction, which would also prevent her from disturbing the garden during the process.
Mr Justice Richard Smith, presiding over the case, acknowledged its complex legal nature and stated he would deliver his judgment on Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking after the hearing, Mrs McKay's grandson, Mark Dyer, articulated the family's profound desire for resolution. 'We do not want to be felt sorry for,' he said, 'we just actually want to get on and... scan the place, check for my grandmother. We've been told she's there, most probably there, so we need to pick her up.'
He added a poignant hope: 'She would like to come home for Christmas this year and what is left of her is purely some remains, some bones. They should find a place where the family can go and visit... and that's the right thing to do.' For a family that has waited 56 years, the search for a final place to pay their respects continues.
