The death of "Moors Murderer" Ian Brady at the age of 79 at Ashworth Hospital has been greeted with mixed emotions by the families of his victims. Brady, who with lover Myra Hindley tortured and murdered five children in the Manchester area between 1963 and 1965, died without apparently revealing the final resting place of the Keith Bennett, aged 12.

Bennett's mother Winnie pleaded with Brady for years to say where he and Hindley buried her son, but went to her grave in 2012 without knowing. As Brady lay dying in hospital police officers pleaded with him to reveal where Keith was buried but he refused, according to The Telegraph.

There had been rumors in recent years that Brady wrote a letter to Winnie with instructions for it to remain sealed until his death, but the letter has never been found. Lawyer Robin Makin, who saw Brady shortly before his death, said he didn't believe the killer had any more information about Keith's whereabouts.

"I would be very surprised if he really had information that was useful," Makin told BBC Radio. "He did go to the Moors a long time ago and I suspect that if there had been information for him that he could have provided, he would have provided it then."

Brady and Hindley were convicted of the murders of John Kilbride, 12, Lesley Ann Downey, 10, and 17-year-old Edward Evans in 1966. They later admitted to the killing of Keith and 16-year-old Pauline Reade.

The victims had been tortured and sexually abused.

John Kilbride's brother Terry told The Sun: "It's been years and years of anguish and pain for us and the families of the victims. He's dead but we will have to still live with the nightmare that he left behind."

The family of Lesley Ann Downey suffered yet more tragedy in 2001 when her brother Tommy West and niece Kimberley, 8, died in a fire started by Caz Telfer, who was obsessed with the Moors Murders.

Telfer was jailed for manslaughter and arson in 2002 and released in 2013.

Hindley died of bronchial pneumonia on 15th November 2002. Brady fought a legal battle for years to be allowed to die by being sent back to prison in Scotland where he wouldn't be force-fed but had his requests refused.

Brady died at Ashworth on 16th May 2017, Mersey Care NHS foundation trust confirmed. The cause of death has not been released.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said despite Brady's death the case would not be closed. "Whilst we are not actively searching Saddleworth Moors, Greater Manchester Police will never close this case," said head of the GMP Cold Case Review Unit Martin Bottomley. "Brady's death does not change that."
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