Police in the UK searching a farm where Muriel McKay was held hostage and murdered in 1969 have failed to find her body. McKay, who was mistaken for the wife of newspaper tycoon Rupert Murdoch, was kidnapped and killed after being taken to a farm in Hertfordshire for a £1m ransom. The search for McKay’s remains took place after Nizamodeen Hosein, one of the two brothers convicted of the crime, told police he knew where she was buried. McKay’s daughter and grandson persuaded officers to carry out the search, but the family said the man convicted of her murder should have been there to show the police where he buried her body.
In October 1970, Hosein and his brother Arthur were given life sentences for kidnapping, murdering, and holding McKay, 55, hostage. The force’s search for McKay’s body took place after Hosein, who now lives in Trinidad, gave information about where she was allegedly buried. The search began on 15 July but yielded no results, leaving McKay’s family feeling unsatisfied. Had Hosein been present at the search site, even if nothing was found, it would have provided closure for his victim’s loved ones.
McKay was married to Alick McKay, Rupert Murdoch’s deputy, and the Australian couple had moved to Wimbledon in 1956. Her kidnappers had intended to abduct Mr Murdoch’s wife at the time, Anna, in order to obtain £1m, but instead took McKay, having mistaken her for their intended victim. McKay was abducted on 29 December 1969 and murdered at Rooks Farm, which is now known as Stocking Farm. Her body has never been found.
The search has cost approximately £160,000, and the police have confirmed that it is now over and that no further searches will be conducted. The Met said that officers had covered a large area during the investigation, but based on Hosein’s inconsistent account and incorrect recollection of certain events, McKay’s body is unlikely to be found without further information
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