I want to help others, like family of Moors Murderers’ victim Keith
TRACY Richardson wants to help others who still cling to the possibility that one day they can give their murdered but missing loved ones dignity with a funeral and a proper resting place.
They include the relatives of Keith Bennett, victim of Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.
Keith’s body has lain undiscovered for 54 years on Saddleworth Moor. His late mother, Winnie Johnson, had waved the 12-year-old off as he crossed Eston Street in Longsight, on June 12 1964, on his way to his grandmother’s house. She would never see him again.
The same anguish was endured by the parents of little April Jones.
Mark Bridger, who was held on remand at Manchester’s Strangeways Prison before trial, was given a whole life sentence in May 2013 for murdering fiveyear-old April.
She had been playing with friends close to her home on the Bryn Y Gog estate in Machynlleth, mid-Wales when Bridger enticed her into his car.
A tragic bond unites Tracy Richardson with young Keith and little April’s heartbroken families.
“I know how it feels for people to experience this and want to help others,” Tracy said.
“I wrote a four page letter to (Martin) Stafford asking him to tell me where my mum’s body was but I never got any reply. I asked him, ‘Why my mum, and what did you do with my mum’s body?
“I do know he read the letter. It took me six months because at first the prison governor said it was against his human rights to receive it. There was then a change of mind and he got it. I wanted to visit him too. See him face-to-face. But I never got that chance, because he had to agree to it.
“Because he had been extradited from Ireland the police were not allowed to go into prison and quiz him as it breached his human rights and he had to agree to it. All the police were allowed to do was charge him.
“What about my mum’s human rights? She is out there somewhere.”