GMP’s years of hunting for Keith

MARTIN Bottomley, Head of GMP’s Cold Case Review Unit, said that searches had been made for Keith’s body from the 1960s to 2009 when it was decided the hunt would cease unless there was a ‘major scientific breakthrough or fresh evidence’.

He said: “We made it clear, however, that this case will never be closed.”

He added: “In July 2012, a lawyer representing Channel 4 News informed us that an associate representing Brady had told one of their journalists that they had received letters from Brady via his solicitor. We were told that one of these letters contained a further letter, addressed to Keith’s mother, Winnie Johnson, and Brady’s associate believed that this letter contained some information to indicate where Keith’s body was buried.

“Acting on this information, GMP officers arrested the associate, searched their premises and at the same time searched Brady’s belongings at Ashworth Hospital including two briefcases. Neither of these letters were found.

“It is likely more documents have accumulated over the years but no further examination of the briefcases, or any of Brady’s papers, has been allowed in the seven years since GMP were granted access under authority of a warrant in 2012.

“The day after Brady died in May 2017, a detective applied for a further warrant to allow access to examine Brady’s papers. This application was denied by a District Judge.

“In the following days, advice was sought from the coroner with responsibility for conducting the inquest into Brady’s death, but we were informed that there is no legislation available to allow access to Brady’s papers in these circumstances. Officers then approached Brady’s solicitor, seeking his permission - as executor of Brady’s will - to examine Brady’s papers.

“After initially agreeing to this course of action, at a pre-arranged meeting at Ashworth Hospital in June 2017 for the purpose of examining the papers in the solicitor’s presence, Brady’s lawyer suddenly withdrew his cooperation. We were not allowed to examine any of Brady’s papers.

“In September 2017, further contact with Brady’s lawyer failed to resolve this. Two further requests by officers to Brady’s solicitor have gone unanswered.

“I must emphasise that Greater Manchester Police remain committed to providing Keith’s family with the support and answers they deserve.”