- By Louise Parry & PA Media
- BBC News, Hertfordshire
Image source, Getty Images
Muriel McKay, 55, was murdered by Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein but her body was never found
A man convicted of kidnapping and murdering a woman he mistook for Rupert Murdoch’s then-wife has offered to reveal the location of her body.
Muriel McKay, 55, was the wife of Mr Murdoch’s deputy Alick McKay.
In 1969 she was held ransom for £1m, but then disappeared and her body was never discovered.
At the time it was suspected she had been fed to pigs on a Hertfordshire farm owned by brothers Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein.
Both were convicted of her murder in one of the first UK trials held without a body.
Now living in his native Trinidad, where he was deported after serving his life sentence, 75-year-old Nizamodeen Hosein has been in touch with Ms McKay’s daughter Dianne, 82.
He has offered to return to the UK to show her where he buried her mother’s body.
Image source, Peter MacDiarmid/Shutterstock
In 2022, police carried out “an extensive search” for Muriel McKay’s remains at Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire
In a letter seen by Sky News, Hosein asked the Home Office to lift a deportation order that still bars him from the UK.
His brother died in prison in 2009.
He wrote: “I admit my involvement in the kidnap and death of Muriel McKay, and I have been attempting to assist her daughter Dianne in locating her body.
“I believe I am the only living person who knows where Muriel’s body is and would like her body to be found before I myself die.”
In March 2022, police carried out “an extensive search for Muriel’s remains” at Stocking Farm, formerly called Rooks Farm, at Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire.
The Metropolitan Police said the search “concluded unsuccessfully”.
Image source, Peter MacDiarmid/Shutterstock
Investigators were unable to find any sign of Ms McKay’s remains
Dianne told Sky News, after speaking to Hosein by video call, that he was a “man of few words”.
Asked what it was like having to speak to the man convicted of her mother’s murder, and rely on him for help, Dianne told the broadcaster: “It’s been very hard having so many years of nobody to talk to, no leads and no hope of ever finding her body. It’s actually a relief to talk to him.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We express sympathies with Muriel McKay’s loved ones.
“While we do not comment on individual cases, we work with the police on any requests pertaining to ongoing investigations.”
The Met said: “We most recently met some members of Muriel’s family in May 2023 and continue to keep in contact with them.
“We continue to review any opportunities to recover Muriel’s body and return her to her family.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
