Two descendants of Muriel McKay have been denied a High Court injunction to scan a backyard in east London where they suspect she may be buried. Muriel McKay, the affluent spouse of newspaper executive Alick McKay, was abducted in 1969 for a £1 million ransom under the mistaken belief that she was Anna Murdoch, then-wife of media magnate Rupert Murdoch. Despite extensive searches, her body has never been recovered.
The family recently sought permission to investigate a shop associated with the Kray twins after claims by the children of tailor Percy Chaplin that they believe McKay may have been buried in the yard of his east London establishment. The legal representatives of Ian McKay and Dianne Levinson, two of Muriel’s children, requested authorization from a judge for a “ground-penetrating radar survey” of a shared backyard involving the homeowners of two adjacent properties on Bethnal Green Road.
During the London hearing, it was revealed that the family has received new information leading them to believe that McKay’s remains may be located on the premises. However, one of the property owners, Madeleine Higson, opposed the injunction, which aimed to prevent any disturbances to the garden. The judge, Mr Justice Richard Smith, emphasized the need for objective consideration of the case, stating that the evidence supporting the presence of McKay’s remains at the location was currently inconclusive.
McKay was abducted from her Wimbledon home in December 1969, leading to the arrest and conviction of brothers Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein for her murder. The family’s pursuit of McKay’s remains was fueled by new information provided by Hayley Frais, whose father ran the tailor shop at the time of the incident. Despite police reluctance to excavate the garden, the family hoped that a scan might provide valuable information.
The legal battle highlighted tensions between the McKay family and Higson, who claimed to have endured distress and harassment from the family’s persistent attempts to access the property. The family apologized for any distress caused and stressed the significance of resolving this personal matter.