What happened to Muriel McKay: The bungled kidnap victim

In winter 1969, a woman was abducted and held to ransom, mistaken for the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Muriel McKay was held hostage at a farm in Hertfordshire, where she is believed to have died. Decades later, her family is in touch with one of her killers, trying to locate her body.

Mrs McKay was the wife of Alick McKay, Rupert Murdoch's deputy. The Australian couple had moved to Wimbledon, south London, in 1956.

The 55-year-old had three adult children and four grandchildren.

Her kidnappers mistook her for Mr Murdoch's wife at the time, Anna, in a bungled attempt to extort £1m.

Mr Murdoch had loaned the McKays his Rolls Royce, which led to the case of mistaken identity.

On 29 December 1969, Mrs McKay was returning home when she was abducted and bundled into a car.

Years later, her daughter Dianne found out more from one of the kidnappers.

"For years I'd gone over the question of 'how did my mother let the men - who looked pretty rough - into the house?' He told me quite simply - she was outside," she recalled.

"She saw them coming. She ran inside and picked up the phone, but didn't put the chain on. So that's how they got in."

Phone calls were repeatedly made to the family demanding money and threatening to kill Mrs McKay. A huge police operation closed in on Rooks Farm in Stocking Pelham, Hertfordshire.

Mrs McKay's grandson Mark Dyer said an anonymous phone call was made from a pub coin box, claiming that Mrs McKay was dead.

Despite vast searches of Rooks Farm in 1970, Mrs McKay's body was not found.

Arthur Hosein, who owned Rooks Farm, and his younger brother Nizamodeen Hosein, were arrested on 7 February 1970.

During one of the first UK murder trials held without a body having been discovered, they were both jailed for life for Mrs McKay's kidnap and murder.

Arthur died in prison, but Nizamodeen was deported to his native Trinidad after serving his sentence.

Following the murder convictions, the case went cold and the family tried to move on with their lives.

Then in 2021, Sky made a documentary called The Wimbledon Kidnapping, including a recent interview with Hosein in Trinidad.

Mr Dyer said it "opened the door" to a new investigation. "I saw a man who wants to come clean", he said.

Along with his mother Dianne, he employed a lawyer in Trinidad to strike up a connection with Hosein. Before long, they were speaking by video call, and said "Nizam revealed everything".

The family said Hosein admitted kidnapping Mrs McKay, but claimed she died of a heart attack after seeing a TV appeal from her family.

Hosein revealed that after Mrs McKay suddenly died, the brothers hid her body under a large dung heap behind the barn.

He pointed out the location on a map of Rooks Farm, which is now called Stocking Farm.

In March 2022, the Metropolitan Police carried out what it called an "extensive search" of Stocking Farm with the landowner's permission.

It said forensic archaeologists and anthropologists were involved, but no body was discovered.

Mrs McKay's family believe the police dug in the wrong area and were too limited in their search.

In January 2024, Dianne and Mr Dyer flew to Trinidad to meet Hosein in person and gather detailed information about where he buried Mrs McKay.

In March 2024, Hosein told the BBC that he was prepared to travel to Hertfordshire and point out the spot where she was buried.

"I'm willing to give a resting place to the family, peace of mind - as you would say," he said.

The Metropolitan Police announced plans to carry out a new search of Stocking Farm after a team of investigators flew to Trinidad in March.

They carried out three days of "extensive interviews" with Hosein and expressed "concerns about inconsistences" in his accounts.

However, they said the search - starting on 15 July 2024 - would be carried out "for completeness".

Cdr Steve Clayman, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "Our recent inquiries mean other areas have been highlighted as being of potential interest and it is these we will search.

"The main area is where a manure heap once stood. We know now this was probably larger than we previously thought and therefore that area was not entirely searched in 2022."

"We all share a hope and desire to find Muriel's remains and bring some closure to her family after all these years," he added.

A statement on behalf of Stocking Farm owner Ian Marsh said he "very much sympathises with the family and hopes they can find closure over this tragedy", adding he was "in regular conversation with the Metropolitan Police over this matter".

"He has at all times been fully cooperative and every time the police have asked for access to his land, he has granted it to them," it added.

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830