Birthday message for murdered son

Winnie Johnson places a wreath in memory of her son Keith (inset) on the moors.

A poignant hand-written message by a grief-stricken mother to the memory of her murdered son marked his birthday.

Head bowed in silence prayer, Winnie Johnson, placed a wreath of bright spring flowers on moors above Saddleworth in an emotional pilgrimage.

The message read: “To my darling Keith. Happy birthday — lots of love and hugs, Mum.”

It would have been Keith Bennett’s 58th birthday, but instead of celebrating, Winnie, accompanied by a group of friends, stood quietly at a lonely roadside gazing over rolling moorland that still holds the secret of where he lies buried.

Keith was just 12 when he was abducted and murdered on Saddleworth Moor by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.

He was one of five children killed by the notorious pair and the only one whose body has not been recovered.

But 46 years later — the anniversary of Keith’s disappearance is on Wednesday — Winnie is still doggedly continuing her fight to find him.

The resolute 76-year-old said: “I just want to give my son the dignity of a proper burial. My agony just goes on and on . . . but I know we will find him.”

A charity-funded search-and-rescue organisation, has already made several searches of the moor with specially-trained dogs that can trace human remains. Recently, for the first time, Winnie made a helicopter journey over the moors to study the killings fields.

Winnie’s lawyer, Oldham-based John Ainley, said: “She is a very determined woman. Everyone wants to see closure in this case.”

Money is being raised to fund a special machine that can explore disturbances on the earth’s surface.

Go to www.searchingforkeith.com for more information.46 years on and Winnie is still determined to find her boy