The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Three: Closure

Muriel McKay

In early 2022, Nizamodeen Hosein, now 75 years old revealed to police where he had buried the remains of Muriel McKay, who he, and his brother Arthur, had murdered 52 years prior in the bungled Rupert Murdoch kidnapping and blackmail plot.

It had long been suspected that the brothers had fed Mrs McKay’s body to their pigs. No evidence of her remains had ever been found. Hosein claimed that while Mrs McKay was his hostage, she collapsed and died while watching the news of her kidnapping on TV.

The two brothers had been sentenced to life at the Old Bailey for the kidnap and murder. It was believed to be the first prosecution to go ahead without having a body to prove the murder. Nizamodeen was deported to Trinidad after serving his gaol time. Arthur died in prison in 2009.

Nizamodeen stated to the media, that his reason for revealing her burial location was that he was nearing death and wanted ‘closure’ before he ‘met his maker’.[1] He also claimed that there was no violence toward her during the kidnapping.[2]

[1] Tom Pettifor, Bungled Rupert Murdoch wife kidnapper FINALLY reveals where he buried murder victim, Mirror, (2022), https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bungled-rupert-murdoch-wife-kidnapper-25918374.

[2] Sam Ramsden, Where Are Arthur & Nizamodeen Hosein Now?, Bustle, (2021), https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/where-are-the-hosein-brothers-now.

The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Two: Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein

Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein

At 7:45 pm on Sunday 29 December 1969, News Limited Deputy Chairman, Alick McKay returned to his home at Wimbledon to find his front door wide open and his wife missing. The phone had been pulled from the wall, her handbag contents were strewn across the house and a meat clever lay on the floor.[1]
Alick called the police from his neighbour's house at 8pm. Hours later, at 1 am, Alick received a phone call from an unknown male, who stated he was ‘M3’, part of ‘Mafia M3’. Over the coming weeks, there would be 18 phone calls from M3 and three letters, demanding 1 million pounds or the man would kill Mrs McKay. In one phone call, the man claimed, “We tried to get Rupert Murdoch’s wife. We couldn’t get her, so we took yours instead. You have a million by Wednesday night or we will kill her.”

On February 1^st, 1970, the Mafia M3 three contacted McKay’s son Ian and demanded £500, 000 pounds be delivered to a drop off point. The police sent their own man in dressed as Ian, but perhaps suspecting an ambush, the kidnappers didn’t show.
The next communication stated that Alick and his daughter, Diane would deliver two suitcases of money to a destination on 6 February. Police again played the role of the McKay’s. They delivered the suitcases, but an unsuspecting member of the public reported the out of place cases to local police, who knew nothing about the ambush and arrived on the scene.
Police who had staked out the location noted a silver Volvo driving past repeatedly, registered to Arthur Hosein, so they ran a background check. Hosein’s fingerprints matched those found on ransom notes.
Police raided the Hosein farm and scoured it for clues. They could find no trace of Muriel McKay but were positive she was dead. They charged the brothers for their kidnapping and ransom plot, and then charged them for murder, even without evidence that Muriel McKay was dead!

Arthur Hosein's house where Muriel McKay was held hostage.

The brothers faced trial at the Old Bailey on 14 September 1970. They were both found guilty on all charges on 6 October. They received life sentences, plus, on the charges of blackmail and kidnapping, Arthur recurved 25 years and Nizamodeen, 15 years.

…but the story doesn’t end there…

To be concluded next week: The Wimbledon Kidnapping: Part Three: Closure

[1] The McKay Kidnapping, Crime+Investigation, (2022), https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/mckay-kidnapping

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Tuesday, 3 May 2022