Bone found in hunt for Muriel McKay's body as search teams carry out dig in east London garden 55 years after she was kidnapped and murdered 'is not human', police confirm
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A bone discovered by the family of kidnap and murder victim Muriel McKay is not human, police confirmed.
Excavators discovered a nine-inch bone which appeared to have been ‘sliced with a weapon or machine’ this afternoon and initially believed it belonged to Mrs McKay, who was snatched from her home in 1969.
Her grandson, Mark Dyer, told the Mail he had been ‘praying’ the family had finally found his grandmother’s remains after 55 years.
But Scotland Yard last night dashed the families hopes, confirming the bone had come from an animal.
A spokesman said: ‘Police are aware of reports surrounding the discovery of a single bone in the garden of a property in Bethnal Green Road, Hackney. The bone was uncovered on Friday, March 20, during an independent search.
‘Officers attended the scene assisted by forensic colleagues who have determined the bone does not belong to a human.’
Muriel McKay was the wife of newspaper executive Alick McKay. She was kidnapped for a £1 million ransom in 1969 after being mistaken for Anna Murdoch, the then-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Percy Chaplin's shop in Bethnal Green was used by notorious gangsters the Kray twins, and he employed one of Mrs McKay's murderers, Arthur Hosein. It is now a bookmaker's
Mrs McKay was taken from her Wimbledon home by Indo-Trinidadian brothers Arthur and Nizam Hosein, who mistakenly believed she was the wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and demanded a £1million ransom.
The duo were convicted and jailed for Mrs McKay’s murder in 1970, but her body has never been discovered despite several police searches.
Her family received new hope last year, however, via the daughter of a former tailor who had a shop on Bethnal Green.
Percy Chaplin's shop was used by notorious gangsters the Kray twins, and he employed one of Mrs McKay's murderers, Arthur Hosein.
In 2022, when he was nearing the end of his life, Mr Chaplin told his daughter, Hayley Frais, that he believed the body could be buried on the premises.
She informed the McKay family, who scanned the property last week and began digging this morning.
A surveyor and two diggers made the discovery at about 1.45pm and immediately called the police, who cordoned off the scene and sent in forensics officers.
Mr Dyer said he would continue to search the site next week.
