Muriel McKay's son, 82, makes emotional first visit to Hertfordshire farm where she was murdered
Ian McKay's mother Muriel McKay is believed to be buried at Stocking Farm in Hertfordshire, as ITV News Anglia's Hannah Pettifer reports.
The son of Muriel McKay, who was kidnapped and murdered 55 years ago, has for the first time visited the site where she was killed and believed to be buried.
Ian McKay, now 82, travelled from Australia to Hertfordshire this week as police began the search for his mother's body at Stocking Farm, near Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire.
In 1969 Muriel McKay, the wealthy wife of newspaper executive Alick McKay, was mistaken for Anna Murdoch, the then-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
She was kidnapped and held ransom for £1million.
Asked what his mother was like before he entered the farm on Tuesday, Mr McKay struggled to speak, his voice cracking as he said he could not bring himself to answer the question.
“My way of dealing with [Ms McKay's murder] was simply not to talk about it and luckily nobody ever really asked me about it", Mr McKay said.
"I didn’t even speak to my children about it until recently. I managed to bury it and occasionally it comes up and it does affect me."
He said of his visit: “I’m feeling apprehensive but hopefully we’ll feel better if we see a result.
“When we get there and see what’s actually happening [the emotion] will all come home pretty quickly.”
Images released by the Met Police on Monday show officers sifting through the dirt in a trench dug inside a barn at the farm to where Ms McKay was traced.
The dig comes after years of campaigning by Mr McKay and his nephew Mark Dyer - Ms McKay's grandson - for police to restart searches for her remains.
Earlier this year, Mr Dyer and his family met one of Ms McKay's killers in Trinidad and Tobego - Nizamodeen Hosein - who then told police the exact location he believes he buried her.
Mr Dyer and Mr McKay both said they believe the search would be easier if police agreed to work with Mr Hosein and allow him to visit the farm to assist the search.
Mr McKay said: “I feel it is a no-brainer that we should have Nizamodeen Hosein there. If there was gold treasure buried there, you would certainly use the man who buried it to tell you where it was.”
Ahead of the visit to the farm, Mr Dyer said: “It’s a big moment. For my uncle this is a massive moment, I can’t even describe what it must be like for him.
“It’s been a lot for him to come all the way from Australia to face up with his nemesis - this house.
"He was a 27-year-old adult and this is his mum who he never saw again.
"She was stolen from him. He’s having to come here with dignity and ask if he can pick her up."
Following the visit, Mr Dyer said: “We’ve seen a large hole in a shed, they’re not using a scanner but are digging out all of the ground.
"We’re told the process could go on for well over a week.”
They added that they intend to give Ms McKay a "proper burial and funeral", should her remains be found.
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