New search to begin at farm for remains of Muriel McKay who was murdered in 1969

A fresh search for the remains of Muriel McKay, who was murdered in 1969, is due to begin at a farm on Monday.

Ms McKay, the wealthy wife of newspaper executive Alick McKay, was kidnapped and held ransom for £1 million more than 54 years ago.

The pair who kidnapped her had mistaken her for Anna Murdoch, the then-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Mr McKay, who was Mr Murdoch’s deputy, was also Australian.

Ms McKay, 55, disappeared in December 1969 and was traced to Stocking Farm near Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire.

Her body has never been found.

Brothers Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein were convicted of her kidnap and murder.

Arthur died in prison in 2009, while Nizamodeen was deported to Trinidad and Tobago after serving his sentence.

Stocking Farm was searched at the time of the murder, and again in 2022, involving 30 police officers, ground penetrating radar and specialist forensic archaeologists, but nothing new was found.

A fresh search is due to take place at the property in Stocking Pelham, starting on Monday.

The search will see officers from the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Command and forensic officers working together with forensic archaeologists and other specialists, as well as Hertfordshire Police.

Ms McKay’s grandson, Mark Dryer, told BBC Breakfast: “It’s difficult not to get anxious and emotional but I’ve got to keep on the straight and narrow.

“Really, if we don’t find her it will be a disappointment, but it won’t be unexpected.

“But without searching for something you’re never going to find it…

“We haven’t dug behind the barn, no-one’s ever dug behind the barn.”

The search is expected to take around five days but could be extended.

An air exclusion zone will be in place during the dig, with no access to the farm or to a section of public footpath that runs through it.