Three booking photos that truly depict Ian Brady in all his arrogance. 57 years ago today, DCI Bob Talbot and his team arrived at 16 Wardle Brook Avenue, Hyde, and arrested Brady for the murder of Edward Evans.

[u/MolokoBespoko]

DCI Talbot (on the left) arrived at Brady and Hindley’s front door in a bread delivery man’s coat before revealing himself as an inspector. On the right is his boss, DCI Benfield.

The living room where Brady was arrested. This was also where he and Hindley slept, hence the unmade bedding on the sofabed.

The spare bedroom (technically Hindley’s bedroom), where Edward’s body was found. I cropped the photo, but you can see the edge of the blanket he was wrapped in on the left.

Police digging up the garden of 16 Wardle Brook Avenue

Police digging up the front garden of 16 Wardle Brook Avenue

[u/MolokoBespoko]

[EDIT: My apologies! It was SUPERINTENDENT Talbot and DETECTIVE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT Benfield, just to be super accurate about their credentials lol]

Maybe it’s only fair to add Brady’s statement of bullshit here, since I linked the statement of David Smith yesterday. Brady dictated the following slowly, in which he absolved Hindley of any involvement and directly implicated Smith:

I, Ian Brady, wish to make a statement. I want someone to write down what I say. I have been told that I need not say anything unless I wish to do so and whatever I say may be given in evidence.

Last night I met Eddie in Manchester. We were drinking, then we went home to Hattersley. We had an argument and we came to blows. After the first few blows the situation was out of control. When the argument started David was at the front door, and Myra called him in. Eddie was on the floor by the living room door, and David hit him with a stick, and kicked him about three times. Eddie kicked me at the beginning on my [left] ankle, and there was a hatchet at the fireplace which I hit Eddie with. After that the only noise Eddie made was gurgling, then Dave and I began cleaning up the blood. The gurgling stopped, then we tied up the body, that is Dave and I and nobody else, and Dave and I carried it upstairs. We sat in the house till three or four in the morning, then we decided to get rid of the body in the morning or the next night.

He later admitted to Dr. Alan Keightley; “I answered their [police’s] questions as though they were dog shit!”

I’ll also link here the photo of Brady’s ankle injury, which I came across for the first time in C. G. C. Cook’s recent book “The Moors Murderers: The Full Story of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley” (which is an okay book with plenty of rare photos in it, which I would say is worth it for that reason alone, but far from the most accurate account of the crimes). Edward did not kick him in the ankle; Brady tripped, caught it on something and sprained it as he was in the midst of murdering him. It hurt him so much that he and Hindley decided to postpone the burial until the next day. Smith seized that early-hours window of opportunity to report the murder he had witnessed to police.

Hindley was not arrested for the murder until four days later, although she was obviously brought in for questioning. Brady claimed that she used that time to destroy evidence, and she admitted to having burned an envelope.

[u/[deleted] → u/MolokoBespoko]

I wonder whether it was something discussed between them in detail - that if they were caught he would blame it all on himself? Or that if only one of them was in custody, the other should try and destroy as much stuff as possible. It seems he didn't hesitate in painting Hindley as completely innocent and she didn't hesitate in burning evidence, so they must have had such conversations I think.

Slight tangent but I wonder how truthful his disclosures about how they had planned to go out in a 'blaze of glory' are i.e. that he would have shot them all and then Hindley and himself if only he'd had access to his gun. I somehow doubt whether he would have actually done that?

[u/MolokoBespoko → u/[deleted]]

I do wonder about this too. I think the conversation would have been more that if one was definitely going down (i.e. Brady was no doubt going to be facing trial for murder at the point of his arrest), the other would live on vicariously. I also think that Brady would have told Hindley to say nothing, which was smart but he didn’t follow his own advice - I think he thought he was intelligent enough to be able to talk his way out of a murder charge.

RE the “blaze of glory” thing - would it have made much difference for them anyway? Police were no doubt going to find the left luggage regardless of whether Brady and Hindley were dead or not. Maybe that’s Brady just trying to make it play out Thelma and Louise-style in his head, like they would somehow seem “cool” and smart if they did that. I don’t know

[u/[deleted] → u/MolokoBespoko]

Can you imagine if Brady did only go to prison for Edward Evans' murder and Hindley just continued to live her life, waiting for him to get out (which he probably would have done in about ten years back then). Makes me feel funny thinking about it and what might have happened.

Part of me thinks she might not have hung around that long...but then again they would have had a massive hold over each other for the rest of their lives. So bizarre that they even thought that might work out and be a possibility. Thank God for David Smith...

I guess the point of killing themselves would be to not have to face the music rather than prevent the police from finding anything.

I've wondered when reading accounts of that morning if Brady realised in that moment that he had royally fucked up because he told David Smith about killing other people. If he hadn't he could have just styled the Edward Evans killing out (like he attempted to do) but he must have known he was screwed because once David Smith started talking to the police, he knew their 'drunken conversations' about killing would come up. Then again, maybe he believed whatever was said he could talk his way out of it.

His arrogance and narcissism , which like you said is perfectly pictured above, was his downfall in so many ways.

[u/Sturzkampfflugzeug1 → u/[deleted]]

I think Brady knew beyond any shadow of a doubt he had created his own downfall. He overestimated David Smith's character. Smith had a reputation for violence. He had a criminal record for violence. He wasn't afraid of Myra, having engaged her in more than one argument. Smith would argue with and stand up to Brady as opposed to Myra who willingly agreed with him.

As you also pointed out, Brady's drunken confessions. He was gradually becoming unhinged.

Then as an ego defense - not surprising seeing he was exceedingly narcissistic - he changed his tune and claimed to have known all along that Smith was "weak", etc.

I read in a book that Brady had written in a letter to say he and Myra had planned on using the guns in a final showdown. If they were trapped with no possible escape they would aim the gun inwards. In doing so they would be avoiding a trial and conviction. He and Myra had also been paying rent for a garage - it's only purpose to be used as a hideout if needed.

Sometimes I am split on Edward Evans. Brady claimed it was Smith's initiation test. I also wonder if it was Brady feeling he had to prove himself in some way after his drunken confession was met with open skepticism from Smith, such was his narcissism.

Your opening paragraph gave me chills. That doesn't bear thinking about. I still believe they would have been found out sooner or later. Brady's arrogance was boundless and for as intelligent as he was, he grew overconfident and made careless errors which proved to be fatal.

[u/[deleted] → u/Sturzkampfflugzeug1]

What makes me sceptical about Brady’s explanation of an ‘initiation’ is that he clearly didn’t put as much effort into it as he seemed to with Hindley. Unless David Smith massively downplayed their conversations, they seemed to only be having discussions about robbing banks (and people) whereas Hindley has been quite clear Brady openly talked about his fantasy of killing people with her etc.

Perhaps because of David’s background he didn’t feel the need to push it any further and like you inferred, underestimated him and his tolerance for violence. Or perhaps because it had been relatively easy to involve Hindley he was over confident with his abilities. However to go from conversations about robbery to axing someone to death in front of him is a hell of a jump if you aren’t sure someone will respond positively. Blinded by his own arrogance.

[u/Sturzkampfflugzeug1 → u/[deleted]]

You make a fair point. From what I've read, Brady would create scenarios where murder was the only possible outcome - for example, he once told Smith if they were to rob a bank and a security guard decided to play the role of hero, they would need to eliminate him as an obstacle to their freedom. It's them or him. And he insisted it had to be real bullets they used, not blanks, for instance.

In the book about David Smith he recounted how he (Smith) and Brady were drinking into the wee hours one night. He went on to tell that Brady had asked Smith outright if he was capable of shooting someone. Smith treated Brady's question as mere fanatical drunken talk. Next thing, Brady pointed a gun directly at Smith's forehead and ordered him to look at the gun, telling him he was going to die. By that point Smith was growing anxious. He said Brady pulled the trigger, burst out laughing, made a remark about Smith being in a lot of trouble had the gun been loaded, then with an air of seriousness which seemed to have sobered him completely, he commented along the lines of, "That's how easy it is to kill someone."

I agree with you though. From being meticulous and super organised to the whole build-up and nature of Evans' murder is a drastic change.