The mother of Moors murders victim Keith Bennett has died without knowing where her son is buried.
Winnie Johnson died in a hospice at 12.35am on Saturday following a long illness and renewed controversy over the location of the grave of her son, who was murdered by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in 1964.
Brady's mental health advocate, Jackie Powell, was arrested after she told Channel 4 that she was aware of a letter from Brady to Johnson in which he tells her where the grave of her son can be found.
She was held on suspicion of preventing the lawful burial of a body but later bailed. Police also searched Brady's cell at the high security hospital at Ashworth, Merseyside, but found no relevant documents.
In a statement, John Ainley, a senior partner at Oldham-based solicitors North Ainley Halliwell, said: "She will be sadly missed and was much loved by her family and friends.
"She has died without knowing Keith's whereabouts and without the opportunity to finally put him at rest in a decent grave.
"It is a truly heartbreaking situation that this opportunity has now been irrevocably lost.
"Winnie's health deteriorated in the last few days. She died not knowing of the letter's possible existence but [with] the steadfast conviction Ian Brady can resolve the situation."
Keith's brother, Alan Bennett, issued a family statement about his mother's death on his website, Searching for Keith. It said: "Winnie fought tirelessly for decades to find Keith and give him a Christian burial. Although this was not possible during her lifetime, we, her family, intend to continue this fight now for her and for Keith. We hope that the authorities and the public will support us in this."
Johnson pleaded for years with Brady to be allowed to bury her son; experts suspect Brady has manipulated her and the media by promising information about the grave location and then withholding it.
Paddy Wivell, the producer of the Cutting Edge documentary which will be broadcast next week, said he was shocked to hear of Powell's letter and that she intended to return the letter to Brady. He suggested Powell felt a loyalty as she worked with the killer for so long and "apparently she took it back to him".
Powell said she received a letter of instruction and a sealed envelope from Brady via his solicitors. The letter of instruction said the envelope contained three letters – one addressed to Johnson.
The producers urged Powell to tell police about the letter, and when she declined they informed the police – who informed Johnson and began an investigation on 30 July.
Powell later told the Daily Mirror that Brady did not want "to take his secrets to the grave", and the letter could afford Johnson "the means of her possibly being able to rest".
Martin Bottomley, the head of investigative review of Greater Manchester police's major and cold case crime unit, said: "Our thoughts are with Winnie's family at this very difficult and sad time.
"Winnie spent the majority of her life courageously fighting to get justice for Keith.
"All she wanted was to know where Keith was buried so she could lay him to rest.
"Sadly, almost all of her life, she has had to live with the knowledge that Ian Brady refused to show compassion and do the right thing and disclose where he had buried her little boy."
Bottomley called on Brady to "do the decent thing" and reveal where he had buried Bennett.
Brady's lawyer, Richard Nicholas, declined to comment on the news of the death.
A quarter of a century ago, Brady returned with police to Saddleworth moor, along with Hindley, who died in 2002. But police could only identify where Pauline Reade was buried.
Brady was jailed for life in 1966 for the murders of John Kilbride, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans.
Hindley was convicted of killing Downey and Evans, and with protecting Brady. She was jailed for life. They finally admitted killing Bennett and Reade in 1987.
