Pauline Reade (18^th February 1947 to 12^th July 1963)

I read an article in the paper that Pauline Reade – one of the Moors Murders victims – was buried for a second time in Gorton Cemetery. The poor girl was murdered on Saddleworth moor in 1963 and she lay there for another twenty years. She was buried in the eighties however a recent audit found that part of her body kept on behalf of the police had been found in storage at Leeds University. On a cold Saturday afternoon I went to visit the grave near the back of the cemetery. A pile of earth and muddy grass showed of recent activity. As this is a family plot the coffins of Pauline’s mum, dad and brother had been exhumed so the undertakers could reach Pauline. They’re all back together now and awaiting a headstone.

This was one of Britain’s grimmest child killings. On Friday 12th July 1963 psychopath Ian Brady told his girlfriend Myra Hindley he wanted to commit a murder. In awe of him she concurred. He told her to drive around the neighbourhood in the van while he followed on his motorbike. Driving down Froxmer Street he spotted 16-year-old Pauline Reade who was walking to a dance. Brady flashed his motorbike headlight and Hindley pulled over and offered her the girl a lift (they knew of each other through friends.) Hindley tempted Pauline onto Saddleworth Moor, asking if she’d help her look for an expensive glove she’d lost. She drove up to a spot on the moor with Brady following. They were introduced and Brady led Pauline onto the moor to look for the glove while Hindley sat in the van. Brady sexually molested the poor girl, cut her throat then went to collect Hindley so he could show her the dying girl. Hindley stayed with the Pauline while Brady fetched a spade from his van. They buried the body and returned home to Hattersley, passing Pauline’s mum who was looking for her daughter.

Pauline’s body lay untouched on the moor for over 20 years. Though Brady and Hindley were jailed for life in 1966 for three murders it wasn’t until 1985 that Hindley confessed to the murder of Pauline. After a search on the moor in 1987 her remains were found (a white stiletto sticking out of the peat.)

Light was fading as I looked over the grave. I’ve had to lighten some of these photographs to make them useable. There was a pile of soil here as some hefty work had gone on to access Pauline’s casket. At the funeral Pauline’s niece Jackie put a jaw bone and hair samples in a velvet bag and these were put in the casket. Also returned to the Reade family were Pauline’s white stilettos, a broken necklace, a metal chain belt, a piece of material from her dress, a safety pin, six buttons and a press stud.

Across from grave are two soldier brothers who died in a car crash when returning to Catterick Barracks in North Yorkshire. I did a quick salute and left the cemetery before the council man arrived to chain up the gates (he was at the gates waiting.)

My other links to the Moors murders are here…

Click on any of the photos below:-