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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Entertainment
Maisie Lillywhite

Who is Janie Jones? The 'prostitute controller' who was befriended by Myra Hindley in prison

A Channel 4 documentary about the horrific crimes of the Moors murderers is set to uncover some previously unseen letters sent by the sadistic pair to 1960s popstar Janie Jones.

Tonight's (February 21) episode of Moors Murders: The Witness, the first of three, will revisit the eyewitness account of the final murder by Myra Hindley's then-teenage brother-in-law, David Smith, who saw Ian Brady beat 17-year-old Edward Evans to death with an axe in October 1965.

The documentary series will also feature the never-seen-before letters sent by the couple to Janie Jones, who Hindley befriended in prison, to uncover their relationship and the motivation for their sadistic crimes. But who exactly is Janie?

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Janie Jones, whose real name is Marion Mitchell, is still alive today. Born in County Durham, Janie is a former pop singer, with her most-known hit being her debut single 'Witches Brew'. The 'unusual and fun' song hit number 46 in the UK Singles Chart.

Being a pop singer was not Janie's first career choice. Initially, Janie was a cabaret artist who performed across London in the late 1950s, including at the Windmill Theatre.

In 1974, Janie was sent to prison after being involved in 'controlling prostitutes'. She was sentenced to seven years behind bars, but only ended up serving three, and was fined £16,000.

During her time in Holloway Prison, Janie befriended Myra Hindley who served a life sentence in prison after her conviction in May 1966. Following Janie's release from prison, the former pop star made several television appearances during which she claimed that Hindley had changed, and should therefore be released.

However, Janie's opinion on Hindley soured when the killer confessed to her crimes in 1986. Following the development of hatred for Hindley, Janie wrote a book, published in 1993, called 'The Devil and Miss Jones: The Twisted Mind of Myra Hindley'. Janie's book reproduces the writings of Hindley, and includes revelations on the murders she and Brady committed together.

Janie Jones at home with her cat 1973 (Mirrorpix)

Janie's achieved notoriety back in 1964, when she wore a topless dress to the premiere of London in the Raw, a documentary about nightlife in the capital. Around the time of her conviction for 'controlling prostitutes', Janie was well-known for frequently hosting sex parties.

The story of the Moors murders is picked up by journalist Clive Entwistle in the documentary, who discusses the investigation that followed the duo's heinous crimes, including the unnerving discovery of a tape recording which revealed that the police were dealing with serial child killers.

Moors Murders: The Witness will air tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm.

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