Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Dies Following Brutal Prison Assault
Notorious double child killer Ian Huntley has died in hospital after being brutally attacked by a fellow inmate at HMP Frankland in Durham. The 52-year-old, who was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, succumbed to injuries sustained when he was beaten over the head with a spiked metal bar.
Fatal Attack in Prison Workshop
Huntley was taken to hospital in critical condition on Thursday, February 26, following an incident in the prison workshop. He spent a week on life support after being left blind and brain damaged by the assault. Durham Constabulary confirmed his death, stating: "A man who was attacked at HMP Frankland in Durham last week has died in hospital this morning."
The police investigation into the circumstances of the incident remains ongoing, with a file being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of charges. Huntley's mother, Lynda Richards, 71, was reportedly at his bedside when life support was switched off.
Prime Suspect Named
Triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, has been widely named as the prime suspect in the attack. Reports indicate the assault followed an argument in the workshop, with inmates allegedly cheering as Russell was led away in handcuffs shouting: "I've done it, I've done it. I've killed him, I've killed him."
This was not the first violent incident Huntley faced during his incarceration. In 2010, armed robber Damien Fowkes slashed his throat, and five years earlier, fellow murderer Mark Hobson threw boiling water over him.
Family Reactions and Notoriety
Huntley's only daughter, Samantha Bryan, 27, told The Sun on Sunday she felt "an overwhelming sense of relief" upon hearing about the attack. "There's a special place in hell waiting for him," she said, adding: "It felt like I could breathe again. I felt if he died, that burden died with him."
Huntley's notoriety continued to cause controversy in prison. Last year, inmates were reportedly in uproar after he sported a red football shirt with the number 10 on the back, leading to accusations he was taunting the families of his victims, who were last seen wearing red Manchester United shirts.
The Soham Murders and Investigation
Huntley was found guilty of the two murders at the Old Bailey in December 2003 and jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years. The judge, Mr Justice Moses, said the sentence offered "little or no hope" of him ever being released.
Best friends Holly and Jessica vanished on August 4, 2002, after leaving a barbecue at the Wells family home to buy sweets. Huntley lured them into his home, likely under the ruse of seeing his partner Maxine Carr who was a teaching assistant at their school, and murdered them soon after.
One of the biggest manhunts in UK history was underway by the following morning, but it would be another two weeks before the girls' badly burned bodies were found in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
Huntley's Deception Unravels
During the investigation, Huntley loitered around police officers, helped set up televised appeals, and courted journalists for interviews to try and stay ahead of the investigation. He even approached Holly's father Kevin Wells, telling him: "Kev, I just wanted to say I did not realise it was your daughter."
However, his interactions with police and press proved his undoing. Reporters noted suspicious behavior, with one journalist, Brian Farmer, telling detectives after interviewing Huntley and Carr: "He's your man."
Huntley's alibi that Carr had been with him all weekend crumbled when phone records proved she had been with her family 100 miles away on the night of the murders. Detectives searching the couple's home found keys to a storage building containing the girls' burned clothing with Huntley's fingerprints on the plastic liner.
Trial and Sentencing
During his trial, Huntley claimed Holly drowned in the bath before he unintentionally smothered Jessica while trying to stifle her screams. The prosecution argued the murders were sexually motivated, with Richard Latham QC telling the Old Bailey that Huntley found the two girls "too tempting."
In a dramatic courtroom moment, Carr raised her hand and pointed directly at Huntley in the dock, declaring: "I'm not going to be blamed for what that thing has done to me or those children."
The jury took 17 hours to convict Huntley of the two murders. Sentencing him, Mr Justice Moses said Huntley's claim to have been "the last friendly face" the girls saw "was a lie which serves to underline the persistent cruelty" of his actions.
The judge added: "After you had murdered them both, you pushed their bodies into a ditch, stripped them and burned them, while their family searched for them in increasing despair. Your tears have never been for them, only for yourself."
