Double Child Killer Ian Huntley Dies After Vicious Prison Assault
Notorious double child murderer Ian Huntley has died, one week after being brutally attacked with a spiked metal pole in a prison workshop. The 52-year-old, who was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, succumbed to catastrophic skull injuries sustained during the behind-bars ambush.
Life Support Switched Off Following Brain Tests
Huntley's life support was switched off at lunchtime on Friday after medical tests confirmed he was in a persistent vegetative state. His mother, Lynda Richards, 71, travelled 175 miles from her Lincolnshire home to be at his bedside during his final hours. Medics reportedly turned off the ventilator keeping him alive after consultations with his mother, who is understood to be the only relative to have visited him in hospital.
A source close to the situation revealed: "This is the end of Huntley. He is effectively dead and, at best, is drawing his last breaths. No one who has dealt with him is shedding a tear. Even his mother has accepted that this is for the best, having seen him and knowing what a state he is in."
Violent Attack in Prison Workshop
The fatal assault occurred at approximately 9:30am on February 26 during a waste management workshop at HMP Frankland, a Category A prison in County Durham. According to multiple prison sources, triple murderer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of launching the attack on Huntley.
Witnesses described a violent confrontation where Russell allegedly retrieved a metal bar from waste metal crates and struck Huntley three times in the head with tremendous force. One source detailed: "It was a very, very serious injury, having been struck on the skull like that. He was left in a pool of his own blood and prison officers believed he had died then and there because he was 'not breathing.'"
Paramedics managed to place Huntley in a medically induced coma and transport him to hospital, where he was given just a five percent chance of survival. An air ambulance was seen landing near the prison during the incident but was not used for his transportation.
Prisoner Reactions and Previous Attacks
Following the assault, prisoners were reportedly cheering as Russell was led away in handcuffs, with shouts of "I've done it, I've done it. I've killed him. I've killed him." One woman who visited an inmate living alongside Huntley told reporters it appeared the double child killer had been "ripped apart like a rat" and was left "in a bad, bad way." She added: "I shouldn't say it, but it's what he deserves."
This marked the third serious attack on Huntley during his incarceration. In 2005, another inmate threw boiling water over him, and in 2010, his throat was slashed with a homemade weapon requiring 21 stitches. Last year, Huntley was reportedly seen wearing a Manchester United-style shirt with the number 10 on the back, which was interpreted as a vile taunt referencing his victims who were wearing similar football shirts when they disappeared.
Background of the Soham Murders
Huntley was convicted in 2003 of murdering Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after luring the ten-year-old best friends into his home in Soham on August 4, 2002. The school caretaker initially claimed the girls' deaths were accidental but was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years. He dumped their bodies in a ditch approximately 12 miles away and later attempted to set them on fire.
The case prompted a major inquiry that revealed a "deeply shocking" catalogue of errors in how Huntley had slipped through police vetting procedures despite previous sex allegations. The inquiry made 31 recommendations to improve intelligence sharing and employment vetting nationwide.
Huntley's then-fiancée Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls' school, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for providing a false alibi. She later turned on Huntley in court and was released with a new identity in 2004.
Police Investigation and Prison Service Response
Police have confirmed they have a suspect in the attack but have yet to make an arrest. The Prison Service stated it would be "inappropriate" to comment while the investigation is ongoing. HMP Frankland, often dubbed "Monster Mansion," houses some of Britain's most dangerous criminals, including Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Michael Adebolajo, one of Lee Rigby's killers.
A prison source explained that Wing A of HMP Frankland contains inmates at risk of attack from other prisoners, such as sex offenders or jailed police officers. These individuals are moved around the prison as a group and kept segregated from other inmates for their protection.
The North East Ambulance Service confirmed they responded to the incident, dispatching two ambulance crews and requesting support from the Great North Air Ambulance Service. Huntley was ultimately transported to hospital by road.
