Ian Huntley, the former school caretaker convicted of murdering 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, has died in hospital following an attack at HMP Frankland. The 52-year-old was taken off life support on Friday after his condition deteriorated, according to reports.
Huntley was attacked in a workshop at the maximum-security prison in County Durham on 26 February. It is believed he was struck with a spiked metal pole, causing severe brain trauma. A police investigation into the incident is ongoing, with a file being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service.
The murders of Holly and Jessica in Soham, Cambridgeshire, sparked one of the largest manhunts in British history. Their bodies were found 13 days later in a ditch near an RAF base. Huntley was arrested after charred pieces of the girls' Manchester United shirts were discovered at his workplace.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history, and our thoughts are with their families.' Huntley was serving two life sentences for the murders.
