Soham murderer Ian Huntley is reportedly 'effectively dead' after life support was withdrawn following a brutal prison attack. The 52-year-old was discovered lying in a pool of blood at HMP Frankland in County Durham on 26 February, after being struck multiple times with a metal pole, causing severe head injuries.
Medics initially gave Huntley a mere 5% chance of survival. He was placed in an induced coma and transported to hospital by road under armed guard. On Friday, 6 March, following consultations with his mother Lynda Richards, the ventilator keeping him alive was switched off around lunchtime after brain tests revealed he was in a vegetative state.
A source told The Sun: 'This is it, this is the end of Huntley. He is effectively dead and, at the 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.' The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the case.
Huntley was serving a life sentence for the murders of 10-year-old Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002. He was not eligible for parole until at least 2042. The attack is being investigated by Durham Constabulary, who confirmed on Thursday that his condition remained serious.
