Soham killer Ian Huntley was cremated without any funeral service or mourners, according to reports. Huntley, who was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in December 2003 for the murders of ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman the previous year, died after being attacked by a fellow inmate at HMP Frankland, a high-security prison in County Durham.
Attack and Death
An inquest last month revealed that Huntley suffered a fatal head injury after being struck nine times with a three-foot metal bar in a prison workshop. He was taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary and placed in a medically induced coma before passing away on March 7, 2026. Inmate Anthony Russell, 43, who is serving a whole life order for triple murder and rape, has been charged with Huntley's murder.
Cremation Details
Following his death, Huntley received a taxpayer-funded cremation in a £265 eco-friendly coffin. His family reportedly declined the Ministry of Justice's (MoJ) offer of a £3,000 funeral as a mark of respect to the families of his victims. 'A trusted undertaker took his body away,' a source told The Sun. 'There was no funeral, no service and no mourners. His family was adamant - how could he have a funeral after what he did?' The source added, 'Their thoughts remain with the victims and their families, and that's why he will not be mourned. He was cremated and that was it, nothing more.'
Cost Breakdown
The MoJ spent close to £2,000 on cremating Huntley, including £625 for professional services, £585 for the direct unattended cremation, £275 to transfer his body from hospital, £65 for a cremation casket, and £100 for staff attendance and supervision. The £265 'jute natural coffin' was selected as the most cost-effective option, made from natural, biodegradable materials. Under standard MoJ practice, basic funeral expenses are paid directly to the funeral director and do not cover wakes, headstones, or burial plots.
Public Reaction
A petition signed by 64,000 people called for the MoJ not to use taxpayer funds for his funeral. The prison service can pay up to £3,000 for funerals and memorial services for inmates who die in custody. Previous prisoners whose costs were covered by the state include Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe in 2020 and child killer Raymond Morris in 2014.
Victims and Family
Huntley's ashes were set to be returned to his mother, Lynda Richards, as his next of kin. It was reported that Ms Richards visited Huntley in hospital after his life support machine was switched off, where he was in a vegetative state. 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.'
Background
In August 2002, Huntley lured ten-year-olds Holly and Jessica, who had left a family barbecue to buy sweets, to his home where he murdered them and dumped their bodies in a drainage ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. They were not found for two weeks. Due to his notoriety, Huntley was repeatedly targeted by vigilantes in prison. He was initially held at HMP Wakefield, where in 2005 he was scalded with boiling water. In October 2006, he was held at knifepoint by a fellow inmate. Transferred to HMP Frankland in 2008, he had his throat slashed in March 2010 by convicted murderer Damien Fowkes, requiring 21 stitches. Huntley also made several suicide attempts, including a drug overdose in June 2003 while awaiting trial and another in September 2006 that led to hospitalisation.
