Soham killer Ian Huntley dies after prison attack
· The South African
Ian Huntley, the former school caretaker who murdered two 10-year-old girls in the UK’s infamous Soham case, has died after being attacked in prison, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The 52-year-old had been on life support after suffering severe head injuries during an assault at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham on Thursday, 26 February.
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Serving life sentence
Ian Huntley was serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the 2002 murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in the town of Soham.
According to reports first published by The Sun newspaper, Huntley’s life support was switched off on Friday following the attack.
The assault reportedly took place inside a prison workshop, where Huntley was found lying in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon.
The BBC reported that convicted triple murderer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of carrying out the attack.
The Ministry of Justice said Huntley’s crimes “remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history” and extended its thoughts to the families of the victims.
Investigation underway
Durham Constabulary confirmed that a police investigation into the incident is ongoing. The force said it is preparing a file for the Crown Prosecution Service to consider possible criminal charges.
Ian Huntley had previously been the target of multiple attacks during his imprisonment. In 2010 he was slashed across the throat at Frankland and required 21 stitches. Earlier, in 2005, he suffered burns after a convicted murderer threw boiling water over him at HM Prison Wakefield.
Frankland is a high-security facility that houses some of the United Kingdom’s most dangerous offenders, including murderers and sexual offenders.
The Soham murders
The killings of Wells and Chapman shocked the country and led to one of the largest police searches in British history.
The two friends disappeared on 4 August 2002 after leaving a family barbecue in Soham. It is believed they were on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them to his home and murdered them.
Their disappearance triggered extensive searches across the surrounding Fenland countryside. Two weeks later, the girls’ bodies were discovered in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, about 16km from Soham.
Girlfriend also jailed
Ian Huntley was arrested the same day and later convicted of the double murder. He was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years.
His girlfriend at the time, Maxine Carr, was jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by providing Huntley with a false alibi. She served 21 months in prison and was later released under a new identity for her protection.
The image of Wells and Chapman wearing matching red Manchester United football kits – widely circulated during the search for the girls – became one of the most enduring and tragic symbols of the case.