Ian Huntley, the former school caretaker who was convicted in 2003 of the brutal murders of two British schoolgirls in 2002, has died after a violent attack in prison. Huntley, 52, suffered a severe brain injury after being attacked by another inmate at HMP Frankland, a high-security prison in Durham, England, on February 26.
Authorities confirmed Huntley was found covered in blood following the incident in the prison workshop. Durham Constabulary later revealed that he was taken to hospital with serious injuries and placed on life support, but his condition rapidly deteriorated. Huntley was removed from life support on March 6 and died the next day.
The attack, which was reportedly carried out with a metal bar, is believed to have been carried out by Anthony Russell, 43, another convicted murderer who is currently serving a sentence in the same prison. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, and a file is being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for possible charges.
Huntley was serving a minimum 40-years-to-life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham, England. The girls went missing after leaving a family barbecue to buy sweets, but were lured back to Huntley’s house. Both were murdered and their bodies were found months later in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.
The murders shocked the country and led to a high-profile investigation, which resulted in Huntley’s conviction in 2003. Throughout his time in prison, Huntley suffered several assaults. In 2010, his throat was slit and required 21 stitches, and in 2005, a fellow inmate attacked him with boiling water.
The Ministry of Justice issued a statement acknowledging the lasting impact of the crime and expressing condolences to the families of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman are one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our country’s history and our thoughts are with their families,” the statement said.
Huntley’s death closes a chapter in a series of horrific crimes that have haunted the victims’ families for nearly two decades.