Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

During an inquest, it was revealed that Ian Huntley, the man convicted for the 2002 Soham murders, died from a head injury sustained during a prison assault at HMP Frankland in Durham. The attack occurred on 26 February, when Huntley, then 52, was struck multiple times with a metal bar by another inmate. He passed away nine days later at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

Background of the Crime

In August 2002, two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, vanished after leaving a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire. Authorities believe they were heading to purchase sweets when Huntley, then 28, lured them back to his residence and murdered them. Their bodies were discovered in a ditch two weeks later, sparking nationwide media coverage and police appeals for information.

“Struck over the head multiple times by another prisoner with an object described as a metal bar,” the coroner was informed in documents presented during the brief hearing in Crook, County Durham.

Following the incident, Huntley received a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years. The coroner, Jeremy Chipperfield, announced that further investigation into his death would be paused until criminal charges were pursued. Anthony Russell, 43, has been accused of causing Huntley’s demise and is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 24 April.

A forensic pathologist conducted a post-mortem examination two days after Huntley’s death, confirming the cause of mortality as “blunt head injury.” The inquest highlighted the severity of the trauma, which ultimately led to his passing on 7 March.

Updates on the case can be followed via BBC North East’s social media channels: X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram.