Ian Huntley, the notorious double child killer responsible for the Soham murders, has died at the age of 52 after being brutally attacked in a prison workshop at HMP Frankland. He was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in his Cambridgeshire home. Huntley was reportedly bludgeoned to death with a 'spiked metal pole' bar, suffering catastrophic skull injuries in what was described as a behind-bars ambush.

The attack occurred around 9:30 AM on Thursday, February 26, during a waste management workshop. Triple murderer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of leading the assault. Prison sources indicate a fight broke out, with Russell allegedly striking Huntley multiple times in the head with a metal bar, which was lodged inside him. Immediately after the attack, Huntley was left in a pool of his own blood, and prison officers initially believed he had died. Paramedics, however, were able to place him in a medically induced coma before transporting him to hospital.

Huntley was taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, where his condition was critical. Doctors had given him only a five per cent chance of survival. After not responding to treatment and brain tests showing he was in a vegetative state, doctors considered switching off his ventilator. His life support was eventually turned off at lunchtime on Friday, with his mother, Lynda Richards, 71, present at his bedside. Security around Huntley had been downgraded on Tuesday when it became clear he would not survive. The Ministry of Justice confirmed Huntley's death this morning, around 8:45 AM. Durham Constabulary confirmed an investigation into the incident is ongoing, and a file is being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.

The Ministry of Justice released a statement acknowledging the devastation caused by Huntley's crimes: 'The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remains one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation's history, and our thoughts are with their families.' Reactions to Huntley's death have been strong; Jessica Chapman's father, Leslie Chapman, had previously expressed a desire to see Huntley 'in a coffin.' Former Met Police Officer Norman Brennan also paid tribute to the victims. Inmates at HMP Frankland were reportedly heard cheering the alleged attacker as he was led away in handcuffs, shouting, 'I've done it, I've killed him.' A woman who visited an inmate alongside Huntley commented that he looked 'ripped apart like a rat' and that it was 'what he deserves.' Even Huntley's mother reportedly accepted that his death was 'for the best,' given his condition and repeated attacks.

Anthony Russell, the suspected attacker, has a history of violent crimes. In 2022, he was charged with the murders of Julie Williams and her son David Williams, as well as the rape and murder of pregnant Nicole McGregor. West Midlands Police believed he strangled Mr. Williams and inflicted 113 separate injuries on his mother. He then assaulted and murdered Ms. McGregor, who was five months pregnant, just hours after she had shown him a picture of her baby scan.

HMP Frankland, notoriously known as 'Monster Mansion,' houses some of Britain's most dangerous criminals, including murderers, rapists, and terrorists, who are known for turning on each other. Notable inmates include Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Michael Adebolajo. Wing A, where Huntley was housed, is designed for inmates at risk of attack, such as sex offenders, who are moved in groups and segregated for protection.

This was the third and final attack Huntley endured in prison. In 2005, fellow murderer Mark Hobson threw boiling water over him. In 2010, armed robber Damien Fowkes slashed Huntley's throat with a homemade weapon, causing a severe 7-inch cut requiring 21 stitches. Another ambush attempt occurred in 2018. Huntley's behavior in prison also caused outrage; last year, he was spotted wearing a No 10 Manchester United-style shirt, a vile taunt referencing the football tops Holly and Jessica were wearing when he lured them into his home, a detail that became tragically synonymous with their disappearance. Guards confiscated the shirt after the incident.

The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 shocked the nation. Huntley, a school caretaker, lured the best friends into his three-bedroom cottage after they had gone out to buy sweets. He murdered them and dumped their bodies in a ditch 12 miles away, later attempting to set them on fire. Their disappearance after a family barbecue prompted a massive search involving 400 police officers and local residents. Suspicions arose about Huntley when he spoke to journalist Brian Farmer in morbid detail about how the girls might react to a stranger, despite not knowing them. His reluctance to be photographed also raised flags. He was convicted in 2003, despite pleading not guilty, and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 40 years. His then-fiancée, Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls' school, received a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence for providing a false alibi, though she famously turned on him in court. The case also led to an inquiry revealing a 'deeply shocking' catalogue of errors in police vetting procedures regarding Huntley's past sex allegations in Grimsby.

In 2018, Huntley appeared to confess to deliberately killing Jessica to prevent her from raising the alarm, though he continued to insist Holly's death was accidental. Justice Moses, at his trial, had emphasized that Huntley alone knew how and why he murdered the girls and that he had 'destroyed the evidence, which showed no mercy and no regret.'