Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Prison Assault Claims Life of Ian Huntley, Soham Killer

A former school caretaker and convicted murderer Ian Huntley passed away following a head injury sustained during a violent incident at a Durham prison, according to an inquest. The 52-year-old was assaulted with a metal bar by another inmate at HMP Frankland on 26 February, and his death was confirmed at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary nine days later.

Details of the Fatal Attack

The coroner’s investigation revealed Huntley suffered multiple blunt force injuries to the head during the assault. Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with his murder and is scheduled to appear in Newcastle Crown Court on 24 April. The brief hearing in Crook, County Durham, outlined that Huntley was struck repeatedly with a metal object, leading to severe trauma.

“The cause of death was determined as a blunt head injury,” stated Dr Jennifer Bolton, the forensic pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination two days after the incident.

Huntley, who had been serving a life sentence with a minimum of 40 years for the 2002 murders of 10-year-old schoolmates Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, was the focal point of the inquest. His further inquiry was temporarily paused to allow criminal proceedings to unfold.

The tragic disappearance of the girls occurred in August 2002 after they left a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire. Authorities believe Huntley, then 28, lured them back to his residence while they were en route to purchase sweets. Their bodies were discovered in a ditch two weeks later, sparking widespread media coverage and police appeals for information.

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