Ian Huntley Dead: Soham murderer remains in serious condition after makeshift-weapon prison attack
ian huntley dead — the Soham double murderer remains in hospital in a serious condition after being attacked with a makeshift weapon by another inmate, suffering significant head trauma and undergoing treatment.
Ian Huntley Dead? Hospital status and police update
Durham Constabulary has provided an update stating there was no change in the 52-year-old man's condition overnight and that he remains in hospital in a serious condition. A police investigation is under way and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison. Officers have said a male prisoner in his mid-40s was being held in detention within the prison and had not been arrested at this stage.
Details of the attack at HMP Frankland
The 52-year-old was found lying in a pool of blood after being bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon at a prison workshop at HMP Frankland, the high-security prison in County Durham. He was taken to hospital after being discovered following the alleged attack on Thursday. The injuries include significant head trauma and he is undergoing treatment in hospital.
Suspected attacker: Anthony Russell, 43
Triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of carrying out the attack. Russell is serving a whole-life prison term for murdering Julie Williams, her son David Williams and Nicole McGregor; McGregor's body was found in woodland near Leamington Spa. He admitted those murders during a week-long spree in October 2020.
History of assaults on Huntley in custody
Huntley has been attacked before while in custody. He was slashed across the throat in 2010 and required 21 stitches. An inmate later identified as Damien Fowkes was jailed for life in 2011; Fowkes was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley in March 2010 and the manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch. In that attack, a wound seven inches long was inflicted on Huntley's neck and the court was told the weapon had missed anything vital. Huntley was also attacked in 2005 when a convicted murderer threw boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield.
Prison environment and risk factors
HMP Frankland, nicknamed "Monster Mansion, " houses some of the most dangerous criminals, including murderers and rapists. Any prisoner convicted of a child sex crime is widely acknowledged to be a target for other inmates. From his first day inside, there was a price on Huntley's head — not a monetary one, but the promise of respect for anyone who attacked him. It is unclear in the provided context whether Huntley had been held under enhanced protective measures beyond being on Rule 43, the unit generally used for vulnerable inmates including sex offenders and police informants.
The Soham murders and their legacy
Huntley is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of ten-year-old Holly Wells and ten-year-old Jessica Chapman in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002. The girls had been at a family barbeque and are believed to have been on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them back to his home and killed them. The photograph of the two girls in their red Manchester United football kits is widely remembered by those who recall their disappearance and murder more than 20 years on.
What happens next
Police investigations at the prison remain active and detectives continue to liaise with prison staff as the hospitalised inmate receives treatment. The mid-40s prisoner suspected of the attack remains in detention within the prison and has not been arrested at this stage. Recent updates indicate the situation is still developing and details may evolve.
ian huntley dead remains a search phrase in public discussion while the official picture is that the convicted Soham killer is alive but in a serious medical condition following the reported ambush at HMP Frankland.
