Ian Huntley Dead — Soham Murderer Left Battered and Hospitalised After Prison Attack
The phrase ian huntley dead has circulated amid the latest developments, but the verified update is that Ian Huntley, 52, remains in hospital in a serious condition after being attacked with a makeshift weapon by another inmate.
Ian Huntley Dead: Immediate situation and hospital update
Durham Constabulary said there had been "no change in the 52-year-old man's condition overnight - he remains in hospital in a serious condition". Huntley has suffered significant head trauma and is undergoing treatment after being found in a pool of blood at a prison workshop at HMP Frankland in County Durham.
Attack details: how the assault unfolded
Prison staff found Huntley after he had been bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon. Police confirmed a male prisoner in his mid-40s is suspected of carrying out the attack; that prisoner remains in detention within the prison and "had not been arrested at this stage". A police investigation is under way and detectives are liaising with staff at the prison.
Suspected attacker: Anthony Russell named
The triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of attacking Huntley. Russell is serving a whole-life prison term for the murders of Julie Williams, her son David Williams and Nicole McGregor, whose body was found in woodland near Leamington Spa. Russell had admitted those murders during a week-long spree in October 2020.
HMP Frankland, previous assaults and prison context
HMP Frankland, a high-security prison in County Durham, houses some of the most dangerous criminals and is nicknamed "Monster Mansion". This is not Huntley's first violent incident inside custody: in 2010 he was slashed across the throat and needed 21 stitches, and in 2005 a convicted murderer threw boiling water over him at HMP Wakefield. In a related case, an inmate who slashed Huntley's throat was jailed for life in 2011. Damien Fowkes was later sentenced to a minimum of 20 years for the attempted murder of Huntley in March 2010 and for the manslaughter of child killer Colin Hatch.
Why Huntley is in custody and how the past shapes reaction
Huntley is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in August 2002. The girls had been at a family barbeque and it is believed they were on their way to buy sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them back to his home and killed them. The image of the victims in their red Manchester United football kits remains prominent in public memory, and many prisoners convicted of child sex crimes are targeted inside prison. Huntley would have been on Rule 43, held in the prison's unit for vulnerable inmates, which typically houses sex offenders and some police informants.
What happens next: investigation and custody status
Police are investigating the assault at HMP Frankland. The suspected attacker is being held within the prison while inquiries continue; he has not been arrested at this stage. Detectives are liaising with prison staff as they gather evidence and seek to establish a full timeline of events leading to Huntley being found in a pool of blood at the prison workshop.
As Huntley lies in hospital with serious injuries, many will be remembering the horror of what he did more than 20 years ago in the commuter town of Soham in Cambridgeshire. The wider implications for prisoner safety, management of high-risk inmates and the security of units for vulnerable prisoners are likely to form part of any ongoing review prompted by this incident.
