Ian Huntley Dead: Soham Child Killer Dies After Prison Attack — Daughter Says She Felt "Relieved"
Ian Huntley is dead. One of Britain's most notorious child killers died Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary — ten days after a fellow inmate beat him repeatedly over the head with a metal bar at HMP Frankland maximum security prison. He was 52.
Ian Huntley Dies After Prison Attack — What Happened
Huntley suffered severe brain trauma in the attack at HMP Frankland, Durham, on February 26. He had been on life support in hospital after being hit repeatedly over the head by an inmate armed with a metal bar. His life support was switched off at lunchtime on Friday after brain tests showed he was in a vegetative state, and he was confirmed dead Saturday morning.
Emergency services were called to HMP Frankland at approximately 9:23 a.m. on February 26. Huntley was found unconscious in what was described as a targeted assault. Due to the severity of his head injuries, the Great North Air Ambulance was requested, though he was ultimately transported to hospital by road under armed guard.
British media report that convicted murderer and rapist Anthony Russell, 43, is the inmate responsible for the attack that ultimately led to Huntley's death.
Who Was Ian Huntley? The Soham Murders Recalled
The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman transfixed Britain for two weeks after the best friends vanished from the village of Soham in eastern England on August 4, 2002, after leaving a barbecue to buy candy. Police searched for the girls for 13 days. A photo of the girls wearing matching red Manchester United soccer shirts, taken just before they disappeared, became a fixture of front pages and news broadcasts as detectives mounted a huge hunt.
Huntley murdered Holly and Jessica after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire. He dumped their bodies in a ditch. At the time, Huntley lived with Maxine Carr, who was a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica's primary school. Carr gave Huntley a false alibi and was jailed for 21 months for perverting the course of justice. She is now living under a new identity.
Huntley's life sentence recommended he serve at least 40 years for the Soham murders, meaning he would not have been eligible for parole until the 2040s.
The Reporter Who Saw Through Huntley — His Story Today
The first reporter to interview Huntley before his arrest was journalist Brian Farmer of the Press Association. After asking Carr about how the girls might react to a stranger, Huntley jumped in to answer — despite apparently not knowing the girls. "To my astonishment, Ian Huntley answered the question, and he said that Holly would probably go quietly, but Jessica would put up a fight. I couldn't understand how he could know that. He was the caretaker at a secondary school, a school they didn't go to," Farmer said.
Farmer contacted Cambridgeshire Police, telling them why he thought what Huntley had said was strange and not true. The pair were arrested on August 17, 2002.
Ian Huntley's Daughter Samantha: "I Felt Relieved"
Huntley's only daughter Samantha Bryan, 27, said she felt "relieved" when she was told his life support was turned off. "He shouldn't have the dignity of a funeral and grave. I will not be going. A funeral is pointless for a man like him," she said. She added that she had feared for years he would come looking for her and her own daughter once released. "Now I don't have to live in fear anymore," she said.
Previous Attempts on Huntley's Life in Prison
The February 26 attack was not the first attempt on Huntley's life. In 2010, robber Damien Fowkes slashed him with a home-made weapon, causing a severe gaping cut to the left side of his neck with an 18cm wound which required 21 stitches. Fowkes asked a prison officer: "Is he dead? I hope so." He described Huntley as a "notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general."
Ministry of Justice Statement and Police Investigation
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "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." Durham Constabulary confirmed a police investigation into the circumstances of the incident is ongoing and that a file is being prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration for charges.
