Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Ian Huntley died from prison attack head injury

Inquest reveals cause of death linked to prison assault

An inquest uncovered that Ian Huntley, the killer of two schoolgirls in Soham, Cambridgeshire, died as a result of a head injury sustained during a violent attack in prison. The 52-year-old man was struck multiple times with a metal bar at HMP Frankland in Durham on 26 February, leading to his death nine days later at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Huntley, who served a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years for the 2002 murders of 10-year-old best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, had been in custody since the crime. County Durham and Darlington senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield announced that further inquiry into his death would be paused while criminal proceedings against the alleged attacker continue.

Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with Huntley’s murder and is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on 24 April. During a brief hearing in Crook, County Durham, it was stated that Huntley was “struck over the head multiple times by another prisoner with an object described as a metal bar.”

The attack left Huntley with “significant head injuries,” according to the inquest. A post-mortem examination conducted by forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton two days after his death confirmed the cause of death as “blunt head injury.”

The tragic events began in August 2002 when the two girls disappeared after leaving a family barbecue in Soham. It is believed they were heading to purchase sweets when Huntley, then aged 28, lured them back to his home and killed them. Their bodies were discovered in a ditch two weeks after their disappearance, sparking nationwide media coverage and prompting police appeals for information.

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