Ian Huntley’s cause of death confirmed after prison attack

He died in hospital following the attack

An inquest opening hearing was told that the Soham murderer died aged 52 on March 7, after he was attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland in Durham on February 26.

The inquest opening, listed under the name Ian Kevin Huntley, lasted less than five minutes.

“This 52-year-old male was born on January 31 in 1974 in Grimsby. His last employment status and occupation is recorded as being a prisoner”, Coroner’s officer Bradley King read in a statement.

“He resided at HMP Frankland. He died on March 7 2026 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary. I understand the circumstances to be that Mr Huntley was struck over the head multiple times by another prisoner with an object described as a metal bar. The assault left Mr Huntley with significant head injuries”, it said.

According to King, Home Office Pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton conducted a post mortem on March 9 and gave the cause of death as “blunt head injury”.

It was on the day he died that Huntley’s body was formally identified.

According to the inquest, a police investigation was under way and that Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with murdering Huntley at the maximum security jail.

The hearing was adjourned until May 27 when there will have been an update in the criminal proceedings.

Anthony Russell will attend Newcastle Crown Court on April 24 for a pre-trial preparation hearing.

Child murderer Huntley was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The killings happened on August 4 2002, when the ex-school caretaker killed the best friends after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire.

He was a target in prison due to the brutality of his crimes and had been attacked several times in the past.