london
AP
—
One of Britain’s most notorious child killers died on Saturday after being attacked by a fellow prisoner in a high-security prison workshop.
Ian Huntley, a 52-year-old former school custodian convicted of murdering two 10-year-old girls in 2003, was left on life support after being repeatedly hit in the head with a metal rod at Frankland Prison in north-east England on February 26.
The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman gripped Britain for two weeks after the two best friends disappeared on August 4, 2002, after leaving a barbecue to buy candy in the eastern English village of Soham.
Police searched for 13 days, hoping they might still be alive. Photos of the girls wearing matching Manchester United football shirts, taken shortly before their disappearance, became a staple of front pages and news broadcasts as detectives launched a major investigation.
Thousands of people visited Soham, causing an outpouring of concern and leaving hundreds of bouquets of flowers outside a local church.
The search ended when a group of hikers discovered the girls’ bodies on the side of a dirt path in a wooded area several miles from the village.
The UK Ministry of Justice said in a statement: “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating incidents in our country’s history, and our thoughts are with their families.”
Huntley denied murdering the two 10-year-olds but was found guilty after a trial at London’s Central Criminal Court in 2003. He was recommended to serve at least 40 years of the life sentence.
While in prison, Huntley survived multiple attempts on his life and was kept under close protection along with other notorious murderers. In one incident in 2010, his throat was cut by another inmate.
At the time of the murder, Mr Huntley was living with Maxine Kerr, Holly and Jessica’s assistant at their primary school. Carr was later sentenced to 21 months in prison for giving Huntley a false alibi and perverting the course of justice. She now lives under a new identity.
Huntley and Carr spoke frequently with reporters during the search for the girls. Mr Huntley said he believed he was one of the last people to see him alive, and Mr Kerr said he would always keep the card Holly had drawn for him.
British media reported that murderer and rapist Anthony Russell, 43, was responsible for the attack that ultimately led to Huntley’s death.
Durham Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident that led to Mr Huntley’s death and are preparing a file for the Crown Prosecution Service to consider charges.
