Ian Huntley, the convicted murderer of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, died on March 7, 2026, from a blunt head injury sustained during an attack in prison. He was 52 years old at the time of his death.
Huntley was attacked with a metal bar in a workshop at HMP Frankland on February 26, 2026. Following the assault, he was placed on life support but succumbed to his injuries days later. A postmortem examination was conducted by Dr. Jennifer Bolton, confirming the cause of death.
Bradley King, a spokesperson, stated, “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.” Huntley was serving a life sentence for the 2002 murders of 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, for which he was convicted in 2003.
Huntley was born on January 31, 1974, in Grimsby, and was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 40 years. His life sentence followed a high-profile case that shocked the UK, where over 400 police officers were assigned to the investigation.
Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with murdering Huntley and is due to appear at Newcastle crown court on April 24 for a pre-trial preparation hearing. The inquest into Huntley’s death was opened by coroner Jeremy Chipperfield.
Leslie Chapman, father of victim Jessica, expressed a sense of relief, saying, “I think he was a timebomb waiting to go off, and both our girls were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Meanwhile, Samantha Bryan, a supporter of the victims’ families, remarked, “I felt relieved. I didn’t cry. I smiled. I was over the moon to be honest.”
Huntley’s body was formally identified on the day of his death, and his ashes will be scattered privately by his family. Details remain unconfirmed regarding the circumstances surrounding the attack and subsequent charges against Russell.