Ian Huntley, the former school caretaker serving life for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, has been attacked at HMP Frankland. The 52-year-old was bludgeoned with a makeshift weapon in a prison workshop on Thursday and hospitalized with significant head injuries.
Holly and Jessica were best friends. They vanished after leaving a family barbecue in Soham, near Cambridge, on August 4, 2002. Their disappearance sparked one of the largest missing person searches in British history.
Their bodies were found two weeks later in a ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. They had been asphyxiated.
Who is Ian Huntley?
Ian Huntley was a cruel and calculating man. At the time, he worked as a caretaker at Soham Village College. His girlfriend Maxine Carr was a teaching assistant in the girls’ class. When the girls first disappeared, Huntley played a disturbing role. He gave TV interviews pretending to be concerned. He spoke about the girls as if he wanted them found safely.
BBC reporter Debbie Tubby later gave evidence at his trial. She said Huntley approached her four days after the girls went missing. He asked if police had found their clothes. He also told her he believed he was the last person to see the girls alive. Huntley gave another interview from his home. He stood next to Carr. She talked about how children were taught about stranger danger. Then Huntley jumped in.
He said if someone in a car approached the girls, Holly would have gone quietly. But Jessica would have put up a fight. Journalists found this suspicious. They reported their conversations to police.
How were Huntley and Carr caught?
Jessica was carrying her mobile phone when she left the barbecue. That phone became crucial. Experts determined the phone was turned off about 30 minutes after the girls left the barbecue. The last communication went to a telecoms mast in nearby Burwell. That mast could only be accessed from spots around Soham. One of those spots was the area outside Huntley’s home.
Huntley and Carr were arrested on August 17, 2002. Huntley was charged with murder three days later. Carr was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice. She had given him a false alibi. The trial began at the Old Bailey in London on November 5, 2003.
Huntley told jurors a twisted story. He claimed Holly died accidentally. He said she fell into his bath while he was helping her with a nosebleed. But he admitted he killed Jessica. He put his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming. He also admitted dumping their bodies in the ditch. He tried to burn them.
On December 17, 2003, the jury found Huntley guilty of both murders.
What sentence did Ian Huntley receive?
The judge handed Huntley two life terms. He ruled Huntley would serve a minimum of 40 years before being considered for release. The judge said it was likely Huntley enticed the girls into his house. There was a likelihood of sexual motivation. But there was no evidence to prove it.
Maxine Carr was jailed for three and a half years. She was found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. She was freed in May 2004 and given a new identity.
Why was Huntley attacked in prison this time?
The latest attack happened at HMP Frankland in County Durham on February 26, 2026. Huntley was in a workshop when another inmate hit him with a makeshift weapon. He suffered significant head trauma. He is now in the hospital receiving treatment.
This was not his first attack in prison. In 2005, he was scalded with boiling water at HMP Wakefield. After that, he was moved to Frankland. In 2010, he was slashed across the throat. The BBC understands triple killer Anthony Russell, 43, is suspected of carrying out this latest attack.
FAQs About Ian Huntley
Q: Who were Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman?
A: They were 10-year-old best friends from Soham. They vanished on August 4, 2002, after leaving a family barbecue.
Q: Where is Maxine Carr now?
A: Carr was released from prison in 2004. She was given a new identity. Her current whereabouts are unknown.
Q: Will Ian Huntley ever be released?
A: He cannot be considered for release until at least 2043. He would be 89 years old.
Disclaimer: This information is based on inputs from news agency reports. TSG does not independently confirm the information provided by the relevant sources.
