Ian Huntley, known as the Soham killer, has had his body released from Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary where it was no longer held in the morgue. The inquest into his death revealed that he succumbed to blunt trauma injuries following a severe assault with a metal bar in prison. The Durham coroner’s office confirmed granting permission for the body to be relocated from the hospital a few days ago. It remains uncertain whether a funeral took place for Huntley or if his body was cremated due to his family not claiming it.
After an incident at HMP Frankland in Durham on February 26, the 52-year-old was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. His life support was terminated on March 7, and it is unclear if his body has been moved from the hospital morgue five weeks post his demise. Huntley, born in Grimsby on January 31, 1974, was identified as a prisoner in his last employment status.
The assault that led to his death involved another inmate striking him multiple times on the head with a metal bar, resulting in fatal head injuries. The inquest, using his full name Ian Kevin Huntley, disclosed that his cause of death was attributed to a blunt head injury. The suspect in Huntley’s murder, Anthony Russell, is facing charges at a maximum security jail, leading to the suspension of the coroner’s inquiry pending legal proceedings.
Russell, also 43 years old, appeared before magistrates in County Durham, confirming his name and understanding the murder charge against him. He is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on April 24 for further legal proceedings. Huntley was serving a life sentence for the tragic murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002, where he dumped their bodies after a family event in Soham, Cambridgeshire. Despite a prolonged search, the girls were found 13 days later. Huntley’s accomplice, Maxine Carr, who provided a false alibi, served time for perverting justice and now lives under a new identity.