Soham murderer Ian Huntley’s body has been released from Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary, no longer kept in the morgue there. An investigation into Huntley’s demise revealed that he succumbed to blunt trauma injuries after being assaulted with a metal bar in a supposed prison incident.
The Durham coroner’s office has officially authorized the removal of the body from the hospital a few days ago. It remains uncertain whether a funeral was conducted for Huntley or if he was cremated, which would have been the standard procedure had his family not claimed his remains.
Following the altercation at HMP Frankland in Durham on February 26, the 52-year-old was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. He was taken off life support on March 7, and it is currently unknown if his body has been relocated from the hospital morgue five weeks post his demise.
During the inquest, it was disclosed that Huntley was born on January 31, 1974, in Grimsby, with his occupation listed as ‘prisoner’. Coroner’s officer Bradley King stated that Huntley sustained severe head injuries from multiple blows by another inmate using a metal bar, leading to his passing on March 7.
The cause of Huntley’s death was attributed to ‘blunt head injury’. The County Durham and Darlington Coroner reviewed the circumstances of the Soham murderer’s death, using his full name, Ian Kevin Huntley, during the inquest.
Senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield initiated the hearing at the council offices in Crook, Co Durham, learning that Anthony Russell, 43, is charged with Huntley’s murder at the high-security facility. The coroner’s investigation is now on hold pending legal proceedings.
Russell, aged 43, faced charges for Huntley’s murder at the maximum security prison. During the court appearance in March at Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, he acknowledged the charges and was informed of his upcoming court appearance at Newcastle Crown Court for the murder trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 24 for pre-trial preparations.
Huntley was sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2002 killings of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The former school caretaker committed the heinous act after the girls went missing following a family gathering in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002. He concealed their bodies in a nearby area, which were discovered 13 days later despite extensive search efforts by law enforcement.
At the time of the crime, Huntley resided with Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls’ school. Although Huntley denied the charges, he was convicted in a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term recommendation of 40 years. Carr provided a false alibi for Huntley and was imprisoned for 21 months for obstructing justice. She now lives under a new identity.