Ian Huntley Dies After Prison Assault Injuries

Ian Huntley, the convicted murderer of two 10-year-old girls in the Soham case, died on March 7 in a Newcastle hospital following a severe assault by another inmate at HMP Frankland in Durham. The 52-year-old, serving a life sentence, suffered catastrophic injuries including skull fractures, brain damage and a broken jaw after being attacked with a metal bar in a prison workshop on February 26.

Huntley was placed in an induced coma and transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, where life support was withdrawn more than a week later. Authorities have charged 43-year-old inmate Anthony Russell with his murder; Russell is scheduled for a pretrial hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on April 24. An inquest into Huntley's death will open on April 14 in Crook, County Durham, overseen by senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield.

The attack marked the latest in a series of violent incidents Huntley endured during his two decades in prison. In 2005, he was scalded with boiling water at HMP Wakefield, and in 2010, he sustained a serious throat injury from a makeshift weapon. His crimes made him a frequent target among inmates, officials said.

Huntley's body has remained in a hospital morgue...