Ian Huntley, the man convicted of murdering schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in one of Britain’s most shocking child murder cases, has died after being attacked in prison. The 52 year old had been serving life sentences for the killings when he was assaulted at HMP Frankland on 26 February.

Emergency services were called after Huntley was discovered with serious injuries following the attack. He was taken to hospital, where he remained in a critical condition for several days. Police confirmed that Huntley had been found injured after an alleged assault by another inmate at the prison. A man in his mid forties was being investigated in connection with the incident.

Huntley was convicted in 2003 of murdering ten year olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after the pair disappeared in Soham in August 2002. Their disappearance triggered one of the most extensive missing persons investigations in British history and captured national attention for weeks as police searched for the girls. The bodies of the two children were later discovered near an airbase in Suffolk. Huntley, who had worked as a school caretaker, was subsequently arrested and charged with their murders.

He was found guilty following a high profile trial and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 40 years. The case shocked the country and led to significant changes in the way background checks are carried out on people working with children. Huntley had been held at HMP Frankland, a maximum security facility that houses some of the most dangerous offenders in the country. Following the attack inside the prison workshop, he was transported to hospital for treatment. Reports indicated he had sustained severe injuries during the assault.

Authorities confirmed that Huntley later died from the injuries he suffered during the incident.Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack.

The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most devastating crimes in recent British history, leaving lasting scars on their families, the local community and the nation as a whole.