A trial date has been set for a prisoner accused of murdering Ian Huntley, infamous for the Soham killings. Anthony Russell, aged 44, attended a hearing via video link from HMP Frankland, near Durham, at Newcastle Crown Court. During the brief session, Russell did not enter a plea regarding the charge of killing the 52-year-old Huntley, who was reportedly assaulted with a metal bar in a workshop at the high-security prison on February 26.
Huntley was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle after the incident and passed away on March 7. The former school caretaker was serving a life sentence for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10 years old, in 2002 at the time of his demise.
The tragic events unfolded when Huntley abducted the two young girls after they went to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002. He disposed of their bodies in a nearby ditch after the heinous act, leading to a 13-day search before their remains were discovered, despite a massive police effort involving hundreds of officers.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Huntley lived with Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls’ school. Although he denied the charges, Huntley was found guilty of the murders in a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003, resulting in a life sentence with a minimum term recommendation of 40 years.