Ian Huntley, killer of two girls in 2002, died after prison attack; family rejected public funeral.

Ian Huntley, convicted in the 2002 Soham murders of two 10-year-old girls, died on March 7 at age 52 after being attacked with a metal bar in HMP Frankland. He was serving a whole life sentence and had been in a vegetative state following the assault. His family declined a state-funded funeral, opting for a private cremation and scattering of ashes, citing respect for the victims’ families. The decision followed public backlash, with over 40,000 signing a petition against taxpayer support. Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with murder and is set to appear in court on April 24.