Huntley spent much of this time alone fearful that he might be attacked or poisoned by inmates
Soham killer Ian Huntley led a sad and lonely life behind bars in the final years of his life, totally cut off from his fellow inmates in ‘Monster Mansion’. Insiders reported seeing him move around Durham’s Frankland Prison ‘s landings – dubbed Monster Mansion because it has so many high profile offenders – in leggings while carrying out his cleaning duties. But he spent much of this time alone in his cell, making matchstick models and storing food from the prison stores due to his paranoia about being poisoned. He tried various ploys to improve his prison life, including requesting conversion to the Muslim faith. Huntley watched as Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was taken by ambulance from Frankland Prison shortly before his death in 2020.
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He must have wondered if that fate would one day befall him. “Sutcliffe was in a terrible state when they took him to hospital,” said a source. “He was massively overweight and could barely breathe due to Covid. “He was not speaking and Huntley was watching when he was taken out. Some of the prisoners were shouting, “Let him die,” which was grim. Huntley saw him go. “Huntley cut a very sorry figure in the end, he started dressing in strange outfits while cleaning. “He knew he was a target for attack, so they kept him away from the rest of the prison population. It was like a prison within a prison, with police informers, former police officers, and inmates vulnerable to attack by other inmates. “But it was not enough to save Huntley.”
The notorious Soham killer had two property boxes, but no books or magazines. Instead, he stored food such as crisps, chocolate and pot noodles, and kept matchsticks, glue for models, and drawing materials. His 8ft x 4ft cell had magnolia cream walls, a blue mattress, green bedding, and a painted cork noticeboard. But he rarely had visitors and stayed away from fellow inmates, preferring to sketch in his tiny cell. His entire belongings fitted into two plastic sacks, and will be offered to his next of kin, believed to be his mother Lynda Richards, 71, left to arrange a private service for her son at a secret location. School caretaker Huntley killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4 2002, then dumped their bodies in a ditch. Huntley, originally from Grimsby, lured Holly and Jessica into his home and murdered them, before dumping their bodies in a ditch some 12 miles away. Suspicions arose about Huntley after he gave detailed interviews to the media.
Two weeks after they disappeared, their bodies were found in a ditch near an air base in Lakenheath, Suffolk.
Huntley, who was a caretaker at Soham Village College, was arrested and charged with their murders. He was convicted in December 2003 following a trial at the Old Bailey. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum 40-year term.
He was initially held in Wakefield prison before his transfer to Frankland in 2008.
His girlfriend Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at the girls’ primary school, was also jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. She was freed from jail and given a new identity in May 2004.
Frankland inmate Anthony Russell is accused of murdering Huntley in an HMP Frankland workshop on Feb 26.
Huntley died 10 days later on March 7.
Russell was remanded in custody by magistrates last week.
He will appear at Newcastle Crown Court for a plea and directions hearing on April 24.
