As Soham child killer Ian Huntley fights for his life after being brutally battered in prison, news of the suspect has come out. The person suspected of carrying out the assault is Anthony Russell, a triple murderer and rapist serving a whole life sentence.
After being assaulted at HMP Frankland on Thursday morning, (February 26), emergency services rushed to the high-security prison. Medical staff provided immediate treatment before Huntley was transferred to an external hospital.
Now, Huntley remains in a critical condition under close medical supervision. After police launched an investigation into the incident, Russell has been identified as a suspect.
Russell, from Coventry, is a 43-year-old triple murderer who also raped and killed a pregnant woman. He is serving a whole life order with no chance of parole after a horrific week-long killing spree in October 2020.
He murdered David Williams, 32, after wrongly believing he was involved with his girlfriend. He strangled Williams and hid his body under a bed, where it was discovered five days later.
Russell then visited Williams’ mother, Julie Williams, 58, confessed to her son’s murder, and killed her as well to prevent her from alerting police, The Sun reported.
The motive behind the killing of Nicole McGregor, 31, remains unclear, but it is believed Russell lured her to woodland in Leamington Spa under the pretence of buying drugs, before raping and strangling her.
Just hours before her death, McGregor had shown Russell a scan of her unborn baby.
During sentencing at Warwick Crown Court, Mr Justice Wall described Russell as “exceptionally dangerous and manipulative,” adding: “You will remain in custody for the rest of your life”.
Russell is now suspected of attacking Huntley in a prison workshop with a makeshift weapon, following a brief argument between the two men.
Huntley, who is serving a minimum of 40 years for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002, remains in a critical condition.
A woman visiting another inmate at Frankland commented on Huntley’s state, saying: “He’s in a bad, bad way. I shouldn’t say it, but it’s what he deserves.”
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