The fatal injuries sustained by the Soham child murderer Ian Huntley have been confirmed.

An inquest heard that the 52-year-old passed away due to a blunt head injury.

The individual, whose full name is Ian Kevin Huntley, succumbed to his injuries at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle on March 7, following an assault that occurred in a workshop at HMP Frankland in Durham on February 26, according to details provided during the inquest opening.

The proceedings were conducted by County Durham and Darlington Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield in Crook, County Durham, on Tuesday.

The brief inquest opening, lasting under five minutes, listed the case under his full name.

Coroner’s officer Bradley King presented a statement indicating that the 52-year-old male was born on January 31, 1974, in Grimsby.

His last recorded employment status and occupation was listed as prisoner, and he was residing at HMP Frankland.

He passed away on March 7, 2026, at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.

According to the statement, Mr. Huntley was attacked and struck multiple times on the head by another inmate using an object described as a metal bar.

The assault resulted in Mr. Huntley sustaining severe head injuries.

Mr. King stated that Home Office Pathologist Dr. Jennifer Bolton performed a post mortem examination on March 9, determining the cause of death as “blunt head injury.”

Mr. Huntley’s body was formally identified on the day he died.

The inquest heard that police were conducting an investigation and that Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with the murder of Mr. Huntley at the high-security prison.

Mr. Chipperfield postponed the hearing until May 27, when there will be an update regarding the criminal proceedings.

Mr. Russell is scheduled to appear at Newcastle Crown Court on April 24 for a pre-trial preparation hearing.

Mr. Huntley was serving a life sentence for the 2002 killings of 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The former school caretaker murdered the two best friends after they departed from a family barbecue to purchase sweets in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on August 4, 2002.

He abandoned their remains in a ditch located 10 miles from the scene.

The girls remained missing for 13 days before being discovered, despite a search operation involving numerous police officers.

At that time, Mr. Huntley resided with Maxine Carr, who worked as a teaching assistant at the school attended by Holly and Jessica.

Mr. Huntley denied killing the girls but was found guilty following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2003. He received a life sentence with a recommended minimum term of 40 years.

Ms. Carr provided Mr. Huntley with a false alibi and was sentenced to 21 months in prison for perverting the course of justice.

She is now living under a new identity.