Ian Huntley Denied Funeral After Prison Murder, Ashes Given to Family
Convicted child killer Ian Huntley will not receive a funeral following his brutal death in prison, with his ashes instead being handed directly to family members. Relatives have declined the offer of a state-funded service out of respect for his victims, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Brutal Attack and Family Decision
Huntley, 52, had been serving a life sentence at HMP Frankland for the 2002 murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. He was savagely beaten to death with a metal pole last month in what prison authorities describe as a targeted attack. Fellow inmate Anthony Russell, 43, himself a convicted triple killer and rapist, has been charged with Huntley's murder.
A source told The Sun newspaper: 'There will be no service, no memorial, no mourners, nothing. It is as it should be.'
Fears had been growing that taxpayers would foot the bill for the murderer's funeral through a Ministry of Justice scheme that provides up to £3,000 for inmates who die in custody. However, a source close to the family has dispelled these rumours, confirming they have refused any state assistance.
Family's Stance and Ashes Disposal
The source explained the family's position: 'He will simply be cremated and his ashes handed to his family. They have always been utterly appalled by what he did. It was unforgivable and, for those reasons, they could not in good conscience hold a funeral.'
In place of any formal ceremony, Huntley's ashes will reportedly be scattered at a secret location due to concerns about potential reprisals. His own daughter previously told The Sun on Sunday that his ashes should be 'flushed down the toilet', reflecting the depth of family anguish over his crimes.
A petition against any state-funded funeral had quickly amassed more than 55,000 signatures before the family's decision became known.
Official Response and Investigation
Justice Minister Sarah Sackman commented: 'This man, Ian Huntley, doesn't deserve anything more than the absolute bare minimum. We're not spending £3,000. That's the maximum in our policy that it affords. But the key thing here is that we stand with those families. I don't really want to be talking about Ian Huntley.'
She added: 'What I'm only sorry about is that he's no longer alive, rotting in prison, thinking about what he did to those two little girls.'
An inquest has been opened and adjourned to allow Huntley's body to be cremated, with a full hearing to establish the circumstances of his death scheduled once criminal proceedings against his alleged killer are complete. The Ministry of Justice has launched an internal investigation into how Huntley was targeted and killed.
Historical Context and Previous Attacks
Huntley's death comes nearly 24 years after his gruesome crimes shocked the nation. The ten-year-old victims had set off to buy sweets from a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire, when Huntley, then working as a school caretaker, lured them to his home. He murdered both girls and dumped their bodies in a drainage ditch near RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, where they remained undiscovered for two weeks.
Huntley was found guilty of their murders in 2003 and sentenced to a minimum of 40 years. His then-girlfriend Maxine Carr received a prison sentence for lying to police and attempting to cover up the killings, though she was released in 2004 under an anonymity order.
Throughout his incarceration, Huntley had been targeted multiple times by other inmates. In 2005, he was scalded with boiling water. The following year, he attempted suicide in his cell but was rushed to hospital. In 2010, he survived having his throat slashed after receiving emergency medical treatment. He had been transferred to high-security HMP Frankland in 2008, where he would ultimately be murdered nearly two decades later.
The Ministry of Justice issued a statement following Huntley's death: 'The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remain one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation's history, and our thoughts are with their families.'
