Soham Killer's Suspicious Behaviour Exposed by Former Police Officer
A former police officer has detailed how double child killer Ian Huntley inadvertently revealed his guilt through a series of chilling comments and suspicious behaviour during the investigation into the Soham murders. Huntley's attempts to hide in plain sight only served to raise increasing red flags among investigators and journalists covering the case.
The Chilling Encounter with Police
Sharon Gilbert, a former Special Constable with Cambridgeshire Police, described her unsettling encounter with Huntley during the massive search operation for missing schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Gilbert was in her patrol car when Huntley approached her in what she described as a "very relaxed" manner, casually leaning on her vehicle before asking: "How long does DNA evidence last?"
"Everything about him made me feel uneasy," Gilbert recalled in Channel 5's documentary Soham: The Murder of Holly & Jessica. She noted that Huntley showed no signs of nervousness despite being one of the last people to see the girls alive, with the entire town plastered with photographs of the missing children in their Manchester United football tops.
Cryptic Comments to Journalists
As the investigation continued with no sign of the two best friends, Huntley and his then-fiancée Maxine Carr gave multiple interviews to journalists who had descended on the small Cambridgeshire market town. In one particularly chilling exchange with Press Association reporter Brian Farmer, Huntley volunteered disturbing insights into how the girls might react to danger.
When asked about how Holly and Jessica might respond if someone told them to get into a car, Huntley interjected before Carr could answer, stating: "Holly would probably get in and be quiet but Jessica would fight and be mad." Farmer immediately sensed something was wrong with this response, later commenting: "He knew how they'd react because that's how they reacted when he killed them."
The Bizarre Television Appeal Incident
Daily Mail Chief Reporter Sam Greenhill described an even more disturbing encounter with Huntley and Carr. Journalists needed to watch a police video appeal to the abductor and convinced the couple to let them use their television. Greenhill had no idea he was entering what would later be identified as the crime scene of one of Britain's most notorious child murders.
"Huntley paused, looking unsure," Greenhill recalled. "Obviously, with hindsight, we were asking the 10-year-old girls' killer himself if he wanted to watch a police appeal to the abductor." The caretaker insisted they watch the tape three times through, murmuring "It beggars belief" while showing no emotional reaction to Detective Superintendent David Beck's direct appeal to the kidnapper.
The Investigation and Aftermath
Huntley's increasingly suspicious behaviour, combined with concerns raised by both journalists and locals, ultimately led to his arrest and conviction. The 52-year-old school caretaker had lured Holly and Jessica into his home in August 2002 before killing them and dumping their bodies in a ditch approximately twelve miles away. Their disappearance from a family barbecue, after leaving to buy sweets, horrified the nation and triggered one of Britain's largest police investigations.
Huntley was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 40 years after claiming both girls died accidentally. His partner Maxine Carr, who provided a false alibi, turned against him in court and served three-and-a-half years in prison before being released with a new identity in 2004.
Recent Prison Attack
The revelations about Huntley's behaviour during the investigation come as the convicted killer fights for his life following a prison attack. Huntley was transported to hospital after being assaulted with an iron bar by a fellow inmate at HMP Frankland in County Durham. The attack occurred in a prison workshop around 9am, with sources describing the double killer's condition as "touch and go" and the scene as "absolute chaos."
Durham Constabulary confirmed they are investigating the serious assault, while the Prison Service stated it would be inappropriate to comment further while the police investigation continues. Huntley, who is usually under close guard at all times, was found in a pool of blood following the ambush on his prison wing.
