Samantha Bryan, the biological daughter of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, said she was 'disgusted' after police approached her about contributing to his funeral arrangements, according to reports. Huntley died after a prison attack at HMP Frankland allegedly carried out by inmate Anthony Russell, a triple murderer, marking a grim final chapter in the notorious case.
Ian Huntley was convicted in 2003 of murdering Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, two 10-year-old girls, in Soham in 2002, according to reports. The search for the girls was one of the most intense and extensive in British criminal history, and Huntley lured them into his home and murdered them, likely by asphyxiation, research indicates.
Ian Huntley was attacked in prison on Thursday, February 26, 2026, in the workshop or recycling area of HMP Frankland, according to reports. The attack was allegedly carried out by inmate Anthony Russell, a triple murderer, sources say.
After the attack, Huntley was on life support at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, reports indicate. Medics withdrew the ventilator keeping him alive on Friday night after consultations with his mother, and his life support machine was turned off on Friday after brain tests showed he was in a vegetative state, according to sources.
I was disgusted.
The alleged attacker, Anthony Russell, shouted 'I've done it, I've done it' after assaulting Huntley, witness accounts say. Russell was sentenced to a whole-life tariff in 2021 for three murders and a rape, research confirms.
A man in his mid-40s was detained for the attack, according to Durham Constabulary.
Samantha Bryan is 27 years old and resides in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, reports say. She learned she was Huntley's daughter at age 14 during a school crime project, according to sources.
Ian Huntley rejected Samantha Bryan's request to visit him in prison with a letter, research indicates.
I'm glad. I feel relief. There's a special place in hell for the killer.
Samantha Bryan met with two police officers on March 17, 2024, approximately ten days after Huntley's death, for a conversation lasting about half an hour regarding potential funeral contributions, reports say.
Ian Huntley was left blind after the attack, according to previous reports.
The investigation into the prison attack remains active, with authorities yet to release full details on charges or motives.
Unknowns include the specific charges, the exact cause of Huntley's death, and the rationale behind police approaching Samantha Bryan about funeral arrangements.
Further unknowns include the relationship between Anthony Russell and Huntley, and the current progress of the investigation.