Ian Huntley, the Soham killer who murdered Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, died aged 52 after a prison attack – and his body was cremated in a £265 ‘jute natural coffin’ with ashes scattered at a secret location, it has been reported
Ian Huntley was serving a life sentence for the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002(Image: Shutterstock)
Ian Huntley’s ashes have been scattered at a secret location after his body was cremated with no funeral service following his death at HMP Frankland.
The child murderer’s family rejected a funeral service after he passed away aged 52, following a brutal attack with a metal pole that left him on life support for more than a week. He died at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Hospital nine days after the assault.
Details of how his body was disposed of have come to light after his remains were transferred from the hospital where he died to a nearby crematorium. He was cremated in the cheapest available coffin, costing £265, at a service attended by no mourners.
A source told The Sun that the killer’s family were determined he would not receive a funeral service, turning down a £3,000 taxpayer-funded ceremony. They said: “There was no funeral, no service and no mourners. His family was adamant – how could he have a funeral after what he did?
“Their thoughts remain with the victims and their families, and that’s why he will not be mourned. He was cremated and that was it, nothing more.”
The newspaper also reported that his ashes were handed to a family member and subsequently scattered at an undisclosed location.
The Ministry of Justice spent almost £2,000 on Huntley’s cremation, the Independent reported. The bill includes £625 for “professional services”, a £275 fee for transporting his body from the hospital. Taxpayers also shelled out £65 for a cremation casket and £265 for the “jute natural coffin” and staff attendance and supervision came in at £100, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Justice covers basic funeral expenses as standard practice, with up to £3,000 made available towards prisoners’ funeral costs. The cash is paid directly to the funeral director and does not cover the cost of wakes, headstones or burial plots.
The jute natural coffin Huntley was buried in was crafted from biodegradable materials, specifically designed to minimise environmental impact. It was also reportedly the most affordable option on offer.
Former school caretaker Huntley murdered best friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets in August 2002 in Soham, Cambridgeshire, before dumping their bodies in a ditch 10 miles away.
Despite consistently maintaining his innocence, he was found guilty of the appalling crimes at a 2003 trial at the Old Bailey, receiving a life sentence with a minimum term of 40 years.
Fellow inmate Anthony Russell, 43, has been charged with his murder.
