A PRISONER has been charged with murdering Ian Huntley after the notorious child killer had his head “split open” in a jail attack.
Cops charged Anthony Russell, 43, after Huntley died in hospital on Saturday following a vicious attack at HMP Frankland.
The Soham killer was serving life in HMP Frankland for the murders of 10-year-old friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
The 52-year-old lag – who was assaulted at a workshop on February 26 and suffered severe brain trauma– was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma.
A spokesman for Durham Constabulary said: “A man has been charged with murder following an incident at HMP Frankland in Durham.
“Emergency services were called to reports of an assault in the workshop on the morning of Thursday, February 26.
“Ian Huntley, 52, was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died on the morning of Saturday, March 7.
“Anthony Russell, 43, of HMP Frankland, has been charged with murder and will appear via video link at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, March 11.”
Sources said medics “worked miracles” to keep the fiend Huntley alive after he reportedly had his “head split in two” in the attack.
But The Sun exclusively reported he was taken off life support after brain tests showed he was in a vegetative state.
The monster died nine days after the attack, which also blinded him.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed he died at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary on Saturday morning – The Sun understands it was at around 8.45am.
A spokesperson added: “The murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman remains one of the most shocking and devastating cases in our nation’s history, and our thoughts are with their families.”
He was sentenced to at least 40 years in prison for murdering Holly and Jessica in Soham, Cambridgeshire in 2002.
The nation was horrified by a two-week long search for the missing girls, with evil Huntley hiding in plain sight as caretaker of the local secondary school where press updates were held.
He lured them into the home he shared with Maxine Carr – their teaching assistant – after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets.
Huntley and Carr were arrested on August 17, 2002 – 13 days after the girls went missing.
He denied the murders and put the girls’ families through a harrowing six-week trial at the Old Bailey from November 2003.
The reviled child murderer was first sent to Wakefield prison and transferred to Frankland in 2008.
He faced a series of attacks and injuries there from other prisoners who reportedly despised Huntley for his sick crimes and arrogant personality.
Russell was a fellow inmate at HMP Frankland in Durham.
Christopher Atkinson of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Anthony Russell with murder following a police investigation into a fatal attack on Ian Huntley at HMP Frankland.
“Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We have worked closely with Durham Constabulary as they carried out their investigation.”
