Ian Watkins, the former frontman of the rock band Lostprophets, died on October 11, 2025, after being stabbed inside HMP Wakefield, the high-security prison where he was serving a 29-year sentence for multiple child sex offenses. He was 48. Prison officials confirmed that two male inmates, aged 25 and 43, were arrested on suspicion of murder following the incident.

Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services were called to the facility. Authorities have since opened a full investigation into his killing, which took place shortly after morning roll call. Officials described the attack as targeted and brutal.

Watkins had been incarcerated since 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 sexual offenses, including the attempted rape of a baby and possession of indecent images. His crimes were widely condemned, and prosecutors at the time described him as manipulative, calculating, and dangerous. The sentencing judge said Watkins had “plumbed new depths of depravity.”

His conviction led to the immediate breakup of Lostprophets, the Welsh alternative rock band he founded in 1997. The remaining members later formed a new group, No Devotion, publicly disavowing him and stating that they were “heartbroken and disgusted” by his actions.

This was not the first time Watkins had been attacked while in custody. In August 2023, he was taken hostage and stabbed multiple times by other inmates, suffering serious neck injuries but surviving. Reports later revealed that he had been held at knifepoint for several hours before officers intervened. His reputation among inmates made him a frequent target, and sources inside Wakefield previously described him as one of the most despised prisoners in the facility.

Following his death, the prison entered lockdown as detectives gathered evidence and reviewed security footage. The two suspects remain in custody as the murder investigation continues.

Watkins’ former partner, Joanne Mjadzelics, who helped expose his crimes before his arrest, said she felt “relieved” after learning of his death. In an interview with The Independent, she said, “He destroyed lives. I have no sympathy. I only wish it had happened sooner.”

Watkins’ case remains one of the most disturbing in British criminal history. His offenses triggered public outcry and led to an internal review of police handling, which found that early reports of his behavior had been ignored. The Independent Police Complaints Commission later criticized authorities for “serious failings” in not acting sooner.

Prison authorities say they are reviewing safety protocols for high-risk inmates following the killing. Watkins’ death has reopened discussion on the dangers faced by sex offenders in the UK’s prison system and the limits of institutional protection, even in maximum-security settings.