Maxine Carr’s new life as Ian Huntley’s ex lover is now married and ‘living by the sea’

Ian Huntley is reportedly ‘fighting for his life’ after being attacked behind bars. But 24 years on from the Soham murders, what happened to his ex lover Maxine Carr who gave him a false alibi?

Soham child killer Ian Huntley is reportedly ‘fighting for his life’ after being attacked in jail.

Huntley, 52, was reportedly left in a pool of blood and was airlifted to hospital after being attacked by a fellow inmate this morning (February 26), according to a source to The Sun.

He is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty of killing two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who went missing from a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002.

According to the publication, the convicted killer was attacked at around 9am in HMP Frankland, County Durham, after he was targeted by another inmate. His condition has been described as “touch a go”, the source stated.

But what happened to the woman who tried to give him a false alibi? Here is all we know on Maxine Carr and where she is now:

What happened with Maxine Carr?

Carr attempted to protect Huntley by claiming he was at home on the night when the girls were killed.

She told police that she was with him, therefore giving him an alibi, but in reality, she was in Grimsby.

Holly and Jessica, then both aged 10, had left a family barbecue to buy sweets when they mysteriously disappeared, only to be tragically discovered dead 13 days later.

At trial, she and Huntley – who was abusive in the relationship – turned against each other and are believed to have had no contact since.

The search operation to locate Holly and Jessica was one of the largest the nation has ever witnessed. Carr and Huntley even participated in the hunt, talking to the media and assisting locals, as well as 400 police officers and US Air Force personnel, in scouring the countryside for the missing best friends.

Prison sentence

Huntley was found guilty of murder and received two life sentences for the killing of the girls, with a minimum term of 40 years imprisonment. Carr was sentenced to three-and-a-half years for perverting the course of justice. Upon completing half of her sentence, she was released and granted a new identity.

She walked free from Foston Hall prison in Derbyshire in May 2004 with a new identity for her own protection. Over the next two years, Carr was relocated to over 10 different safe houses for protection, and in 2011, reports emerged that she had welcomed her first child – a baby boy – whilst in a secure location. By 2012, she was understood to have embarked on a committed relationship with a partner who knew about her disturbing history and was reportedly ‘absolutely besotted’ with her.

Where is she now?

By 2014, she was believed to be residing in a coastal town. The Channel 5 true crime drama – entitled Maxine – portrays her living beside the sea, with somebody calling out her name, claiming they recognised her. Authorities cannot disclose the town’s identity due to the permanent anonymity order bestowed upon Carr by the High Court over a decade ago.

She remains one of only four former UK prisoners shielded by lifelong anonymity – alongside James Bulger’s killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, and child murderer Mary Bell. That same year she established her coastal existence, Carr allegedly wed a man in a £2,000 ceremony complete with all the bells and whistles.

According to the Daily Mail, the couple exchanged vows at an undisclosed hotel, with the bride donning a £2,000 ivory gown. Her future husband escorted her down the aisle, insiders revealed, noting that guests enjoyed a three-course wedding breakfast and sipped £10 bottles of fizz before the newlyweds jetted off to a family-oriented resort for their honeymoon.

The revelation is believed to have been a tough blow for the devastated mums of Holly and Jessica, who were denied the chance to watch their daughters carve out their own lives. “The families of Holly and Jessica will never get to see their daughters marry,” an insider revealed to the newspaper.

“They will never get to enjoy their big day. They have nothing to look forward to. Why should she?”.