An inquest into the death of Ian Watkins has disclosed the cause of his demise.
Watkins passed away on October 11 while incarcerated for a 29-year term due to child sex offences, including the attempted rape of a baby.
He served as the lead vocalist for the rock band Lostprophets, which at their height, performed as an opening act for bands like Metallica. Some of their well-known tracks include ‘Rooftops’, ‘Where We Belong’, and ‘Last Train Home’.
In 2013, Watkins was convicted of 13 sex offences along with two co-defendants, whose identities remain protected to safeguard their children, victims of Watkins’ abuse. One of the women has already been released, and the other is seeking parole.
Following the announcement of Watkins being attacked, West Yorkshire Police issued a statement earlier this month: “Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield. Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning (Saturday October 11) to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner.
“A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.”
An inquest has since been conducted, revealing that the disgraced singer died from a stab wound to the neck.
The two men arrested, Rico Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, are facing charges of murder and are scheduled to go on trial in May 2026.
Additionally, two more men, aged 23 and 39, have been detained on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in connection with Watkins’ death.
According to BBC News, they are ‘in police custody and will be interviewed over the course of [October 21], they will then be bailed and returned to prison while enquiries continue’.
Watkins was held at HMP Wakefield, a high-security category A prison in England for inmates considered a significant threat to the public, when he was reportedly attacked.
A former inmate at the prison stated that due to the nature of Watkins’ crimes, he was constantly in danger.
“Watkins was effectively a dead man walking from the moment he arrived in Wakefield,” one former inmate said, according to The Mirror.
“There is an unwritten rule that you don’t ask people what crime they did, but everyone knew that Watkins attempted to rape a baby.
“He had been attacked before and was abused every day. He was a loner, self-centered and remorseless. He had no real friends and spent a lot of time on his own in his room.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or wish to speak to someone confidentially regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.