Two Men Arrested Following Prison Murder Of Disgraced Ex-LOSTPROPHETS Frontman Ian Watkins

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the death of former Lostprophets vocalist Ian Watkins, who was killed inside HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on October 11th. The 48-year-old disgraced musician was found dead while serving a 29-year sentence, with an additional six years on extended licence, for a series of horrific child sex offenses. Watkins was convicted and sentenced in December 2013.

According to the West Yorkshire Police Department, two men—aged 25 and 43—were taken into custody following the incident. Their official statement reads:

“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 11 October) 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.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and enquiries remain ongoing.”

The Sun has reported that Watkins was allegedly attacked by another inmate and stabbed in the neck, severing his jugular in what authorities believe to be a premeditated assault.

Watkins was one of the most infamous inmates housed at HMP Wakefield. Despite his 2013 conviction, Lostprophets continued to receive sales certifications, with their 2006 single “Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)” earning a silver certification in the UK in 2016. His notoriety, coupled with the disturbing nature of his crimes, reportedly made him a target among fellow prisoners.

Watkins faced additional controversies while behind bars, including being accused in 2017 of grooming a woman from prison and later being caught in possession of a smuggled cell phone in 2019. The phone was discovered hidden inside his body, and Watkins claimed he was threatened by other inmates into holding it. He was also reportedly attacked in 2023 in a drug-related incident.

In a 2014 interview, former Lostprophets guitarist/vocalist Lee Gaze spoke about learning of Watkins’ crimes, stating:

“There was absolutely nothing that led us to suspect what he’d done. I think he created such a smokescreen. I hate to rely on clichés, but when you see the profile of a paedophile, he couldn’t be any further from it. He was always surrounded by all these women, so it just seemed impossible.”

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