Overview
- Yates, who covered the 2002 Soham search for The Mirror, has spoken publicly after Ian Huntley died on March 7 following a February 26 attack at HMP Frankland.
- He recalls first meeting Huntley as a seemingly concerned local searching fields with a dog shortly after Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were reported missing.
- Huntley told Yates he “must have been one of the last people to see them,” a remark a senior colleague flagged as immediately suspicious.
- During an interview at Maxine Carr’s home, Yates noticed a strong lemon disinfectant smell and spotless surfaces that he later interpreted as potential concealment.
- Huntley was convicted of murdering the two 10-year-old girls in December 2002, and Carr was convicted of perverting the course of justice for providing a false alibi.