Ian Watkins, the disgraced rockstar once known for sharing the stage with Metallica and Slipknot, has died in prison after a brutal assault. Watkins, aged 48, was serving a 35-year sentence for a series of child sex offenses when he was attacked at HM Prison Wakefield in Yorkshire. Despite emergency response efforts, he was pronounced dead within the facility, and his death is now part of an active murder investigation.
The band Lostprophets, which Watkins fronted, was formed in Pontypridd, Wales, in 1997 and rose to worldwide fame with millions of album sales. However, everything collapsed in 2013 after Watkins was convicted of 13 sexual offenses, including the attempted rape of a baby and possession of extreme pornography. His shocking crimes were described by the court as reaching horrific new levels of depravity, leaving the public stunned.
Following news of his death, a haunting final post by Watkins on his Twitter account has re-emerged. Dated December 16, 2012—just one day before his arrest—it stated: “Well……that escalated pretty quickly……I do apologise….” The exact meaning remains unclear, though previous tweets suggest he may have been commenting on a film at the time.
Though Watkins’ Twitter account briefly reactivated in 2016, sparking controversy with music links posted on SoundCloud, prison officials claimed he had no access to a phone. He was, however, found with a mobile phone in 2018 and received an additional 10 months in prison. This recent fatal assault was not his first violent incident in prison; in 2023, he was stabbed and held hostage by inmates, suffering serious injuries.
Police have charged two men, Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, in connection with Watkins’ murder. They are scheduled to appear in court soon. The prison service has declined further comment due to the ongoing investigation while Lostprophets’ former members have distanced themselves, forming a new band without Watkins.
