Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was serving a 29-year prison sentence in England for child sex crimes.
Lostprophets was a Welsh band fronted by Watkins that began getting some fan support after launching in 1997.
The BBC is reporting on October 11 that Watkins is dead in a prison attack. He was killed "after being attacked in jail," according to the BBC, although a suspect was not yet identified in the story. The Guardian also reported that Watkins was the stabbing victim.
West Yorkshire police confirmed the attack in a news release on October 11, although they did not name Watkins as the victim. "At 9:39 a.m. this morning (Saturday), police were called by staff at HMP Wakefield reporting an assault on a prisoner," police wrote.
"Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later," they added. "Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and enquiries remain ongoing at the scene."
The police press release did not release further details, including the circumstances of the attack. However, the BBC reported that Watkins was attacked by another prisoner with a knife and killed.
Watkins was serving time for very serious offenses. According to BBC, he "admitted the attempted rape and sexual assault of a child under 13 but pleaded not guilty to rape."
The judge blasted him in court, BBC reported, saying, "Any decent person... will experience shock, revulsion and incredulity" and accusing Watkins of lacking remorse.
According to the Guardian, Watkins was stabbed in a previous incident at the same prison two years ago, although he did not suffer life-threatening wounds in that attack. He was allegedly taken hostage by other inmates during that attack, the Guardian reported.
Watkins said in court that he was being housed with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst," the Guardian reported.
