Who is Ian Huntley’s daughter Samantha Bryan?
IAN Huntley's daughter has opened up about the distressing discovery she made when she stumbled upon the truth that the killer was in fact her biological father.
Huntley had groomed 15-year-old Katie Bryan, resulting in his long-lost daughter Samantha.
Who is Ian Huntley’s daughter Samantha Bryan?
Samantha is the daughter of Huntley’s ex Katie Bryan.
Katie was groomed and abused by evil Huntley when she was just 15 years old.
Katie left Huntley before Samantha was born in 1998 and went on to marry her new, caring boyfriend, Martin Bryan.
Samantha was unaware of her father's identity until she was 14 years-old.
She stumbled upon the truth when carrying out a project at school.
Samantha was researching local crime rates online for a school project when she came across a photograph of her mum, which led her to read more into her notorious father.
In 2018, Samantha told the "She [Katie] sheltered me in childhood, and I only found out when we were doing crime rates for Grimsby and Cleethorpes and the picture of my mum came up on Google.
"It took me straight to the story that he was my dad.
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“I was utterly devastated."
Samantha's mum Katie later gave her daughter a box with newspaper clippings in it that detailed Huntley's horrific crimes.
What has Samantha Bryan said about her father Ian Huntley?
Speaking on Really's The Killer In My Family in 2019, Samantha spoke of life since making the discovery.
Samantha said: "I feel like because of who I am that people think I am like him.
"I would definitely say he is evil. And I would definitely say he is a monster."
Where is Samantha Bryan now?
Samantha, born in 1998, has told how her biological father in years wrote her letters to try and explain his actions.
He wrote: "I have given an awful lot of thought... about how best to respond, and what, if anything.
"I should say I realise I can't just say no and expect you to accept that.
"Firstly I truly don't relish the idea of discussing or you listening to the details of what was unimaginably the most horrendous day of my life.
"Furthermore, I can promise that even if you I did, you wouldn't feel any better for it. Nor would you feel any closer to understanding.
"Fifteen years on, I still don't understand what the hell went wrong that day.''
When were the Soham murders?
The 10-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells were reported missing on Sunday, August 4, 2002, after going to a family barbecue and heading out to buy sweets.
Huntley invited the girls into his home when they walked by.
Their bodies were found nearly two weeks later, over 10 miles from Soham near an RAF base on August 17, 2002.
Huntley was arrested and he was eventually convicted in 2003 of the girls’ murder and sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment.
After his conviction it was revealed he had been investigated in the past for sexual offences.
In February 2018, The Sun also revealed tapes of Huntley moaning about life behind bars and apologising for his crimes.
He called his former girlfriend Maxine Carr a liar in the recordings, but added: "I wish her every happiness."
Maxine Carr provided Huntley with a false alibi at the time of the murders.
She severed 21 months in prison for perverting the course of justice.
She is one of only four former UK prisoners protected by a lifelong anonymity order — along with child killer Mary Bell and James Bulger’s murderers, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables.