Child Sex Offender Ian Watkins' Alleged Killer Seen 'Smirking' in Chilling Bodycam Footage After Fatal Jail Cell Attack
Ian Watkins' alleged killer showed no remorse during his murder trial.
May 11 2026, Published 6:09 p.m. ET
A prison inmate accused of brutally killing a former rock star and convicted pedophile was described as looking "smug" with a big "smirk" on his face just moments after reportedly committing the crime, RadarOnline.com can report.
Rico Gedel allegedly killed Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins in his cell because he did not want to be moved to a different wing.
'I Used My Hands'
Watkins, a convicted pedophile, was stabbed in the neck in his cell last October.
Watkins was serving a 29-year sentence for child sex crimes when he was reportedly "ambushed" and had his throat slashed last October in a vicious assault that authorities described as "shocking, even by prison standards."
His accused killer, Gedel, laughed as he entered a courtroom to face trial. When asked where the weapon was, he gleefully responded, "I used my hands."
The 25-year-old was reportedly "unhappy" about having to move prison wings the day before the fatal attack, and had threatened to "do something to get moved to segregation."
Alleged Killer Was 'Proud' of His Actions
Fellow inmate Rico Gedel was allegedly giddy after the murder.
Prison officer Adam Laycock said in a statement that when he responded to a call for help, he "noticed Gedel was looking somewhat smug, and seemed to have a smirk on his face."
Laycock said Gedel "had mentioned a number of times that if he was moved, he would do something."
"Often this is the kind of threat prisoners make and often they do nothing to carry it out," he said. "I knew Gedel would rather go to segregation than be moved to somewhere he didn't want to be."
Another officer also testified Gedel seemed "proud of what had happened" and said he "felt like a celebrity."
Watkins Pleaded Guilty to More Than a Dozen Charges
Watkins was the lead singer and front man of the rock band Lostprophets from 1997 to 2012.
Watkins, from Pontypridd, Wales, was sentenced to 35 years in 2013 after pleading guilty to 13 child sex offenses, including the rape and sexual assault of a child under 13. The case, described by the sentencing judge as plunging "into new depths of depravity," exposed the singer's extensive history of predatory behavior.
Watkins also admitted to conspiring to rape a child, three counts of sexual assault involving children, seven counts of creating or possessing indecent images and possession of an extreme image depicting a sex act with an animal.
In his ruling, the judge said Watkins had a "corrupting influence" and demonstrated a "complete lack of remorse," warning that the musician posed a significant danger to the public, particularly to women with young children.
Watkins Was Killed in 'Most Brutal Way Possible'
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His celebrity status reportedly made him a target in prison.
Watkins' notoriety and his crimes made him a high-profile and widely despised figure in the British prison system, and his violent death came after years of tension and hostility during his incarceration.
In August 2023, he was stabbed and held hostage at HMP Wakefield, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Reports at the time indicated that three inmates took him captive for six hours, allegedly over an unsettled drug debt. Prison officers eventually intervened, and Watkins was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Despite that earlier attack, Watkins remained a target among prisoners, including apparently Gedel, who sources claimed "shanked him in the neck."
The insider added: "Watkins has been killed in the most brutal way possible — and the attack was shocking, even by prison standards. Guards were nearby and raced to the scene pretty quickly — but there was nothing they could do, and they could not save him."
