Joe Yates
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
The chilling final post disgraced rockstar Ian Watkins made on social media prior to his arrest has resurfaced online following his death in prison.
The 48-year-old, who once shared stages with metal heavyweights Metallica and Slipknot, was killed behind bars on Saturday (October 11) after a brutal attack that’s now at the centre of a murder investigation.
The former frontman of Lostprophets, was serving a 35-year sentence at HM Prison Wakefield in Yorkshire - a county in the north of England - when he was assaulted, with emergency crews rushing to the scene, but despite efforts to save him, Watkins was pronounced dead inside the facility.
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The band was formed in the Welsh town of Pontypridd back in 1997, and quickly shot to global fame, shifting millions of records along the way. But everything came crashing down in 2013, when the band called it quits straight after Watkins’ conviction.
The singer became infamous in 2013 after being convicted of 13 sexual offences, including the attempted rape of a baby, several assaults involving children, and possessing extreme pornographic material.
His horrific crimes, described in court as 'plunging into new depths of depravity', shocked the world.
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In the wake of his death, a chilling final message posted on his Twitter account has resurfaced.
Dated December 16, 2012 - just one day before his arrest - it read: "Well......that escalated pretty quickly......I do apologise...."
Although the context of the post remains unclear, earlier tweets suggested he’d been commenting on a film at the time.
It was part of 22 tweets he made since first tweeting at 10.22pm on December 12, 2012: "Turns out the 'Home n Away esque movie with really s**t CGI and worse acting' that's on TV right now is actually one of those Twilight films."
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Four years later, the account sparked controversy when it suddenly reactivated, posting links to music on Soundcloud.
Officials insisted Watkins didn’t have access to a phone, though he was later caught with one in 2018 and given an extra 10 months behind bars.
The assault that lead to his death wasn’t the first time he'd been attacked inside prison. In 2023, he was held hostage and stabbed by fellow inmates in an assault that left him in hospital with serious injuries.
During his time with Lostprophets, Watkins’ opened for Metallica during the European leg of the Madly in Anger with the World Tour in 2004, performing on the same bills as Slipknot.
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Today (October 13), police confirmed Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43, have been charged with Watkins' murder, and are due to appear in court later today.
"Detectives have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in HMP Wakefield. Officers were called by staff at the prison at 9.39am this morning (Saturday October 11) to reports of a serious assault on a prisoner," the force said in their original statement.
"A man aged 48 was found with serious injuries. Despite medical attention he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two men aged 25 and 43 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and are currently in police custody.
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"Detectives from the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team are investigating and enquiries remain ongoing."
After his crimes came to light, Watkins’ former bandmates cut ties entirely, going on to form No Devotion with singer Geoff Rickly - leaving behind both their frontman and their former name.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service told LADbible Group that they could not comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.