Serial Killer John Sweeney, Known as 'Scalp Hunter,' Dies in Prison Without Revealing All His Victims' Secrets

Serial killer John Sweeney, who earned the moniker 'Scalp Hunter' for his gruesome crimes, died last week at age 69 in HMP Whitemoor, Cambridgeshire. Sweeney was serving a whole life tariff for the murders of two former girlfriends, Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields, whose dismembered bodies were found in canals in London and the Netherlands. Even at the end of his life, Sweeney took the secrets of any other potential victims to his grave, leaving their families without closure.

Retired Detective Chief Inspector Howard Groves, who was instrumental in Sweeney's capture, recalled the killer's arrogance in court during his 2011 trial. Sweeney reportedly inserted earplugs to avoid hearing the evidence against him and refused to leave his cell for sentencing. "I feel for the families who will never have closure – that would always be something that they can't change," Groves stated, suggesting Sweeney's silence was a final act of control. "I suppose he's somebody who feels that they have the upper hand, 'I will always take this secret with me to my grave'. There are people who are like that. There's no humanity in them."

Halstead, an American-born model from Ohio, was found in a Rotterdam canal in May 1990, but her remains were not identified for 18 years. Fields, 31, was discovered in February 2001, dismembered and packed into six holdalls floating in London's Regent's Canal.

Sweeney's conviction for the murders was secured partly through DNA evidence, linking him to an earlier axe attack on another ex-girlfriend, Delia Balmer. Balmer survived the assault in 1994 after a neighbor intervened.

At Sweeney's bedsit, police discovered a disturbing collection of hundreds of paintings and poems detailing his violence, alongside an arsenal of weapons. His artwork depicted dismembered women and included references to Satan. A poem attributed to Sweeney chillingly described the disposal of Halstead's body: "Poor old Melissa. Chopped her up in bits. Food to feed the fish. Am*dam was the pits."

Detectives investigated Sweeney in connection with the disappearances of three other former girlfriends, though he was never charged in those cases. Dutch authorities also examined claims that he killed two German men. Police suspect he may have been responsible for other killings across Europe, where he claimed to have had between 30 and 40 relationships. Groves noted Sweeney's particular animosity towards him during the trial, interpreting it as a reflection of the killer's contempt for the legal process and those involved. "He sat there with earplugs in his ears for the majority of the trial. I think that was just the contempt that he had for the officers, family members and jury," Groves said. "My view is, if you're not guilty, because that's the reason why you go to court and through the whole thing of the defence and prosecution, and you stick plugs in your ears, you're basically saying, I don't want to hear any of this."

Sweeney's case marked a significant early collaboration between British and Dutch police on a murder investigation. Groves described the investigation as meticulous and painstaking, relying heavily on Sweeney's artwork and witness testimony due to limited forensic evidence. "He couldn't have solved that murder without the team that I had behind me," Groves acknowledged.

While Sweeney's conviction provided a degree of justice, the lack of complete disclosure means the families of his victims continue to grapple with uncertainty. "They have not had closure in a way that they would like it," Groves concluded. "I was always fearful that we would get this information that he's passed away, and suddenly for the families it will not necessarily be a happy day."

Sweeney's conviction was the subject of a 2024 ITV drama, "Until I Kill You." He had a history of violence, including a 1982 incident where he was bound over to keep the peace after threatening his then-wife with a hammer and axe.

As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is investigating Sweeney's death.