John Sweeney, a notorious British serial killer known as the "canal killer," died in prison on August 14 at the age of 69. He had been serving a whole-life tariff for the murders of two former girlfriends, Paula Fields and Melissa Halstead, and died from cancer at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire.
Sweeney was convicted in 2011 for the gruesome murders of Halstead and Fields, whose dismembered bodies were discovered in canals in the Netherlands and London, respectively. Halstead, an American-born model from Ohio, was killed in 1990, and her dismembered remains were found in a canal in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a decade later. Her head and hands were never recovered. Fields, 31, was murdered later, and her body parts were found in several holdalls floating in Regent's Canal in north London in February 2001. Prosecutors at the time stated that the missing body parts were a deliberate attempt to prevent identification.
During his trial, Sweeney, a carpenter by trade, was also linked to an axe attack on another former girlfriend, Delia Balmer. In 1994, he attacked Balmer with a hammer and an axe, leaving her with severe injuries. She had previously reported being held captive and repeatedly raped by Sweeney for a week. Balmer's account of her ordeal was later adapted into a television mini-series.
Sweeney also created lurid paintings and verse, some found at his home, in which he referred to himself as the "Scalp Hunter." Authorities suspect Sweeney may have been responsible for the disappearances of other former partners, including two South American women whose first names are known, but for whom no evidence of foul play has been established and no missing persons reports were filed.
A Prison Service spokesman stated that the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is investigating the death, as is standard procedure for all deaths in custody. The spokesman added that the investigation's conclusion would be awaited before further comment, while emphasizing that thoughts remain with the victims and their families.
