One of Britain’s most notorious convicted murderers, John Sweeney, has died in prison aged 69.
Sweeney, who became known as the “canal killer”, died from cancer at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire on August 14, according to reports.
He was serving a whole-life order, imposed at the Old Bailey in 2011 for the murders of two former partners, Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields.
Both women were killed and dismembered before their remains were dumped in canals.
Victims’ remains found a decade apart
Melissa Halstead, a 33-year-old former model from Ohio, was murdered in 1990.
Her remains were discovered in a canal in Rotterdam in the Netherlands but were not formally identified until 18 years later following advances in DNA technology.
Her head and hands have never been recovered.
Paula Fields, 31, was murdered in 2001. Her dismembered remains were discovered inside six holdalls in Regent’s Canal in Camden, north London.
Her head, hands and feet have never been found.
Prosecutors told Sweeney’s trial that the body parts had been deliberately removed in an attempt to prevent his victims from being identified.
Axe attack survivor helped expose killer
Sweeney was eventually linked to the murders after being convicted over a horrific axe attack on another former partner, nurse Delia Balmer.
Balmer survived after a neighbour intervened. She later described being held captive, raped and threatened with mutilation during an ordeal at the hands of Sweeney.
Her story was subsequently told in her memoir and adapted for the 2024 ITV drama Until I Kill You.
Police have previously investigated whether Sweeney could have been responsible for attacks on other women.
Two former girlfriends from South America, known publicly only as Irani and Maria, have never been traced. There has been no evidence establishing that either woman came to harm.
Following Sweeney’s death, a Prison Service spokesperson said: “These were horrific crimes and our thoughts remain with the victims and their loved ones.
“As with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman is investigating.”
A whole-life order meant Sweeney was expected to spend the remainder of his life behind bars with no prospect of release.
