Canal killer who dismembered victims dies in jail

John Sweeney, a 69-year-old double killer, has passed away in prison after being convicted for the gruesome murders of two women whose bodies were dismembered and dumped in canals. The crimes he committed, including the killing of former girlfriends in London and the Netherlands, have been described as "horrific" by the prison service.

Sweeney was serving a whole-life sentence when he died on August 14th at HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire. He was found to have hundreds of violent paintings and poems, depicting a bloodied axe and referencing himself as the "Scalp Hunter." The victims, Paula Fields and Melissa Halstead, were killed in 2001 and 1990, respectively.

Their remains were found in London and Rotterdam canals, with parts of Fields' body never recovered. The police suspect Sweeney had murdered other former partners who had gone missing over the years.