‘Until I Kill You’ monster John Sweeney should be probed over eight more murders, expert says

A British treble slayer should beryllium investigated implicit a bid of grisly unsolved murders successful Belgium by "The Butcher of Mons", a acold lawsuit adept has said.

The dismembered remains of five headless women were recovered successful and astir the metropolis successful the mid-90s erstwhile carpenter John Sweeney was connected the tally successful Europe. By that clip Sweeney, 66, played by Shaun Evans successful the gripping caller ITV play Until I Kill You, had already murdered and dismembered 1 pistillate successful neighbouring Holland.

Kurt Wertelaers, the laminitis of the Bureau van Meerbeeck, a radical which investigates acold cases successful Belgium, is present calling for the killer, known arsenic the Scalp Hunter, to beryllium probed implicit a full of 8 unsolved murders. Mr Wertelaers said: "A cross-border probe involving the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium would beryllium precise interesting.

"I'm not saying each the unsolved cases are linked, but we astatine slightest should effort to fig retired oregon exclude if immoderate of them are oregon are not. Killers don't halt astatine state borders." Merseyside-born Sweeney killed and chopped up his American exemplary woman Melissa Halstead, 33, successful Amsterdam successful 1990 aft pursuing her crossed Europe.

But helium remained escaped and went connected to onslaught ex Delia Balmer, present 71, with an axe extracurricular her location successful Kentish Town, northbound London, connected December 22, 1994. He was connected bail astatine the clip aft a erstwhile battle connected the nurse, played by Anna Maxwell Martin successful the drama.

Sweeney past spent 7 years surviving disconnected grid utilizing a bid of aliases until 2001 erstwhile helium was yet brought to justness for Delia's attempted murder. But by past helium had already killed Liverpool-born mum-of-three Paula Fields, 31, who helium lived with successful Finsbury Park, northbound London.

Six holdalls containing Paula's remains were recovered from a Camden canal successful February, 2001. Her assemblage had been sawn into 12 pieces. Melissa and Paula's heads were ne'er found.

Former Met Det Chief insp Howard Groves, who led the squad that investigated the murders, told the Mirror: "During the play erstwhile Sweeney was connected the tally for the onslaught connected Delia rather a fewer women were recovered dormant astir Europe successful akin situations to Melissa and Paula. We cognize helium travelled extensively determination during that time. The question has ever been, wherefore did that halt erstwhile helium was arrested and enactment successful prison?"

Mr Wertelaers has identified 8 unsolved murders that stock galore of the highly antithetic characteristics of Sweeney's sick offending. All were women who were recovered headless, similar Sweeney's known victims.

Mr Wetelaers said: "He was surviving off-grid during this period, had 4 antithetic aliases and the constabulary person nary thought wherever helium was. Sweeney cannot beryllium excluded arsenic a fishy for these murders if you look astatine the timeline and however his illustration fits. To chopped women into pieces similar that shows a precise unusual science and is simply a intersexual connotation to each of these murders."

Officers were convinced Sweeney could person adjacent much victims due to the fact that the "jealous and obsessive" weapon fanatic admitted to having dozens of lovers arsenic helium drifted crossed Europe. He near down 200 lurid drawings, paintings and poems that gave clues to 2 unsolved murders.

One sketch, entitled The Scalphunter, showed women tied up and different showed Sweeney holding up blades dripping with blood. On the backmost of a scratchcard helium had written a poem: "Poor aged Melissa, chopped her up successful bits, nutrient to provender the fish, Am*dam was the pits."

Another read: "On the tally from the law, with my backmost to the wall. Watching the windows and the door. I'm not acrophobic to bash oregon die. Maybe erstwhile this beingness is implicit I volition get immoderate sleep."

Melissa, his archetypal known victim, met recently-divorced Sweeney successful 1986 erstwhile they were some moving connected a movie set. He soon became abusive and she tried to flight to Austria but helium tracked her down, stalked her, tied her up and attacked her with a hammer, cracking her skull.

After being released and ordered to permission Austria, Sweeney followed Melissa to Amsterdam wherever they were pictured unneurotic successful a photograph booth conscionable days earlier helium killed her. Melissa's torso was recovered floating successful a canal In the Dutch metropolis of Rotterdam connected May 3, 1990, aft helium transported her remains by bid successful a trolley.

The archetypal of the 8 unsolved cases came 2 years aboriginal erstwhile the hands and legs of a pistillate were recovered successful an Amsterdam canal. A suitcase containing her torso was fished retired of different canal successful the Dutch capital, earlier much limbs were recovered successful different adjacent agelong of water. She has ne'er been identified.

In November 1993 gamekeepers stumbled upon the caput and a limb of Belgian mum-of-two Liliane Sek, 37, successful woods astir 20 miles from her hometown of Charleroi. Liliane, a divorced painter, knew "strange people" who frequented the cafes adjacent to her level and her diary was ne'er found. Her slayer was ne'er identified.

The pursuing July the dismembered assemblage of different pistillate turned up adjacent a campsite successful the Dutch seaside municipality of Retranchement. She has ne'er been identified. That December Sweeney attempted to execution Delia with an axe earlier going connected the run.

When the archetypal remains were recovered successful Mons by mounted constabulary serviceman Olivier Motte connected March 22, 1997, 4 of the serial killer's victims were already dead. By the extremity of the year, beleaguered constabulary had 38 assemblage parts from 5 women who had frequented the slum neighbourhood astir the railway presumption of the confederate Belgium city.

Carmelina Russo, 46, Martine Bohn, 43, Jacqueline Leclerq, 33, Nathalie Godart, 21 and Begonia Valencia, 38, disappeared betwixt January 1996 and July 1997. They were discovered successful 15 rubbish bags.

All had fallen connected hard times and were vulnerable. Four near children behind. Arms, legs, hands and torsos were recovered successful assorted locations with evocative names, fuelling suspicions the slayer was taunting detectives.

Remains were recovered successful Rue du Depot (dump), adjacent the River Haine (hate), connected the Chemin de l'Inquietude (the way of worry) and the banks of the River Trouille (jitters). A thigh, an arm, a forearm and a hand, were successful an country known arsenic La Poudriere, oregon the powder-keg.

Experts from the FBI were drafted and contempt the murders each being linked, detectives drew a blank. The lawsuit remains unfastened though officers are successful a contention against clip earlier the statute of limitations comes into effect successful 3 years, meaning nary prosecution could beryllium brought aft that date.

Sweeney was yet arrested successful 2001 portion surviving nether a mendacious sanction successful London. He was caught successful possession of a revolver, 2 loaded Luger pistols and a sawn-off shotgun.

But helium was not arrested for Melissa and Paula's murders until 2010 aft the model's remains were yet identified by Dutch police. UK detectives unsuccessfully appealed for accusation astir 3 much women who were linked to Sweeney, a trainee caregiver called Sue, from Derbyshire, Brazilian Irani and Colombian Maria.

Mr Groves said helium understands Delia's choler astatine the authorities for the failings successful her lawsuit but highlights the "tireless work" his squad did to get Sweeney locked up for life. He said: "I was a constabulary serviceman for 34 years and I ne'er came crossed anybody arsenic evil arsenic him. The victims' families volition ne'er cognize what happened to the remains of their loved ones that were ne'er recovered. I'm definite Sweeney volition take that concealed to his grave."