The canal murders

On 19th February 2001, a group of 10 year-old boys were fishing at the Regent’s Canal in London when a bag floating on the top of the canal caught their attention. Curious, they pulled the bag from the water and opened it. Uncertain of what they had found, they alerted a passing adult who recognised the contents as human remains. Attending officers closed the scene and police divers retrieved five more bags from the canal. Each contained dismembered body parts of an unknown female. Her hands, feet and head have never been recovered.

A pregnant Paula Fields

The remains belonged to 31 year-old mother of three, Paula Fields. Paula, originally from Liverpool, had moved to London in the hope of a better future. Tragically, she was involved in a violent relationship and had become troubled, finding herself involved in drugs and prostitution.

But despite detectives working on the case for two years, they had little to go on and in 2003, the case wound down.

Eleven years earlier, a similar case was unfolding in Holland. On 3rd May 1990, a large army bag was pulled out of the Westersingel Canal in Rotterdam; inside were the dismembered remains of a young woman. Like Paula, they had been decapitated and their hands cut off by the killer.

But it wasn’t until recently that advances in DNA technology enabled the Dutch police to identity the victim as 33 year-old American Melissa Halstead.

Melissa Halstead

Melissa had been scouted as a model when she was 17 years old and went on to travel the world. In 1986, she moved to London and worked as a photographer. She had pictures published in Vogue and would appear to have been forging a career for herself. In 1988, she left London to go travelling, settling in Amsterdam. In April 1990, Melissa disappeared from Amsterdam, and the following month, her remains were pulled out of the Westersingel Canal in Rotterdam.

In 2008, the Metropolitan Police were contacted out of the blue by the Cold Case Team in Rotterdam. They were reviewing Melissa's murder and had identified striking similarities with that of Paula's.

Not only had their bodies been cruelly mutilated in the same way, but both women were in their early 30s, had lived in London, and had troubled pasts. Both were reported to have been in violent relationships, and had become addicted to drugs, associating with other drug users and drug dealers.

For the first time, Dutch and Metropolitan police have joined forces to investigate the murders. They believe that the answer could lie in London and that Melissa and Paula could have fallen prey to the same killer.

Bags recovered from the canal

• • Both women were found in weighted bags as shown. Do you know anyone that owned bags like these? Do you remember them going missing or lending them to anyone?

• • Paula's remains were found in the Regent's Canal in six separate bags. Do you remember someone taking a taxi with several bags? Or did you loan your car or give a lift to anyone at this time?

• • Both women led a similar lifestyle. They took drugs and were in violent relationships. But there are still big gaps in their lives. If you knew either woman, please get in touch.

• • Little is known about Melissa's movements when she left London in 1988. Were you friends with her? Did she contact you?

• • Paula was last seen in April 2000 and her remains recovered in February 2001. Do you know anything about her whereabouts during that time?

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