Scottish serial killer Peter Tobin has died at the age of 76.
He died shortly after 6am at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, police confirmed.
Tobin was serving a whole of life term at HMP Edinburgh for three murders committed over the span of 15 years.
In 2007, he was found guilty of raping and murdering Polish student Angelika Kluk.
He was working as a handyman at St Patrick’s Church in Anderston in Glasgow where the 23-year-old lived and worked as a cleaner.
In September 2006, Tobin attacked the young woman, raping and stabbing her before hiding her body beneath floorboards in the church.
He was sentenced to life inprisonment with a minimum of 21 years for Ms Kluk’s rape and murder.
Following his conviction, he was later investigated over the disappearances of teenagers Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol, who were last seen in 1991.
In 2008, he was convicted of the murder of 15-year-old Vicky, who was last seen waiting for a bus to Falkirk, after her remains were discovered in a house in Margate where Tobin lived in the 90s.
The remains of Dinah McNicol, an 18-year-old who disappeared after hitchhiking in Hampshire, were also discovered at the same property. Tobin was convicted of her murder in 2009.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the family of Vicky Hamilton said they would not celebrate Tobin’s passing, saying “he does not deserve any more of our families thoughts”.
It said: “We remember Vicky, we remember her laughter, her smile and we want to keep that memory after all the years of having no idea what had happened to her, followed by heartbreak of losing our mum not long after Vicky went missing. He does not deserve anymore of our families thoughts.
“If he has taken more victims, our hearts go out to their families and can only wish one day they get the closure they so badly deserve.
“We will not be celebrating any passing but instead will be remembering Vicky, Angelika and Dinah along with any other victims, and we respectfully ask for others to do the same.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Laura Thomson, head of major crime at Police Scotland, said officers had tried to get Tobin to admit to any other crimes before his death.
She said: “Recent attempts to encourage him to do the right thing and share any knowledge he may have which could assist the police were unsuccessful.
“While we have no current lines of investigation into Peter Tobin, we welcome any information in relation to his activities.”
David Swindle, former detective superintendent, said: “Peter Tobin was a horrible, horrible individual that cared about one person – himself, and he took people’s lives away for his sadistic pleasure.
“We should remember what Tobin did to the victims.
“And in this case, we think about Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton, and Dinah McNicol.
“I remember quite clearly when Ian McNicol, Dinah McNicol’s dad said ‘how many more?’.
“Sadly, despite all the work that myself and the team, the Anagram team, did to look at Tobin’s life, we never found out how many more.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 6.04am on Saturday, October 8, 2022, officers attended at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh following the death of a 76-year-old man.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
The Scottish Prison Service declined to comment.
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