Father of 4 Who Called Sex Chat Line with Murdered Woman's Phone Is Found Dead in Prison

A man serving a life sentence for the 2016 murder of an elderly woman in England — who called a sex chat line after strangling her — has died, per reports. 

Gareth Dack was convicted in 2017 for killing 79-year-old Norma Bell in her Hartlepool, U.K., home, per the BBC. He was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 33 years.

Dack, 41, was found dead at a prison in Durham on Monday, April 21, the BBC, Teesside Live and Channel 3 reported.

Dack, a father of four, strangled Bell in her home in April 2016, and then called a sex chat line, per the Teesside Live, the BBC and Channel 3.

He had made the calls to speak with “scantily-clad ladies,” prosecutors told jurors during this trial, the BBC reported at the time.

He cut up Bell’s clothing, per Channel 3, and the BBC previously reported there were injuries to Bell’s ribs that indicated someone had kneeled on her.

Dack then tried to set the widow’s home on fire in a bid to get rid of the evidence. 

In a family statement after Dack’s conviction, Bell’s family remembered her as having a “heart as big as a lion,” Bell had fostered 50 children in her life, and shared nine children with her husband, according to Channel 3.

Bell’s son has spoken out after learning about Dack’s death. 

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“I’m happy he is dead but I would have liked him to serve the 33 years and died the day before he was released,” Graham Bell told Tesside Live. “I wanted him to suffer as long as possible.”

“In some respects I feel for his family, they have suffered a loss,” Graham said. “We have no grievances against his family. He was a bad penny. They will be going through some difficult times as well.”

Dack’s death is under investigation, the BBC reported.