Steve Wright convicted of the murder of Victoria Hall in 1999

Serial killer Steve Wright has been convicted of the murder of a teenage girl from Trimley St Mary that occurred over 26 years ago.

67-year-old Wright appeared at the Central Criminal Court in London today, Monday 2 February, where he pleaded guilty to the following three offences: one count of murder and one count of kidnap in respect of Victoria Hall; and a further charge of attempted kidnap in respect of an incident the night before Victoria’s abduction involving a woman who was aged 22 at the time.

Wright is a serving prisoner who was sentenced to a whole life term in 2008, after being found guilty of the murders of five women in the Ipswich area between October and December 2006. 

Victoria Hall was 17-years-old when she was last seen alive in the early hours of Sunday 19 September 1999, in High Road, Trimley St Mary.

Victoria left home on the evening of Saturday 18 September 1999 to go for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Bent Hill, Felixstowe, where they remained until around 1am on the morning of Sunday 19 September.

After leaving the nightclub the pair walked back to Trimley St Mary and parted at around 2.20am near to the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way, where Victoria was just yards away from her home.

When Victoria’s parents woke-up that morning and discovered that she had not returned home, the police were called and a missing person inquiry commenced.

Five days later, on Friday 24 September, Victoria’s naked body was found in a ditch beside a field by a dog walker in Creeting Lane, Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles away from where she was last seen.

In September 2019, Suffolk Police revealed that the case – known as Operation Avon - was now a live inquiry again and being fully reinvestigated by a new team of detectives.

Wright was first arrested as part of the inquiry in July 2021. He was rearrested in December 2023 and subsequently charged in May 2024.

The attempted kidnap incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday 18 September 1999, involving a 22-year-old woman along High Road East, Felixstowe.

Wright will be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court on Friday 6 February.

Assistant Chief Constable Alice Scott, of Suffolk Constabulary, said: “Our immediate thoughts and focus today – as they have been throughout the entire investigation – are about Victoria Hall, her family and a significant number of others affected by the actions of Wright.

“Victoria’s family have waited over 26 years for this day and I am so very pleased that we have been able to deliver justice for Victoria and they now know who is responsible for Victoria’s murder.

“I am relieved that the family have been spared the ordeal of a trial however, I am acutely aware that despite today’s conviction, they will continue to live with the trauma of having Victoria ripped away from them at such a young age and in such horrific circumstances.

“I would like to thank them for the unwavering support they provided to the investigation team and pay tribute to them for the patience and dignity they have shown over such a long period of time. They have two dedicated Family Liaison Officers – one of whom has held that role since 1999 – and I know that an incredibly strong bond has been formed between them.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to commend the tenacious work of everyone who has been involved with this inquiry and helped to secure the conviction of Steve Wright, including colleagues from across Suffolk Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service.

“I must make particular mention to the dedicated group of detectives and staff within the Major Investigation Team, under the leadership of the Senior Investigating Officer DCI Matthew Connick - and his predecessors in that role since 2019 - whose diligent and methodical work has achieved this conviction.

“Their task was huge and today is the culmination of seven years of perseverance and determination to fully investigate every piece of evidence and then build an incredibly strong case to bring to court.

“I hope their efforts have demonstrated that we will never give up on achieving justice in cases such as this despite the passage of time. Victoria’s family deserved answers and her killer has now admitted his guilt.”