Notorious serial killer Steve Wright is set to face a jury next month, charged with the murder of a teenage girl seven years before he embarked on a fatal spree that claimed the lives of five women in Ipswich.
The Disappearance of Victoria Hall
Victoria Hall, aged 17, was last seen in the early hours of September 19, 1999, after a night out with friends at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk. She and a friend stopped at a takeaway before parting ways at approximately 2.30am, just 300 yards from Victoria's home. She never arrived.
Five days later, on September 24, her body was discovered by a dog walker in a water-filled ditch near Creeting St Peter, close to Stowmarket. The site was around 25 miles from where she was last seen.
Wright's Previous Convictions and Current Charges
Wright, now 66 and formerly of London Road, Ipswich, has pleaded not guilty to the murder and kidnap of Victoria Hall. He has also denied a further charge of attempted kidnap of a second female in Felixstowe.
Ahead of his trial at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Bennathan has ruled that the jury can be informed of Wright's previous murder convictions. In December 2006, over a ten-day period, Wright murdered five women in Ipswich: Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, and Annette Nicholls.
Court Appearance and Trial Date
Wright appeared at a hearing today via videolink from HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire, dressed in a white t-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms. He was remanded into custody to await his trial, which is scheduled to begin on February 2.
The upcoming trial will seek to determine Wright's involvement in a case that has remained unresolved for decades, separate from the horrific crimes for which he is already known.
