Detectives have launched a new probe into the murder of Melanie Hall, whose body was found years after she vanished from a nightclub. Avon and Somerset Police are digitising 90 crates of evidence to analyse with AI technology, hoping to identify her killer.
Melanie, 25, was last seen at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath at 1.10am on June 9, 1996. Her remains were discovered in October 2009, wrapped in rope and bin bags, near a slip road on the M5 motorway in Gloucestershire. The case remains one of the longest-running murder investigations in the country.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Lavender, leading the cold case team, said: 'With the advancements in AI in the coming years, I am sure it will give us another way of looking into the data.' A pool of under 100 persons of interest has been reduced to less than 20, and officers are re-interviewing alibi witnesses.
Specialist officers will examine CCTV footage for any missed sightings of Melanie and for 36 vehicles linked to potential suspects. Eleven people have been arrested over the years but no one has been charged. Police have issued a fresh appeal for a man seen with Melanie at the club, described as white, mid to late 20s, 5ft 10in, with dark brown hair and eyes.
