Steve Wright Admits Guilt in 1999 Murder of Teenager Victoria Hall
Serial killer Steve Wright, known as the Suffolk strangler, smirked in the dock as the father of his 17-year-old victim accused him of robbing her of her future. The 67-year-old unexpectedly pleaded guilty on Monday to murdering Victoria Hall in 1999, with sentencing scheduled for later today.
Decades-Long Wait for Justice
Graham Hall, Victoria's father, revealed in a statement read by his son Steven that his wife Lorinda died just weeks before the trial began, never seeing justice served. "In 1999 we were a normal family and then Steve Wright came along and took Victoria from us," the statement said. "Steve Wright robbed us of seeing Victoria grow into a woman, fulfil her dream of going to university, get married and have children, our grandchildren."
Predatory Pattern of Violence
The court heard Wright was a "predator" who stalked Felixstowe on September 18-19, 1999, driving his burgundy Ford Granada Scorpio. Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward described him as "almost undoubtedly sexually motivated" and "stalking for his prey."
Wright first attempted to kidnap 22-year-old Emily Doherty on September 18 as she walked home from a nightclub. Ms Doherty managed to escape by running and hiding, later telling police about her attacker. Undeterred, Wright struck again the following night, successfully abducting Victoria Hall just 300 yards from her home.
Police Failures and Missed Opportunities
In a highly unusual intervention, Mr Justice Joel Bennathan questioned why police hadn't detected Wright earlier, noting Ms Doherty had provided an "accurate" description of Wright, his vehicle, and part of his registration plate minutes after her escape. "I simply ask has there been an inquiry by the police into what went wrong? It was 27 years ago," the judge said.
The court heard police didn't initially link Victoria's murder with Ms Doherty's abduction for weeks, despite the detailed description. Wright's car was one of 56 vehicles identified in the murder investigation but he was never arrested or interviewed because officers spent £2 million prosecuting the wrong man.
Victim's Harrowing Ordeal
Ms Doherty gave an impact statement criticizing police for making her feel like a "silly little girl." She described officers asking "How much have you had to drink tonight?" and failing to take notes of the car registration she provided. "For 25 plus years, I have wondered, 'What if?'" she said. "What if they had taken my statement? Could Vicky still be alive now?"
Brutal Murder and Cover-Up
Prosecutors said Wright "sexually violated" Victoria Hall after snatching her from the street, killing her "within a very short time." He then callously discarded her naked body in a farm ditch 25 miles away, "like she was no more important than a disposable commodity." The following day, Wright returned to work at Felixstowe docks "as if nothing had happened."
Escape Attempt and Renewed Investigation
In the weeks after the murder, Wright sold his car, took out a £5,000 loan, and made preparations to leave for Thailand. He returned to the UK in January 2000 when police began investigating local businessman Adrian Bradshaw, who was wrongly prosecuted and acquitted in 2001.
Cold case officers reopened the investigation in 2019, releasing CCTV of a man returning to the dump site three weeks after Victoria's death. Following a Crimewatch appeal, a member of the public identified Wright as matching the description. He was arrested in prison in July 2021 and charged in 2024 after new forensic techniques revealed links to the serial killer.
Notorious Killing Spree
Wright is already serving a whole life sentence at Long Lartin Prison for murdering five sex workers in Ipswich's red-light district during a six-week frenzy in 2006. Despite overwhelming forensic evidence, he had denied responsibility for those killings until Monday's unexpected guilty plea for Victoria Hall's murder - his first admission of guilt for any crime.
The admission has raised questions about how many more victims Wright may have claimed in the intervening years, with the killer previously linked to other unsolved cases including the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh, with whom he had worked on the QE2 cruise ship.
