Man re-arrested over 1999 murder of girl, 17, identified as Suffolk Strangler

07 December 2023 , 21:25

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Victoria Hall was found in a ditch in 1999 (Image: Suffolk Police / SWNS)

Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright has been re-arrested in connection with the unsolved murder of a teenage girl more than 24 years ago.

Victoria Hall, 17, was last seen in the early hours of September 19 1999 and her body was found five days later 25 miles from her home. Wright, 65, is currently serving a whole life sentence for the murder of five women in Ipswich in 2006.

Wright was initially arrested in July 2021 in connection with Victoria’s murder and taken into custody for questioning but remains under investigation. Suffolk Police did not name Wright but said the suspect had now been released from police custody.

Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright has been re-arrested for the crime (PA)

Victoria was found dead five days after vanishing (PA)

A spokesman said: “The same man was re-arrested on suspicion of murder and taken into police custody for questioning, before being released under investigation pending further enquiries.”

Wright, given a whole life sentence in 2008 for the murder of five prostitutes, was living just half a mile away from Victoria at the time of her murder. Victoria had gone for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Bent Hill, Felixstowe.

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She and her friend stayed there until 1am on September 19 before leaving to get food. They then started to walk back to Trimley St Mary. Victoria was nearly home when she and her friend parted company at around 2.20pm. Five days later Victoria’s naked body was found in a ditch beside a field by a dog walker in Creeting St Peter.

Dan Warburton