Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright Finally Sentenced for First Victim's Murder After 26 Years
Justice has been delivered for the first murder victim of the notorious Suffolk strangler, Steve Wright, more than a quarter of a century after the horrific crime. Wright, already serving a whole-life term for five subsequent murders, has now been sentenced to life with a minimum of 40 years for the kidnap and murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999.
A Predator's Early Crimes
Victoria Hall, a sixth-form student from Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, was abducted on the evening of September 18, 1999, after leaving the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe with a friend. Her naked body was discovered five days later in a ditch at Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles from where she was last seen. The Old Bailey heard that Wright, then "on the prowl" in his burgundy Ford Granada Scorpio, was a predator stalking for young women to kidnap, with his actions being almost undoubtedly sexually motivated.
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC detailed the chilling sequence of events: "He did not allow Victoria Hall, aged 17, to escape his predatory clutches. Having separated from her best friend only 300 metres from her front door, she never made it home and seemingly vanished, the only clue a scream in the night."
The court was told that Wright callously discarded Victoria's body, stripped naked except for her jewellery, as if she were a disposable commodity. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted kidnap of 22-year-old Emily Doherty in Felixstowe the day before Victoria's abduction, receiving an additional nine-year sentence for that offence.
Family's Agony and Long Wait for Justice
Victoria's family endured unimaginable distress over the years, with her brother Steven Hall describing how their "whole life" was turned upside down the night she was killed. "Every aspect of our lives was damaged down to the way we think, look at things, everything including the way people look at our family," he told the court. "Victoria was only 17 years old. I have lost my sister, my mum and dad lost their daughter who brought so much joy with her dancing and everything she was."
Tragically, Victoria's mother, Lorinda Hall, died less than two months before Wright's sentencing, never witnessing the outcome of the case. Steven Hall expressed that he has faced "a life sentence" himself since losing his sister, stating, "I miss Victoria every day and will do for the rest of my life."
Investigation and Guilty Plea
Suffolk Police reopened the investigation into Victoria's death in 2019, on the 20th anniversary of her disappearance. In 2024, Wright was charged with her kidnapping and murder, as well as the attempted kidnapping of Emily Doherty. Initially denying all charges, Wright dramatically changed his plea on Monday, admitting to the kidnap "by force or fraud" and murder of Victoria Hall.
Assistant Chief Constable Alice Scott of Suffolk Police commented after the hearing: "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."
Background: The Suffolk Strangler's Reign of Terror
Steve Wright, now 67, is already serving a whole-life jail sentence for the murders of five young women in Ipswich between October 30 and December 10, 2006. Those victims were:
- Gemma Adams, 25
- Tania Nicol, 19
- Anneli Alderton, 24
- Paula Clennell, 24
- Annette Nicholls, 29
All five were sex workers in Ipswich's red light area, with pathology evidence indicating they had been choked or strangled. Two were found laid out in a crucifix shape, described as "macabre" at the time. Wright was arrested at his Ipswich home a week after the last bodies were discovered.
During his original sentencing, Mr Justice Gross noted the killings involved premeditation and planning, stating, "Neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did. Why you did it may never be known."
Victoria Hall, who had hoped to study sociology at the University of Roehampton before her life was brutally cut short, represents Wright's earliest known victim, with her case finally reaching resolution after 26 years of investigation and legal proceedings.
