Steve Wright, a convicted serial killer from Suffolk, has admitted to the murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999, marking his sixth homicide victim. The 67-year-old changed his plea at the Old Bailey on Monday, confessing to the kidnap and murder of Victoria, who disappeared over 25 years ago.
Guilty Pleas and Sentencing
Wright appeared in the dock wearing a navy and grey jumper, speaking only to confirm his name and enter pleas. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted kidnap of Emily Doherty, then aged 22, in Felixstowe the day before Victoria's murder. This is the first time Wright has admitted to any killings, despite previous pleas from his family to come clean.
Mr Justice Bennathan has scheduled sentencing for Friday to allow Victoria's family to attend and submit victim impact statements. The prosecutor, Jocelyn Ledward KC, confirmed that Victoria's friend Gemma Algar and Emily Doherty will also provide statements.
Background and Previous Convictions
Wright, a former merchant seaman currently held at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire, is already serving a whole-life prison sentence for the murders of five women in 2006, seven years after Victoria's death. The guilty pleas follow a ruling by Justice Bennathan that jurors could be informed of these prior convictions, despite defence objections about potential prejudice.
In legal arguments last month, the prosecution highlighted similarities between the murders, noting that all six women were asphyxiated and left in comparable locations, sharing a physical type. Evidence from a sex worker who knew Wright well was also presented, indicating his familiarity with the area linked to Victoria's murder.
Victoria Hall's Case
Victoria Hall, from Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, left her home on the evening of 18 September 1999 for a night out with her friend Gemma Algar at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe. Five days later, her body was discovered in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles from where she was last seen.
A year after her murder, her parents Graham and Lorinda Hall appealed for help to bring the perpetrator to justice. Graham Hall expressed optimism at the time, stating that the killer must be under immense pressure. Tragically, Lorinda Hall passed away in December before her daughter's killer was convicted.
2006 Murders and Investigation
In 2006, the Ipswich community endured six weeks of terror as detectives hunted for a serial killer. The victims included Tania Nicol, 19, and Gemma Adams, 25, both sex workers from Ipswich's red light area. Their bodies were found in streams and ponds, with two laid out in a crucifix shape described as macabre.
Wright was arrested at his Ipswich home a week later. Pathology evidence indicated that all women had been choked or strangled. During his 2008 trial at Ipswich Crown Court, prosecutors argued that Wright systematically selected and murdered the women after stalking streets near his home. DNA and fibres from his clothes, house, and car were found on the victims.
Wright admitted to picking up the women for sex on the nights they vanished but denied involvement in their deaths. Following his conviction, relatives of the victims and his own father called for his execution. Justice Gross imposed a rare whole-life order, citing pre-meditation and planning in the killings.
Justice Gross remarked that while drugs and prostitution placed the women at risk, Wright was solely responsible for their deaths, with motives that may never be fully understood.
