A man has appeared in court charged with the kidnapping and murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall, whose body was found in a ditch five days after she went missing in 1999. The case has resurfaced after decades, and the accused, Steve Gerald James Wright, faced the charges via a video link from custody at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court.
The Disappearance and Investigation
Victoria Hall, a resident of Trimley St Mary in Suffolk, was last seen alive when she split from her friend around 02:20 on September 19, 1999. The pair had left Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe earlier that night. Her parents, Lorinda and Graham Hall, woke up the next morning to find their daughter had not returned home, prompting a missing persons inquiry.
Five days later, on September 24, Victoria’s body was discovered in Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles from where she was last seen. The investigation into her disappearance and death remained unresolved for years.
Steve Wright, a 66-year-old man formerly of London Road, Ipswich, now faces charges related to Victoria Hall’s case. In addition to the murder charge, he has been accused of attempting to kidnap another woman the day before Victoria’s disappearance.
During the court hearing, Wright rested his arms on a table and confirmed his identity as Steve Gerald James Wright. The proceedings lasted less than five minutes, during which he provided his date of birth and acknowledged that he could hear the court.
Attempted Kidnapping of Emily Doherty
Wright is also accused of attempting to kidnap Emily Doherty in Felixstowe on September 18, 1999. According to Suffolk Police, a 22-year-old woman reported that a man had approached and followed her between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on that date in High Road East, Felixstowe.
Wright was not asked to enter pleas to the three charges.
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before Ipswich Crown Court for a preliminary hearing later on Monday.
