Victoria Hall murder inquiry: Suffolk Police continue to make 'significant progress' into investigation of disappearance of Trimley St Mary teenager
Suffolk Police say they have to spoken to over 500 witnesses in their investigation into the unsolved murder of teenager Victoria Hall ahead of the 23rd anniversary.
The 17-year-old was last seen alive in the early hours of Sunday, September 19, 1999, in High Road, Trimley St Mary, following a night out in Felixstowe.
Victoria, of Trimley St Mary, was visiting the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe with a friend on Saturday, September, 18, where they remained until around 1am the following morning.
They then parted ways at 2.20am, near to the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way in Trimley St Mary, just yards away from her home.
Following the launch of a missing person inquiry Victoria's body was found five days later on Friday, September 24, in a ditch in Creeting St Peter, approximately 25 miles away from where she was last seen.
Officers reopened the investigation into her murder in 2019 after fresh information, which was not previously known, came to light.
Detectives say they are 'continuing to make significant progress' in the investigation.
The case, known as Operation Avon, has seen a dedicated team of 25 officers take statements from over 500 witnesses, reviewed over 43,000 documents and 9,000 exhibits and viewed more than 3,500 hours of CCTV footage.
A man - allegedly Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright according to reports in the national media - was arrested on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 as part of the new investigation.
He was taken into police custody for questioning and subsequently released under investigation, which continues to be his status in the case.
Detective chief superintendent Andy Smith, the senior investigating officer, said: “The investigation into the tragic murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999 remains a high priority for Suffolk Constabulary. The inquiry team are totally committed to bringing the person or persons responsible for her dreadful murder to justice.
“This is a challenging and complex case which has amassed extremely high volumes of information and evidence over the preceding 23 years.
"There are now 25 staff working on this investigation full time and as a consequence we are making good progress. This is demonstrated by the hundreds of witnesses that have been spoken to; the tens of thousands of documents and exhibits that have been reviewed; and the thousands of hours of CCTV footage that has been viewed.
“We are in frequent contact with Victoria’s family to keep them updated as to our progress and as ever are truly grateful for their patience and for the support they provide our investigation. They are an amazing family.
“It will be 23 years in September since Victoria was murdered and we will continue to pursue all new lines of enquiry. I once again urge anyone with information that could assist us to come forward, it is never too late.”
Victoria’s family continue to be regularly updated regarding the investigation and are being supported by family liaison officers.
Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone with information about Victoria’s murder to contact the Major Investigation Team via either the online portal, or by telephone.
