Disturbing new revelations have led a serial killer to admit guilt decades after committing a heinous crime.
Steve Wright, aged 67, has been serving a life sentence for the murders of five women in the Ipswich area of the UK, which he committed in 2006.
In 2008, Wright was handed a whole-life order for these crimes, a severe punishment in the British legal system reserved for the most egregious acts.
Subsequent police inquiries linked Wright to another crime – the 1999 murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall.
Victoria vanished on September 19, 1999, last seen by her friend Gemma Algar as she headed home alone in Trimley St Mary following a night out at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe.
Tragically, Victoria never made it home, and her body was found days later.
The case was reopened in 2019 after a cold case review in the previous year, revealing a DNA fragment related to Victoria’s murder that matched Wright’s records in the database.
Detectives ensured the DNA wasn’t from any of Wright’s male relatives and confirmed it was indeed his.
The day before Victoria’s murder, Wright had attempted to abduct Emily Doherty, who recounted her harrowing experience of the attempted kidnapping, mentioning that her attacker ‘lay ahead in wait’.
Fortunately, Emily managed to escape and found safety by alerting a nearby house, where the occupants called the authorities.
A victim impact statement from Emily was presented in court, detailing her fear during the incident.
She stated: “I have never been so scared in my life. I thought my heart was going to explode in my chest.
“I had never ran so fast or jumped over walls like that.”
Initially, Wright pleaded not guilty to these new charges, but on February 2, he altered his plea to guilty.
Consequently, the serial killer received another life sentence with a minimum of 40 years, in addition to his existing punishment.
He was also sentenced to 12 years for kidnapping Victoria and nine years for the attempted kidnapping of Emily Doherty, with all sentences running concurrently.
During a hearing at the Old Bailey in London on February 6, Mr Justice Bennathan informed Wright: “Given your obvious dangerousness and your age, it is extraordinarily unlikely you would ever be released. Given the sentence imposed for your other dreadful crimes, it is well nigh certain you will die in prison.”
Outside the court, a statement was read by Victoria’s father Graham’s son, Steven Hall: “Steve Wright robbed us of seeing Victoria turn into a woman. I miss Victoria every day and will do for the rest of my life.”