Police have launched a fresh appeal for information about “possible previous offending” by serial killer Steve Wright, as he was jailed for the murder of a teenager more than 25 years ago.
Wright, dubbed the “Suffolk Strangler”, was told he will die in prison as he was sentenced for the abduction and murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall.
She had disappeared early on 19 September 1999 in a village on the outskirts of Felixstowe, Suffolk.
Wright – who was already serving a whole-life sentence for five other murders – was sentenced on Friday to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years for Miss Hall’s murder and the attempted abduction of Emily Doherty.
Following the hearing, Suffolk Police said it was appealing for information relating to “possible previous offending” by Wright.
In a statement, the force said: “In light of the guilty plea by Steve Wright for the murder of Victoria Hall in 1999, the joint major investigation team are appealing for information relating to him and his possible previous offending.
“Suffolk and Norfolk constabularies are always alive to new information and how this could assist, alongside modern forensic and investigative techniques, to build an evidential case for court and bring offenders to justice.”
Wright tried to abduct a then 22-year-old Ms Doherty just the night before Miss Hall’s murder. She had only survived after evading him and seeking refuge in a random couple’s home.
Ms Doherty exclusively told Sky News she believes if police had taken her story seriously, the other women Wright went on to murder may still be alive today.
In her first ever interview with the media, she described how, while she was on a night out, she had to flee from him repeatedly for 40 minutes until someone came to her aid.
But when police were called, they treated her like “a silly little girl”, and failed to follow it up with a full investigation – even after Ms Hall’s body was later found.
“It’s devastating what happened to everyone else, absolutely devastating,” Ms Doherty said.
“You can’t help thinking, if they had taken me seriously, Vicky could have survived, but certainly if they had found him sooner the five other women would still be here.”
On Monday, Wright admitted to the kidnap and murder of Miss Hall and the attempted kidnap of Ms Doherty.
Miss Hall’s body was “callously discarded – stripped naked of everything except for her jewellery”, prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC told the Old Bailey.
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, said it was “extraordinarily unlikely” Wright would ever be released from prison.
He told Wright: “Given the sentence from your other dreadful crimes, it is almost certain you will die in prison.”
Wright appeared to give a slight shrug and smile as he was sent down from the dock.
After those incidents in the Suffolk town of Felixstowe in 1999, Wright went on to murder five women in the Ipswich area in 2006, for which he is serving a whole-life prison sentence.
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