Police are making a new appeal for information over the murder of a university graduate nearly 30 years ago.
Melanie Hall, 25, was last seen at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath‘s Walcot Street shortly after 1am on 9 June 1996.
Her remains were discovered 13 years later on 5 October 2009, next to the junction 14 northbound slip road of the M5 by workmen cutting grass.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Lavender, who is leading the investigation into her murder, said her family have “endured unimaginable pain and uncertainty for almost three decades and have shown extraordinary strength and resilience throughout this time”.
As the 30th anniversary of Ms Hall’s murder approaches, DCI Lavender asked people to remember the weekend of her disappearance, which saw England play Switzerland in the opening game of the Euros.
He said the centre of Bath was “exceptionally busy” on 8 and 9 June, when Ms Hall, a clerical worker at the Royal United Hospital, was on a night out at the former Cadillacs nightclub with her friends.
She was last seen inside the club, sitting by the side of the dancefloor on her own, at 1.10am on Sunday, 9 June, when her friends left the venue.
“We believe there’s a strong possibility Melanie left the nightclub with her killer, as a coat she had checked into a cloakroom was collected, but she could have met them outside or got into a car,” DCI Lavender said.
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Avon and Somerset Police want to hear from anyone who went to Cadillacs nightclub or saw Ms Hall that night.
“If you have information or suspicions about anyone who could be connected to Melanie’s disappearance, now is the time to let us know. Please let us decide if information is relevant to the investigation or not,” DCI Lavender added.
Officers “are keeping an open mind as to when” Ms Hall’s body was “dumped” by the side of the M5 at junction 14, as this could have been in the hours after she went missing or the days following her disappearance.
Detectives also want to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity or a vehicle parked on the northbound junction 14 slip road of the M5 at Thornbury in the early hours of 9 June or in the following weeks, or who knows anyone from Bath who has connections with this route.
Ms Hall’s pale blue silk dress, black suede shoes, cream jacket and black handbag have never been found, along with cosmetics, her Midland cheque book and bank card.
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Her jewellery, including a Next watch with an expanding bracelet and a pair of silver drop earrings, is also missing, with police asking whether anyone has seen these items or knows where they might be.
Crimestoppers has offered a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Miss Hall’s murder.
