A notorious serial killer, Steve Wright, has been handed an additional 40-year prison sentence for the brutal murder of 17-year-old schoolgirl Victoria Hall. The long-awaited justice comes nearly two decades after the heinous crime took place in Felixstowe, Suffolk.
Hall's family described her as a bright and lively teenager, with a loving father who remembered his daughter as having been "a happy, loving child." Wright, however, saw her as just another victim to add to his twisted tally. The killer abducted Hall from her home, sexually assaulted her, and then murdered her within hours.
Wright's actions that night were marked by a callous disregard for human life. He discarded Hall's body in a farm ditch, stripped of all personal belongings except for her jewelry, as if she was nothing more than a disposable commodity. Wright's behavior was "almost undoubtedly" motivated by a desire to exploit and harm young women.
In 1999, Wright also attempted to kidnap Emily Doherty, 22, after picking her up from a petrol station in his car. Doherty managed to escape by frantically knocking on the door of a couple's home, thanks to "great good fortune." Her description of Wright's car later led police to identify him as their prime suspect.
Five years later, four more women were found dead: Tania Nicol, 19; Gemma Adams, 25; Anneli Alderton, 24; and Paula Clennell, 24. The victims were all sex workers who had been targeted by Wright in the Ipswich area.
Wright was initially sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 for the murders of these five women. However, on Friday, he was handed a further 40-year sentence for Hall's murder and the attempt to kidnap Doherty. The judge described Wright as having taken "Victoria Hall, a typical bright, lively teenager, away and crushed her young life."
The case has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, with many praising the bravery of Doherty and the Hall family for their resilience in the face of unimaginable trauma.
Hall's family described her as a bright and lively teenager, with a loving father who remembered his daughter as having been "a happy, loving child." Wright, however, saw her as just another victim to add to his twisted tally. The killer abducted Hall from her home, sexually assaulted her, and then murdered her within hours.
Wright's actions that night were marked by a callous disregard for human life. He discarded Hall's body in a farm ditch, stripped of all personal belongings except for her jewelry, as if she was nothing more than a disposable commodity. Wright's behavior was "almost undoubtedly" motivated by a desire to exploit and harm young women.
In 1999, Wright also attempted to kidnap Emily Doherty, 22, after picking her up from a petrol station in his car. Doherty managed to escape by frantically knocking on the door of a couple's home, thanks to "great good fortune." Her description of Wright's car later led police to identify him as their prime suspect.
Five years later, four more women were found dead: Tania Nicol, 19; Gemma Adams, 25; Anneli Alderton, 24; and Paula Clennell, 24. The victims were all sex workers who had been targeted by Wright in the Ipswich area.
Wright was initially sentenced to life imprisonment in 2008 for the murders of these five women. However, on Friday, he was handed a further 40-year sentence for Hall's murder and the attempt to kidnap Doherty. The judge described Wright as having taken "Victoria Hall, a typical bright, lively teenager, away and crushed her young life."
The case has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation, with many praising the bravery of Doherty and the Hall family for their resilience in the face of unimaginable trauma.
this whole thing is just so disturbing... I mean, 40 years isn't enough time, but at least he's getting what's coming to him 
Wright's actions were just sickening and it's unbelievable how much pain he caused those families & loved ones... his disregard for human life was just mind-boggling 
And poor Victoria Hall, she was just a teenager with her whole life ahead of her, now she's gone forever 
it's hard to even put into words the anger & sadness I'm feeling about this case, but I guess justice is finally being served 
... Victoria, Tania, Gemma, Anneli, Paula, and Emily 
... how could someone be so cruel? 
It's just not right 
... 40 years in prison should've been enough 
but justice finally came 
... my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the victims 
they're still hurting but at least there's closure 
... Wright's actions were so heinous, it's hard to even put into words 
... I just hope that this brings some peace to those affected 
. On the other hand, I think it's absolutely necessary to protect society from people like Wright 
. He was an animal what he did to those girls 
. But at the same time... is a 40-year sentence really going to prevent anyone else from becoming like Wright? 
I don't know, maybe it's just common sense... but I'm still not convinced 
what really gets me is how much pain and suffering this case has caused so many innocent people, especially the families of the victims. it's not just about Wright, it's about the ripple effect his actions have had on everyone around him 
The justice system finally did the right thing by handing him this extra sentence, but it's still sad that it took so long for them to catch him 
. I guess some people just think they're above the law, or at least, above getting caught 
. Anyway, justice is finally served, but it's going to take a long time for Victoria's family to heal 
. The fact that Emily Doherty managed to escape is just amazing, I don't know how she'd cope if this happened to someone she knows 
he saw them as nothing more than objects to use and discard, not human beings with lives and families 
what can we learn from this case? how can we prevent something like this from happening again? 
. It's heartbreaking thinking about Vic and the other girls he killed...like they were just statistics to him, not human beings 
. And can we talk about how messed up it is that some people see women as objects to exploit? I mean, Victoria was just 17 years old! Wright's behavior is sickening 
. The fact that Emily Doherty escaped and could identify the car he was in is a miracle in itself 
... this guy's lack of empathy is just mind-boggling... 40 yrs doesn't even begin to cover the damage he's done 
"Crime is reaction, not act" - Albert Camus 
i can never understand how ppl like this exist in our world and get away w/ their twisted crimes 
I'm so relieved this nightmare finally came to an end 
. Wright's actions are despicable, no two ways about it