UK UK - Melanie Hall, 25, Bath, Somerset, 9 June 1996

[Professor Moriarty]

Melanie was distinctive in appearance, having blonde hair, cut quite short, but the sightings of her at different times in and outside of the club are uncertain, apart from when she was with the dancing man.

The description of the dancing man, who, according to the doctor, was certainly with Melanie and the descriptions of the other men, possibly seen with her, are all fairly similar, but those descriptions could apply to many men.

 

[tes1984]

BBC NEWS | England | Bristol | Woman's bones left 'like garbage'

news.bbc.co.uk

"Witnesses said she had argued with her surgeon boyfriend".

 

[Professor Moriarty]

BBC NEWS | England | Bristol | Woman's bones left 'like garbage'

news.bbc.co.uk

"Witnesses said she had argued with her surgeon boyfriend".

Thanks. The Crimewatch original appeal didn't mention that. In that appeal the doctor said he was shocked to see Melanie dancing with the dancing man; there was no mention of an argument.

 

[Deadbeat]

From Wiki:
“On 23 June 2016, a 45-year-old man was arrested following retrieval of DNA from where Hall's remains were discovered, and released on bail a few days later.”

So I assume this was from the rope DNA??
I do wonder if any of these arrests HAVE been the right guy but they’ve somehow evaded justice…

 

[Wurzel]

A Mirror 'Exclusive'. Number of potential persons of interest narrowed down.

Major update after woman vanished from nightclub then body found years later

Detectives could employ digital tools in a "root and branch" review of the 1996 unsolved murder of the 25-year-old as they focus on less than 20 potential suspects

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[Konstantin]

Detectives suspect a former girlfriend, friend or flatmate may have been harbouring information that could solve the case and will be reinterviewing alibi witnesses.

The officer said: "Somebody knows what happened to Melanie whether that's just the person who killed her or they've told somebody else, or somebody else witnessed something on the evening, maybe someone returned acting suspiciously, blood was seen, anything like that, is really important to us."

I guess that is a pretty standard thing to say and the point is to prompt someone whose loyalties may have changed to come forward now.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015189191143927982

 

[dotr]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2015189191143927982

Thanks, from link..
'Police previously identified around 100 'persons of interest', which has now been pared down to less than 20, while alibis are being re-examined. '

''Police have reissued an e-fit of a man they believe may have been with Melanie in the nightclub
He is described as white, mid to late 20s, 5ft 10ins, of medium build, with dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, bushy eyebrows and clean shaven.

He wore black trousers, black shoes and a brown silk shirt. It is possible he had a gold hooped earring in his right ear and wore a flashy gold watch.''

 

[Rookie D]

I think that DCI Lavender's words suggest that Halliwell still hasn't been ruled out completely.

Interesting

 

[Rookie D]

The man in the silk shirt seen chatting with Melanie and possibly leaving the club with her, was described as having a tan.

When we discover that Melanie was tied up with blue rope that is commonly used in particular professional fields, could this suggest that the man worked outdoors for a living; hence why he was tanned?

A roofer, a builder, a gardener, a boatman on the canal perhaps?

Or a mobile mechanic? (hence why there were a full set of Ford cay keys found near the body)

Or possibly a member of the travelling community?

A man who wears a silk shirt and who chats up a woman in a blue silk dress who is then murdered, might also suggest that the killer may have had a penchant for silk. Did he target Melanie because of the short blue silk dress she was wearing, and could that have been a possible reason why her dress was never found?

Also, the deposition site was IMO likely chosen because the killer often drove that route, and he would likely have got a kick from knowing he was driving past her body regularly; perhaps as part of his job?

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Interesting idea about the silk.

If the killer knew Melanie (as has been speculated), or if he had been observing her in the club before making a move on her, he must have known she was there with the doctor and other couple.

Maybe it was as much a resentment of their perceived social class to draw Melanie away from her boyfriend, as desire for her.

 

[tes1984]

A Mirror 'Exclusive'. Number of potential persons of interest narrowed down.

Major update after woman vanished from nightclub then body found years later

Detectives could employ digital tools in a "root and branch" review of the 1996 unsolved murder of the 25-year-old as they focus on less than 20 potential suspects

www.mirror.co.uk

Interesting that they mention Melanie being seen by a friend at 1.10am. Is that one of the couple who went there with her, or someone else?

Also interesting that they mention DNA from the bag (and not just the rope).

It doesn't seem like the police have a full DNA profile though.

 

[tes1984]

I think that DCI Lavender's words suggest that Halliwell still hasn't been ruled out completely.

Interesting

Maybe they will finally let the public see Halliwell's trophy collection of women's clothing...

 

[tes1984]

I'm a bit concerned that this has been an active case for quite a while now, yet they still haven't re-examined the CCTV, or digitised the case files. The lack of digitisation is weird. It's not like computers weren't around during the initial enquiry.

At least POIs are being reviewed, but I think it's a mistake to presume the killer is in the case files. Christopher Hampton wasn't in the case files for Melanie Road, despite living right there in Bath.

I also wouldn't rely too much on the police using AI, although I hope I'm proved wrong. When the police used cutting edge technology in Operation Enigma, the results turned out to be underwhelming.

 

[rvlvr]

Yeah, weren’t there dozens and dozens of arrests in the Road case? Yet Hampton slipped through the net.

It is odd imo that despite the case being active it seems like a lot of obvious work hasn’t been done? But no time like the present I suppose.

 

[dotr]

'Our daughter was murdered - someone close to killer can give us justice'

The dad, mum and sister of Melanie Hall suspect more than one person may know what happened to her and are begging: 'Please come forward and help us solve this case'

www.mirror.co.uk

25 Jan 2026
''The family of Melanie Hall - murdered nearly 30 years ago after vanishing on a night out - believe someone who was close to her killer knows their secret and have appealed for them to come forward.''

''Melanie's dad Steve, mum Pat and sister Dominique have now issued a direct appeal to her killer and anyone who might have information about him. They said in a statement: “Despite the passing of nearly 30 years since the disappearance and murder of our daughter Melanie, we remain totally committed to finding her killer''.

'Steve said in a press conference at the time: "We had a beautiful girl, now we have a bag of bones, and when you try to get your head around that, it is a terrible thing."

'She had been left alone in Cadillac's nightclub after her German doctor boyfriend, and a couple they had been out with, went home.'

The last definite sighting of Melanie was by the dancefloor(Image: Avon and Somerset Constabulary)

 

[dotr]

A man who wears a silk shirt and who chats up a woman in a blue silk dress who is then murdered, might also suggest that the killer may have had a penchant for silk. Did he target Melanie because of the short blue silk dress she was wearing, and could that have been a possible reason why her dress was never found?

rbsbm.
Silk, interesting. Had a crazy thought earlier in the thread, that the perp may have had a thing for the colour blue, but silk- now that concept might have some teeth!

 

[Dotta]

rbsbm.
Silk, interesting. Had a crazy thought earlier in the thread, that the perp may have had a thing for the colour blue, but silk- now that concept might have some teeth!

Looking at the e-fit
I thought the man was very striking, handsome in an exotic way.
And yet it is assumed he might be local??
Someone the victim might have known??
Looking like this
I suppose many might have recognized him if he indeed lived locally.

But I'm new to this case.
I need to read the thread from page 1.

JMO

 

[Skigh]

rbsbm.
Silk, interesting. Had a crazy thought earlier in the thread, that the perp may have had a thing for the colour blue, but silk- now that concept might have some teeth!

It could be that silk was in fashion at that time,so that it wasn't something of any significance that Melanie was wearing a silk dress and the man a silk shirt.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

It could be that silk was in fashion at that time,so that it wasn't something of any significance that Melanie was wearing a silk dress and the man a silk shirt.

I don't know about the 1990s, but silk was pretty widespread in the UK during the 1980s, especially sand-washed silk (shirts, skirts, dresses etc) and raw silk (summer blazers or jackets).