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

[dotr]

Just so i don't seem completely silly for referencing a colour (blue) as a trigger, (both positive & negative) for some, noting, fwiw..
February 21, 2025 rbbm.

https://www.sdcda.org/content/office/newsroom/tempDownloads/75bec742-da77-491d-af19-b1fbcef5c946_Brenda%20Spenser%20Denied%20Parole%20News%20Release%202-21-25.pdf

''On the morning of Monday, January 29, 1979, Spencer began shooting from her house at children waiting for 53-year-old Principal Burton Wragg to open the gates to Grover Cleveland Elementary School. She injured eight children. She began with nine-year-old Cam Miller, since he was wearing Spencer's favorite color, blue.''

 

[Rookie D]

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.

I completely agree

AI is not something that can be relied upon, because it will inevitably amalgamate multiple cases into one.

This has already happened with the incorporation of AI in some of the more historical cold cases from the Victorian era.

AI will no doubt be excellent in some areas, but it can never replace that gut instinct that is essential for every case.

The irony will be that AI will learn to mimic "human error" and that will be catastrophic in terms of then being able to then prove that the AI was wrong.



I also agree that it feels wrong to automatically assume that the killer is already in the case files, because as you rightly say; the man who killed Melanie Road in Bath wasn't in the case files.

The idea that the police believe that the man who killed Melanie Hall is in the case files; combined with her family eluding to the idea that they believe someone knows more than they're letting on, would then suggest that the police likely know who the culprit was, but because of the lack of sufficient evidence, the police can't take it any further until another source comes forward, or they have something more concrete to go on.

After all, it's not about what the police know, it's about what they can prove.

That's more frustrating in a way, because while their belief that the killer is in the case files does help to narrow down the suspect pool, it also significantly hinders the case ever moving forward to a favourable outcome, because there's a likelihood that the killer is someone they've never considered before.

If the police had applied that same logic to the Melanie Road case, they would never have caught their man in Christopher Hampton.

 

[Rookie D]

The fact that Melanie Hall went missing in the early hours of the 9th June 1996, and Melanie Road was murdered in the early hours of the 9th June 1984, may also be a factor to consider.

One would assume that Christopher Hampton; who was convicted of killing Melanie Road, has already been definitively ruled out as the potential killer of Melanie Hall, after she was abducted on the 12 year anniversary of Melanie Road's murder in 1984.

Of course, the idea that the latest comments by DCI Lavender prove that the convicted serial killer Christopher Halliwell STILL hasn't been definitively ruled out as the man who took Melanie Hall's life, then his presence as her potential killer will continue to linger over the case.

 

[rvlvr]

Good video posted yesterday on the Mirror’s YouTube channel about the case

 

[tes1984]

The fact that Melanie Hall went missing in the early hours of the 9th June 1996, and Melanie Road was murdered in the early hours of the 9th June 1984, may also be a factor to consider.

One would assume that Christopher Hampton; who was convicted of killing Melanie Road, has already been definitively ruled out as the potential killer of Melanie Hall, after she was abducted on the 12 year anniversary of Melanie Road's murder in 1984.

Of course, the idea that the latest comments by DCI Lavender prove that the convicted serial killer Christopher Halliwell STILL hasn't been definitively ruled out as the man who took Melanie Hall's life, then his presence as her potential killer will continue to linger over the case.

I'm not sure how they are ruling anyone out, other than by cast iron alibi.

They have the partial DNA profile, but even ruling someone out as the source of the DNA doesn't rule out involvement. Particularly as the police have hinted at more than one perp being involved.

Halliwell is one of many, many possibilities. The region was full of murderers, abductors and highly mobile rapists in the 80s and 90s.

DCI Lavender mentions the possibility of a Bath and Thornbury connection, but then also mentions Halliwell who AFAIK has no link to either area.

Hampton for obvious reasons has ridiculously strong links to Bath. Julie Mackay said Hampton was a member of the snooker club which later became Cadillacs Nightclub.

Marc Shillibier also has confirmed links to Bath, as does the Batman Rapist, who was highly active in Bath in 1996, so it seems strange Halliwell is the one being name checked. Perhaps Hampton/Shillibier/Batman have been ruled out somehow, but I've never seen any confirmation.

 

[Rookie D]

I think that there may be another potential suspect who should also be definitively ruled out.

Allow me to explain

If we look at the e-fit of the man who was seen talking to Melanie, he looks rather tanned.

I suggested that the killer may have had a penchant for silk and chose Melanie because her blue silk dress stood out in the club.


IMO the e-fit looks similar to the serial killer, Steve Wright.

There's a police photo of Steve Wright taken on the 19th December 2006, aged 48. He is looking up and to his right, and interestingly also looks tanned.

When you compare this photo with the e-fit of the man seen talking with Melanie Hall, I believe there is a striking similarity in terms of facial shape, skin tone, same hairline shape, and general countenance features.

Steve Wright would have been 38 when Melanie Hall was murdered.

Of course, he has no known links (?) to the west country, but it is true that he owned a a pub in South London at one time and therefore wasn't based solely in Ipswich.

Now I know that nothing can be discussed at the present time concerning Steve Wright because coincidentally he is about to go to trial after being charged with the alleged murder of Victoria Hall in 1999 after she had just left a nightclub.

I obviously can't talk about THAT case whatsoever.

All I can say is that I do find it interesting that Victoria Hall was wearing a black SILK dress when she was abducted and murdered.

I just wonder whether the murder of Melanie Hall in 1996 and the murder of Victoria Hall in 1999, could have both been at the hands of the same aforementioned killer?

I don't believe I am permitted to upload a photo of Steve Wright, but I would say that if anyone gets a chance to look at the photo I'm referring to (it's a stock image available in the public domain) and then compare it to the e-fit, and then see what you think?

I don't believe that the police do have any DNA profile evidence from the Melanie Hall deposition site, but I may be wrong.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Did Phillip Kurlbaum have an alibi that night or was he ruled out based on the lack of evidence in his car? I think in today's world of phones and tracking etc it is easy to forget how we lived in the 90s - it just seems so absurd that even after a falling out, he would leave her in the club, knowing she had her stuff at his flat. I appreciate he probably feels really guilty about this, and was cleared by police ...

 

[tes1984]

Did Phillip Kurlbaum have an alibi that night or was he ruled out based on the lack of evidence in his car? I think in today's world of phones and tracking etc it is easy to forget how we lived in the 90s - it just seems so absurd that even after a falling out, he would leave her in the club, knowing she had her stuff at his flat. I appreciate he probably feels really guilty about this, and was cleared by police ...

AFAIK he said he went back home, and stayed there until Monday morning, when he went to work. He said he didn't see or speak to anyone on the Sunday.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

AFAIK he said he went back home, and stayed there until Monday morning, when he went to work. He said he didn't see or speak to anyone on the Sunday.

Thanks - I guess we really do need to view this through the 90s lens. He may not have known her landline number, and if they'd had words I guess wouldn't necessarily call. Hopefully fairly solid reasons to rule him out.

 

[Rookie D]

It may also be a case that you can't prove a negative

Another way to look at it would be to say that if Philip went home and then claims he didn't see or speak to anyone, then his story can't be definitively corroborated either.

The point about him not seeing or speaking to anyone works in reverse; i.e. nobody saw or spoke to him either.

That's an alibi that can't be proven as either true or false.

That makes his story either genuine, or convenient

 

[InVinoVeritas]

It may also be a case that you can't prove a negative

Another way to look at it would be to say that if Philip went home and then claims he didn't see or speak to anyone, then his story can't be definitively corroborated either.

The point about him not seeing or speaking to anyone works in reverse; i.e. nobody saw or spoke to him either.

That's an alibi that can't be proven as either true or false.

That makes his story either genuine, or convenient

Yes - absolutely agree.
In terms of leaving the Club - it has been said that Melanie must've known the person she left with, as she wouldn't "usually" have gone off with someone she didn't know. However, this presumably doesn't factor in alcohol consumption. If they were all fairly merry and this led to the dancing with another man and subsequent disagreement, decisions may have been hampered.
Do we think this was planned? That whoever met Melanie that night in the club intended to kill her and was therefore likely to have done this before, or go on to do it again?
Could Melanie have left the club, realised how drunk she was when the fresh air hit, and accepted a lift? Was she upset about Philip leaving, and had she known dancing guy before? Hopefully the other couple they were out with could help with these a little.
The van keys at the site were clearly left accidentally - in a rush?