Melanie Hall: Police relaunch appeal into murder of university graduate almost 30 years ago
Police are relaunching an appeal for information about the murder of university graduate Melanie Hall, who disappeared nearly 30 years ago.
Ms Hall was last seen at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath in the early hours of 9 June 1996 following a night out with friends.
Her remains were found by workmen on the M5 motorway more than 13 years later.
Cadillacs nightclub in Bath where Melanie Hall was last seen
Ms Hall’s remains were found by workmen on the M5 motorway in 2009
Detective Superintendent James Riccio, who’s leading the investigation into the murder of the hospital clerical worker, said he is hoping for “one small piece of evidence” to find out what happened to Melanie that night and solve the case.
He said: “We will always be led by the evidence, but based… on the 6,000-plus investigative actions, 2,000 statements, the accounts, the intelligence, the deposition location, I’m of the belief that Melanie did know her killer.”
As part of a public appeal in 1996, authorities released an e-fit of a man spotted inside the nightclub with a woman matching the victim’s description and are urging anyone to come forward if they recognise them.
The e-fit released as part of a public appeal in 1996
“This is still very much a focus of our appeal to the public today and we want to know who this man is,” Det Supt Riccio said.
The force is also keen for information about an unconfirmed sighting of a woman, who potentially matched Ms Hall’s description, engaged in an argument with a man in the Old Orchard area near the Cadillacs nightclub between 1.45am and 2am on the night of her disappearance.
Cadillacs nightclub in Bath
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Detective Superintendent Riccio added: “We suspect that whoever has done this has told someone, and allegiances alter over the decades.
“Someone knows who killed Melanie and someone knows how she ended up at the side of the M5 at junction 14, and these dark secrets need to be brought into the light.
“We have a number of enquiries we’re pursuing. It’s very much an active case, and there may be more related operational activity in the near future.”
Ms Hall’s clothing – a pale blue silk dress, black suede mule shoes, a cream single-breasted long-sleeved jacket and a black satchel-type handbag – have never been found.
Some of her other belongings including a chequebook, bank card, a Next watch, and silver drop earrings are also missing.
Missing clothes, handbag and shoes similar to the ones belonging to Melanie Hall
Earrings similar to the ones belonging to Melanie Hall
Ms Hall’s father Steve, speaking on a Channel 5 documentary, said: “When Melanie was murdered, it wasn’t just one person’s life that was taken, it changed and ruined many lives after.
“Mine, my wife’s, my daughter’s, my mother’s – there’s obviously someone out there, and probably some people out there, who know what happened to Melanie.
“If they felt they could come forward with information which led to us finding out what happened to Melanie, then at least we could feel that we’ve done all we can do for our child.”
Police hope the documentary, The Body In The Bag: The Murder Of Melanie Hall, will spark memories and encourage people to get in touch with any information.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
“It has been a success.”
Just Stop Oil (JSO) insists it’s been “successful” – as its members ceremoniously hang up their orange high-vis vests during a march in central London.
Since the group formed three years ago, it’s drawn attention and criticism for its colourful, controversial protests, which ranged from disrupting sporting events to throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and climbing on gantries over the M25. It sprayed orange paint over Stonehenge, and cost police forces tens of millions of pounds.
Those days are now behind it; to the relief of many.
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As a few hundred activists marched through London on Saturday, blocking roads as they went; taxi drivers blared their horns and football fans shouted abuse from the pavement.
The PA News Agency filmed the moment a white minivan seemed to drive towards a group of protesters blocking the road.
Protesters shouted “I’m being pushed back!” to police, while the driver could be heard shouting “What about my right to get home?” to the officers gathered.
But JSO never set out to be popular. And it believes its tactics – though hated – have been successful; thanks to the new Labour government’s commitment to not issue new oil or gas exploration licences.
That’s why, it says, its ceasing direct action.
JSO hangs up its high-vis jackets in central London on Saturday
A washing line of high-vis jackets signifies JSO’s disbanding
“This moment marks the success of the JSO campaign – our demand was to end new oil and gas licences and that is now government policy.
“As a result of which four billion barrels of oil are being kept under the North Sea. The campaign has reached a natural end.”
Dr Oscar Berglund, senior lecturer in international public and social policy, disagrees that JSO is disappearing because it’s been “successful”.
He told Sky News policing strength and public perception might have more to do with it.
“They have very low levels of popularity. About 17% of the British population are kind of broadly supportive of what Just Stop Oil do. And that’s too low to recruit.
“It’s difficult to recruit members to something that is that unpopular, and then that a lot of people for good reason I think have kind of stopped believing in that kind of disruption as a means to achieve meaningful change.”
Group triggers specific new protest laws
One thing it did change is the law.
Policing commentator Graham Wettone tells us: “Obstruction of the highway, obstruction of rail networks for example, these are specific offences now.
“It’s given the police more tactics, more methods, more offences they can consider, even stopping and searching somebody who may have something to either lock themselves on or glue themselves to something.”
A JSO activist holds a picture of an imprisoned colleague
Emma Smart was held in prison for her activism with both Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
“The high-vis might be going away,” she tells me, “but we aren’t.”
“These people aren’t going anywhere, we are still committed, dedicated, terrified by the failings of this government and governments around the world.”
JSO activists throw orange paint at van Gogh’s sunflowers
Orange smoke set off by JSO protesters at Stonehenge
She hopes for a time of reflection before it returns in a new form but says the need for climate activism is stronger than ever.
She also believes that while most people dislike JSO tactics, it still raises awareness of the cause and might even push people to more moderate campaign groups.
Just Stop Oil came behind other, similarly controversial climate campaign groups like Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, and as it says goodbye, its disruptive methods have been seized upon by other organisations like the Pro-Palestinian Youth Justice.
The infamous Just Stop Oil orange vests might be going away, but the individual activists, their cause and campaign tactics feel here to stay.
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