Mother of teenager ‘murdered by serial killer Steve Wright’ dies with out realizing who killed her daughter
The mother of a teenager allegedly murdered by a convicted serial killer has died just before the case was due to be heard in court, it has emerged.
Lorinda Hall passed away peacefully in hospital after waiting more than a quarter of a century to find out who killed her daughter, Victoria.
Victoria was 17 when she disappeared on her way home from a nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in the early hours of September 19, 1999.
Her naked body was found in a water-logged ditch five days later.
Steve Wright, who is serving a whole-life sentence, has been charged with the kidnap and murder of the teenager, seven years before his killing spree in Ipswich.
Now 67, he has denied the charges and one of attempting to kidnap another woman in Felixstowe the day before Victoria went missing.
His trial is due to commence at the Old Bailey in London on February 2 and is expected to last four weeks.
Mrs Hall was 70 died last month, according to a death notice published by her family, and the funeral took place at Seven Hills Crematorium on Friday.
Lorinda and Graham Hall, parents of Victoria who was murdered aged 17, and her best friend Gemma Algar, at Norwich Crown Court previously
Her family wrote: ‘Passed away peacefully in Ipswich Hospital on Thursday, 18th December, aged 70 years.
‘Much loved Wife of Graham, Mother of Steven and Victoria and Nanna to Max and Imogen.
‘Lorinda will be greatly missed by all her family and friends.’
They asked for donations to be made to East Anglia Children’s Hospice, whose Royal patron is the Princess of Wales.
Mr Justice Bennathan ruled last Wednesday that a jury can be told about Wright’s past crimes when he stands trial at the Old Bailey on February 2.
Wright was jailed in 2008 for the murders of Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholl.
He dumped his victims’ bodies around Ipswich between October and December 2006.
Victoria, from Trimley St Mary, left home on the evening of September 18 1999 for a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe.
Victoria was 17 when she disappeared on her way home from a nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk, in the early hours of September 19, 1999
Serial killer Steve Wright, 67, denies kidnapping and murdering Victoria, as well as the abduction of another woman the night before the teenager was last seen
The girls left the club at around 1am the following morning and parted ways at around 2.20am, yards from Victoria’s home.
That was the last time she was seen alive.
Her parents awoke in the morning to discover their daughter had not returned home and a missing persons inquiry was launched.
Her body was found five days later in Creeting St Peter, around 25 miles from where she was last seen.
None of her clothing or possessions have ever been found.
Speaking in 2019 about the long wait for justice in Victoria’s case, her father, Graham, said: ‘It’s 20 years, it’s a long while but there’s still hope.’
During a previous hearing in September 2024, Wright denied allegations that he ‘unlawfully and by force or fraud took or carried away Victoria Hall against her will’.
Anneli Alderton, Gemma Adams, Paula Clennell and below Annette Nicholl and Tania Nicol were all killed by Steve Wright
Wright also pleaded not guilty to a charge of murdering Victoria on September 19, 1999, and the attempted kidnap of the second woman.
The defendant appeared in court by videolink from HMP Long Lartin for the pre-trial hearing at the Old Bailey last week.
He was remanded into custody to await his trial.
