NEARLY three decades have passed since graduate Melanie Hall vanished while partying at a nightclub with friends back in 1996.
The hospital worker, 25, from Wiltshire, was last seen sitting alone on a stool near the dancefloor in bustling Bath haunt Cadillacs after an argument with her boyfriend.
14
14
14
14
Melanie wouldn’t be found until 2009 when workmen discovered several bin-liners bound together with blue rope, in undergrowth near a slip road for Junction 14 of the M5 motorway, 30 miles away.
Inside the bags were her partial remains including her skull, pelvis and thigh bone – the rest of the uni graduate’s skeleton, her clothes, bank card, chequebook and several pieces of jewellery have never been recovered.
A post-mortem would reveal Melanie suffered blunt trauma to her head, which resulted in a fractured skull, cheekbone and jaw, but what happened in her final moments is unknown.
Since the investigation began, Avon and Somerset Police have trawled nearly 100 hours of CCTV footage, received 1,700 calls from the public, taken 2,000 statements and interviewed at least 11 suspects.
Despite their continued work, cops are yet to find out who is responsible for the killing of Melanie.
A number of theories have emerged since her disappearance – including claims several serial killers, like Levi Bellfield, may have been involved in her death.
Ahead of Channel 5 documentary The Body In The Bag, which reanalyses Melanie’s case, airing tonight, we look at seven unanswered questions from the chilling case.
Was she murdered by a notorious killer?
During the investigation at least 11 people were arrested and questioned by police but no one has faced charges.
Among them were several notable murderers including Christopher Halliwell, who was described as “calculating and devious” when he was handed a whole-life sentence in 2016.
The taxi driver abducted and brutally killed Becky Godden-Edwards, 20, in 2003 and Sian O’Callaghan, 22, in 2011 after they left nightclubs in Swindon.
Both women’s bodies were found in fields. Becky had her head and arms removed before being buried by sicko Halliwell – the disposal of the body is eerily similar to what happened to Melanie.
Retired Detective Superintendent Steve Livings, who led the original investigation into Melanie’s disappearance, raised his suspicions about Halliwell in the documentary Body In The Bag.
He said: “It struck me, this is quite a coincidence. He operated in the Wiltshire area. And it just crossed my mind, I wonder what he was doing in 1996.”
14
14
14
14
It’s also claimed monster Levi Bellfield – who killed three people between 2002 and 2004 including 13-year-old schoolgirl Milly Dowler – was among suspects although his link to the case was unclear.
Psychopathic sex killer John Cannan – who terrorised women in the Eighties – was also in the frame for a short time too despite being in prison at the time serving three life sentences.
His harrowing crimes included murdering Shirley Banks in Bristol in 1987, the rape of his girlfriend, abducting multiple women and committing several sexual offences.
In 2009, Cannan became a person of interest after a witness claimed he could have orchestrated her killing from behind bars.
Look at the anguish the family are facing every single day. Do it for them, come forwards. We can protect you.
Detective Supintendent James Riccio
Similarities were also drawn between Melanie Hall’s case and the murder of Melanie Road, who died 12 years and one day after Ms Hall.
The 17-year-old was raped and knifed to death by Christopher Hampton after leaving a nightclub in Bath – the same city where Melanie Hall vanished.
Hampton was caged in 2019 for the teen’s murder – it’s unknown whether police questioned him, although at the time they were looking into “numerous people of interest”.
Who did Melanie leave the club with?
14
14
Melanie’s disappearance wasn’t reported until two days after she was last seen when she failed to show up for work.
Her parents believed she had spent the weekend with her boyfriend Philip Kurlbaum at his flat in Bath – but unknown to them, the couple had left Cadillacs nightclub separately.
Philip – who was ruled out as a suspect by police – rowed with Melanie that night after spotting her dancing with another man.
The last confirmed sighting was at 1.10am when she was seen sitting alone on a stool near the club’s dancefloor and later one witness claimed to have spotted her with another man.
Police released an e-fit of a white male described as being around 27 years old, of medium build, with dark hair, around 5ft 9in tall, who may have had a gold hooped earring or a flashy gold watch.
Detective Superintendent James Riccio said at the time that he believed Melanie left the club with this individual and he was involved with her killing.
He added: “I believe this male was involved in Melanie’s killing. I believe Melanie knew her killer and I believe that male with Melanie had something to do with her killing.
“I believe she knew him, I believe that was Melanie outside and Melanie left with that individual.
“There’s no evidence of an abduction, no evidence of somebody screaming, hence why I believe Melanie knew the individual and left with him.”
Why dump her body near the M5?
Melanie’s remains were discovered in a field close to the northbound slip road at junction 14 of the M5, near Thornbury, in Gloucestershire.
That’s nearly 30 miles away from where she was last seen at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath – it’s still unclear why that spot was chosen.
Even Det Supt Riccio noted: “It’s quite an odd place to dump a body.”
Due to being such an obscure location, he believes it’s “highly likely” the person was familiar with the area – meaning they may be local to Gloucestershire.
‘I hate not knowing,’ says Melanie Hall’s sister
THE family have waited nearly 30 years for answers – and so far are yet to be put out of their misery.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the sister of Melanie Hall told us that the mystery surrounding the death had caused untold suffering.
Dominique said: “I feel really cross that Mel lost her life and we had ours turned upside down by someone else.
“I wonder if they have any thought or compassion for what they have done, I doubt it.
“I feel incredibly sad for Mel, that she never got to have her life… a career, love, the joy of having children etc.
“I hate not knowing what happened.
“I know she had significant injuries, but I hope and pray that whatever happened it was quick for her, or that there was only one person involved not a gang or something awful like that.
“Obviously, I have no idea what happened to her. All I know is that she was incredibly kind and trusting and I’ve often said that, because of this, she might have trusted the wrong person that night. Almost like her naivety was her own demise.”
In the documentary forensic criminologist Professor Jane Monckton-Smith backed the claim.
She pointed out that the person who dumped the body would “have to know are there any cameras around? What’s the likelihood of a police car, a patrol car, a speed camera, all of these different things”.
Why was the body not found for 13 years?
14
14
Det Supt Riccio has previously emphasized that the person who disposed of Melanie’s body may not have killed her.
The decision to leave her body somewhere so remote, where she would go undiscovered for more than a decade, could also suggest the individual was a professional.
Professor Monckton-Smith said: “What a place to leave a body, in some ways a really good place, because, a slip road, on the motorway, you’re not getting your usual dog walkers and your joggers coming past.
“Which I think is why Melanie’s body lay where it did for so long. It was more than likely a deposition site.
“The murder and murder scene is somewhere else that the police still don’t know. I think that whoever left Melanie’s body, was at least familiar with that area.”
Where is the missing Volkswagen?
In October 2013, four years after Melanie’s remains were discovered, police made what they described as “significant and very interesting” discovery in the case.
They “found and recovered” a white Volkswagen Golf GTI that was examined by forensic scientists.
While their findings were not revealed it seemed to lead to a breakthrough as five months later, in March 2014, police appealed for information about a second car of the same colour, make and model.
They wanted to speak to anyone who owned a vehicle of that description with the registration plate C752 CYE between April and August 1996.
In Bath, there is someone who holds a dark secret.
Det Supt Riccio
The car disappeared from records shortly after Melanie’s disappearance in June and had been linked to the Cardiff and Pentwyn area in Wales.
What happened to the vehicle remains unknown – and it has been suggested the killer or an accomplice may have used it.
Will blue rope help to catch the killer?
14
14
At the crime scene, some of Melanie’s remains were discovered in bin liners that had been bound together with blue polyethylene rope.
In 2019, police confirmed a partial DNA profile had been obtained from the rope, which is likely from the killer or an accomplice who disposed of the body.
Interestingly, there were more details about the rope that could provide insight into the profession of an individual involved in Melanie’s death.
Det Supt James Riccio said: “It’s commercially manufactured rope and commonly used on building sites and for drawing electrical cable through trunking.”
They noted the rope was dirty and not one single length of rope but four pieces that had been tied together.
Det Supt Riccio also revealed there were seven knots in the rope – four to bind the separate pieces together and another three for unknown reasons – which he considered “intriguing”.
Is someone covering for the killer?
The case remains active and Det Supt Riccio, who has spent years investigating it, believes “one small piece of evidence” is all they need.
He said he suspected someone was covering for the killer and held vital information that could crack the case.
Det Supt Riccio said: “In Bath, there is someone who holds a dark secret. Whether that’s whoever killed Melanie or knows who killed Melanie – and we need those people to come forward.
“Somebody killed Melanie, someone disposed of Melanie and that may have been one or two individuals.
“But someone would have said something, someone would have been acting suspiciously, someone would have broken away from their group that evening watching the football and then continued on their own elsewhere.
“Someone may be acting suspiciously every time Melanie’s name is mentioned. Those little snippets are what we need someone to come forwards and tell us.
“I still strongly believe that somebody knows what happened to Melanie and somebody will watch this documentary and look at the anguish the family are facing every single day.
“Do it for them, come forwards. We can protect you, give us that information and we will bring the killer of Melanie Hall to justice.”
If you have any information related to the murder of Melanie Hall, please call 101 and ask to speak to Avon and Somerset Police.
Body In the Bag: The Murder Of Melanie Hall airs at 10pm tonight on Channel 5 or can be streamed now online.
