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Detective Admits Failures in Vicky Hall Cold Case
10 Feb
Summary
- Retired detective superintendent Roy Lambert led the original botched investigation.
- Detectives dismissed a key witness's attempted abduction report as trivial.
- Modern DNA techniques finally linked Steve Wright to Vicky Hall's murder.
Steve Wright, convicted of the 1999 murder of teenager Vicky Hall, was finally jailed for life with a minimum 40-year term. The original investigation was led by retired Detective Superintendent Roy Lambert, whose team made several critical errors. These included dismissing Emily Doherty's report of an attempted abduction, where she provided a partial car number plate, as the statement of a 'silly little girl.'
Just 24 hours after Ms. Doherty's encounter, Vicky Hall was abducted while walking home. Wright remained at large for seven more years, during which he murdered five prostitutes in Ipswich. Suffolk Constabulary has now admitted that the line of inquiry concerning Ms. Doherty's attempted kidnapping "could have been more prominent." Despite this, the force has refused to commit to an inquiry into the original investigation's failings.
Lambert stated he was pleased with the conviction, highlighting the importance of cold case reviews and technological advancements. However, he declined to comment on whether lessons had been learned or if Wright's continued freedom led to other victims. Wright's ex-wife criticized the original investigation, suggesting lives could have been saved. Modern DNA techniques were instrumental in linking Wright to Vicky Hall's murder during a recent cold case review, leading to his charge in 2024.
