The mother of a teenage girl has passed away shortly before a notorious criminal is set to face trial for the alleged murder of her daughter. Lorinda Hall, aged 70, peacefully passed away at Ipswich Hospital on December 18. Unfortunately, she never saw justice served for her daughter Victoria, who went missing in 1999 after leaving a nightclub in Felixstowe, Suffolk. Victoria’s body was found five days later in a water-filled ditch 25 miles away near Stowmarket.
The news of Lorinda’s death made headlines, leaving her family waiting for answers for 27 long years. The accused serial killer, Steve Wright, aged 67, was charged with the kidnapping and murder of Victoria in 2024 following a cold case review by the police. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to stand trial at the Old Bailey next month.
Lorinda was laid to rest at the Seven Hills Crematorium near Ipswich last week. A funeral notice described her as a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother to her two grandchildren, who will be deeply missed by her family and friends. In her memory, well-wishers have raised nearly £1,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s charity.
Victoria left her home in Trimley St Mary on the evening of September 18, 1999, for a night out at the Bandbox nightclub in Felixstowe. She was last seen walking home with her friend Gemma Algar, parting ways around 2.20 am on September 19. Tragically, her body was discovered in a ditch in Creeting St Peter five days later, sparking a massive manhunt, media appeals, and a reward offer.
Wright, previously residing on London Road in Ipswich, denied the charges of kidnapping and murdering Victoria. The judge ruled that the jury could be informed about his previous convictions for the murder of five women. His trial is set to commence on February 2 and is expected to last for four weeks.
Wright is currently serving a life sentence for the murders of five women who worked in Ipswich in 2006. He was found guilty of killing Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, and Annette Nicholls before discarding their bodies.