Family of murdered Melanie Hall ‘eternally optimistic’ killer will be found

The father of murdered Melanie Hall has said they remain “eternally optimistic” that her killer will be found.

Steve Hall was speaking on the 10th anniversary of his daughter’s remains being discovered next to an M5 sliproad.

She was last seen sitting on a stool in Cadillacs nightclub in Bath at 1.10am on June 9 in 1996.

Mr Hall described how Avon and Somerset Police had “poured endless resources” into their attempts to find her killer.

“Sadly, as yet, this objective remains unfulfilled, although I and my family remain eternally optimistic that, eventually they will be successful,” Mr Hall said.

He told how the family of his daughter’s killer possibly lived close to his own family, but they were “worlds apart”.

Mr Hall said the killer’s family lacked “the moral fibre that binds the majority of our human race together”.

“In our family we will forever grieve for, and miss our lovely daughter,” he said.

“A young woman whose life stretched before her until that fateful night in June 1996, when that life was so cruelly snatched from her.

“She will never fulfil her life’s ambitions, never marry, never have children and my wife and I will never have another grandchild.

“Her mother’s lasting memory of her youngest daughter is the day she viewed a battered skull and a few broken bones in the coroner’s office at Portishead.”

Mr Hall said the family had “little hope” that the person who murdered his daughter would be caught as a result of information from a member of the public.

“We are sure that, after all these years they will happily take their awful secret to the grave as we will do the same with our grief,” he said.

“For the sake of all those in the Avon and Somerset Police, I hope they are successful in bringing someone to justice, for they have really put up a maximum effort to find Melanie’s killer.

“Unfortunately, should they be successful, this will not bring closure, as only the return of Melanie alive will achieve that, and that is gone forever.”

Mr Hall said he was often asked what he would like to see happen to the person or people responsible for his daughter’s death.

“Quite simply, nothing that the judiciary system can do will bring Melanie back and my real thoughts towards her killer are totally unprintable,” he concluded.