A team of detectives is continuing to work on the case of Victoria Hall's murder after 24 years under the leadership of a new senior investigating officer. 

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Connick is now leading a team of officers as they attempt to crack one of Suffolk's longest unsolved murder cases.

Suffolk police said the officers were making "excellent" progress in the probe to catch Victoria's killer.

Victoria was 17 years old when she was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, September 19, 1999 in High Road, Trimley St Mary. 

Ipswich Star: DCI Matthew Connick, of Suffolk policeDCI Matthew Connick, of Suffolk police (Image: Suffolk police)

She left her home the previous evening to go on a night out with a friend at the Bandbox nightclub in Bent Hill, Felixstowe, where they remained until about 1am on the morning of Sunday, September 19. 

They then went to get some food at the Bodrum Grill in Undercliff Road West, before beginning the walk back to Trimley St Mary.

They parted at about 2.20am near to the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way, mere metres away from Victoria's home. 

When her parents discovered that she had not made it home the next morning, they informed the police and a missing person's investigation was launched. 

Five days later, Victoria's naked body was found in a ditch at the side of a field by a dog walker in Creeting St Peter, which is about 25 miles away from her home. 

In 2001, a Felixstowe businessman stood trial charged with her murder but was unanimously cleared by a jury within 90 minutes.

Operation Avon, the name of the murder case, was reopened by Suffolk police in September 2019 after fresh information had been received that was not previously known.

Now, 24 years on from her murder, a new Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) has taken the lead on the case after the previous SIO retired.

DCI Connick, the new SIO, said: "I have been working on this case for the past three years, so am fully embedded in the inquiry and have been able to seamlessly pick up the baton from my predecessors who had made significant inroads already.

"We remain fully committed to this inquiry; the work being undertaken is extremely time-consuming but absolutely necessary.

“I would like to renew our appeal to anyone with information about Victoria’s murder who has not yet come forward, to do the right thing and contact us. If you have any information - no matter how insignificant this may seem - we want to hear from you. It is never too late.”

DCI Connick is leading a team of 17 officers and police staff who continue to work full-time on the murder case.

It was reported on July 29, 2021 that Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright, who murdered Ipswich women in the final few months of 2006, had been arrested on suspicion of murdering Victoria 22 years prior.

Suffolk police refused to confirm or deny that Wright was the man arrested, but has confirmed that the suspect remains under investigation.