True Crime Collection

Melanie Hall

Melanie Hall was born 20th August 1970. Melanie was described by her parents as a "young, vibrant daughter". She had graduated from the University of Bath in 1995; Melanie's mother, Pat Hall, said graduation had been a "cherished" dream of Melanie's for 4 years. Melanie Hall worked as a clerical officer at Bath's Royal United Hospital. Her father, Stephen Hall, has served Bath City Football Club as a chairman. 

Melanie had arranged to stay with her boyfriend Philip Karlbaum on 8th June and her mother dropped her off at his home. On the night of 8th June 1996 Melanie went to Cadillacs nightclub in Bath with Philip and another couple. Melanie was reported as having had an argument with Philip, and he left the club "upset" after he allegedly saw her dancing with another man. Melanie was last seen sitting on a stool in the club at around 1:10am on 9th June 1996. She was reported missing on 11th June 1996 by her parents after the failed to turn up for work. 

Philip described his devastation at her disappearance on 17th June 1996. Avon and Somerset police launched several searches of the River Avon after her disappearance and interviewed thousands of clubbers and taxi drivers. A £10,000 reward was offered for information, the BBC show Crimewatch and Crimestoppers both made appeals to the public for information, as did Melanie's sister Dominique, but no trace of Melanie was found. 

Melanie was declared legally dead on 17th November 2004. 

On 5th October 2009, a motorway worker found a plastic bin bag containing bones while he was clearing a vegetation patch on a slip road at Junction 14 of the M5 motorway. The bones in the bag included a skull, pelvis and thigh bone and further remains were found buried and spread around the field by the side of the motorway. Police confirmed that the remains were human, and they showed a piece of jewellery found at the site to Mr and Mrs Hall, who confirmed that it had belonged to their daughter. Despite this, police refused to confirm that the body was that of  Melanie until a post mortem had been carried out. The remains were formally identified as being Melanie's through dental records on 7th October. She had incurred severe blunt trauma to her head resulting in a fractured skull, cheekbone and jaw. Melanie had also been tied up with a blue rope.

Melanie's parents launched a fresh appeal on 8th October for anyone with information to come forward, while Avon and Somerset CID DS Mike Britton states that he was staying on after his retirement to continue working on the Melanie Hall disappearance, codenamed Operation Denmark, having spent 13 years on the case. On 29th October 2009, police announced that three keys to a Ford vehicle, possibly a Transit, Fiesta or Escort has been found near the body, and that they were working with Ford to try identify the vehicle. Crimewatch also launched a fresh appeal for information, which resulted in more than 200 phone calls from the public. The reward for information leading to arrest was also increased to £20,000. 

In October 2019, police revealed they had obtained a partial DNA profile from the rope wrapped around the bag containing Melanie's remains and stated that they remained confident that Melanie's killer would be caught. Her parents reinstated a £50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

In 2003, police arrested two men in connection with Melanie's disappearance but they were released without charge after police searched buildings and a field near Bath. In 2009, a 37 year old man confessed his involvement in Melanie's murder to police in Greater Manchester, but was eliminated from the inquiry after undergoing psychiatric tests. In July 2010, a 38 year old man from Bath was arrested on suspicion of Melanie's murder and subsequently released on bail. In August 2010, a 39 year old man from Wiltshire was arrested by police on suspicion of murder after handing himself in at a police station in the Avon and Somerset area. The man was subsequently released on bail. 

In October 2013, police said that they had found a white Volkswagen Golf car connected to their inquiries, and had received relevant information about the rope used to tie up Melanie's body. On 25th November 2013, it was reported that a 44 year old man had been arrested at an address in Bath, on suspicion of murder. The man was released on bail until 19th December, and a property at Roundhill Park, Whiteway, was searched. On 28th November 2014 it was reported that there was insufficient evidence to charge the suspect. On 23rd June 2016, a 45 year old man was arrested following retrieval of DNA from where Melanie's remains were discovered, and released on bail a few days later.

By October 2019, 11 arrests had been made during the police investigation but no one has ever been charged.

Police have not ruled out links with the murder of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh (who disappeared in July 1986 and whose body has never been found) and the case of a serial sex attacker in Bath, nicknamed the "Batman rapist" after he left a baseball cap bearing a Batman logo at the scene of one attack. The unknown assailant is known to have attempted to carjack a woman at knifepoint, leaving her wounded when she fought back and managed to escape, in the same area of the city a few hours before Melanie was abducted. It has also been suggested that there may be a link between Melanie's murder and Levi Bellfield, who is serving life imprisonment with a whole life order for 3 murders committed between 2002 and 2004. A suggested link with convicted killer Christopher Halliwell, who is serving a life sentence with a whole life order for the murders of Sian O'Callaghan and Becky Godden-Edwards, has been ruled out by Avon and Somerset Police.