A MAN has denied kidnapping and murdering a teen girl – 24 years after she was found dead in a ditch.
Victoria Hall, 17, was last seen on September 19, 1999, after a night out with pals at a club in Felixstowe, Suffolk.
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Her her body was discovered five days later in a water-filled ditch 25 miles away near Stowmarket.
Steve Wright appeared at Ipswich Crown Court today where he denied murdering Victoria on September 19, 1999.
The 66-year-old also denied kidnapping the teen as he entered his pleas via videolink.
That charge alleges he “unlawfully and by force or fraud took or carried away Victoria Hall against her will”.
Wright is also accused of of the attempted kidnap of a 22-year-old woman the night before Victoria’s disappearance.
He did not enter a plea for that charge and was remanded into custody ahead of a hearing on December 2.
A provisional trial set to last four weeks was scheduled for February 2, 2026, at the Old Bailey.
Victoria was walking home from the Bandbox nightclub with best friend Gemma Algar in the early hours of the morning when she vanished.
The pair had stopped at a takeaway before saying goodbye at 2.30am just 300 yards from Victoria’s home.
Her parents woke up the next morning and realised Victoria had not come home – and alerted the police.
Tragically Victoria’s body was discovered on September 24.
Suffolk Police reopened its investigation in 2019 after receiving fresh information, which it would not expand upon.