Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright displayed his victims’ bodies and got a ‘thrill’ out of police seeing ‘his work,’ crime expert says after he is re-arrested over unsolved murder
Suffolk strangler Steve Wright got a “high” from disposing of his victims’ bodies since the serial killer was re-arrested by police over an unsolved murder more than 20 years ago, according to a true crime expert.
Wright, 65, is serving a life sentence for the murders of five women over six weeks in 2006, for which he was jailed in 2008.
But a killer has been arrested by police for a second time in connection with the unsolved murder of teenager Victoria Hall, whose naked body was found dead 25 miles from her home in 1999 after she disappeared after a night out.
Crime presenter and psychologist Emma Kenny suggested that Wright, who targeted sex workers in his murders, got a “thrill” from shaping the bodies of some of his victims into the shape of a crucifix so they would be discovered by police.
He was the subject of a 2019 episode of the documentary series A Killer in My Family, in which Wright’s father Conrad spoke about his struggle to understand what was going on in his son’s head as he killed five women.
Steve Wright is serving a life sentence for killing five women over six weeks in 2006.
Victoria Hall (pictured) was found dead in 1999 after disappearing at a party. Her naked body was found in a ditch 25 miles from where she was last seen.
TV psychologist and true crime presenter Emma Kenny (pictured) believes Wright got a “high” from displaying the bodies of his victims.
Former QEII steward Wright was jailed for life for the murders of Annette Nicholls, 29, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Tanya Nicholls, 19, with the judge recommending he should never be released.
All five women were sex workers who turned to prostitution to fund their drug habit. Their two bodies were found arranged in the shape of a crucifix.
His DNA was found on the bodies of three women, and fibers from his clothing, car and home were found on all five. All five women gasped.
Presenter Emma Kenny, best known for her role as therapist and agony aunt on ITV’s This Morning, suggested on the program that Wright enjoyed the “drama” of his murders and wanted the police to see his “work”.
However, only two bodies – Anneli Alderton and Annette Nicholls – were laid out in the shape of a crucifix – an attempt, Emma suggested, to throw the police off the scent as they looked for patterns in each of the murders.
In the programme, she said: “Steve Wright decided to position two female bodies in a crucifixion position.
“One was probably to try to throw the police off course because the other bodies were dealt with differently.”
“Secondly, potentially for dramatic effect, because an unusually large number of killers like to leave a certain imprint on their “work.”
“The most important thing is because there was some excitement at the end of creating this body and giving this body a certain look. So he enjoyed his job.”
Judge Mr Gross pointed out the “gruesome” way in which Wright arranged his victim’s two bodies, giving the killer a full life sentence.
Anneli Alderton, 24, was one of Wright’s victims during his six-week killing spree in 2006, targeting sex workers. Her body was found in the shape of a crucifix.
Annette Nicholls was last seen on December 8, 2006 and found four days later – her body was also in the shape of a crucifix.
Tanya Nicol (left) did sex work to fund her heroin addiction. Gemma Adams (right) became Wright’s first victim.
Mother of three Paula Clennell became one of Steve Wright’s victims in the final months of 2006.
The judge added: “You killed them, stripped them and left them…why you did this may never be known.”
Wright’s father Conrad told the program his son’s murders may have been linked to his sexual disorder.
In a previous interview, he told BBC News that he felt a certain amount of guilt over Wright’s crimes, adding that his relationship with his son was “non-existent”.
Conrad then said: “You feel in a sense responsible – you brought the boy to Earth – and if it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t be there, and if he weren’t here, they wouldn’t be killed, would they?
Wright was re-arrested by Suffolk Police earlier this week in connection with the death of 17-year-old Victoria Hall, who was last seen in the early hours of September 19, 1999.
At the time of the murder, Ms. Hall lived half a mile from Wright. The teenager went with a friend to Bandbox nightclub in Bent Hill, Felixstowe.
They then went for a bite to eat at the Bodrum Grill on Undercliffe Road West before heading back to Trimley St Mary.
They separated at about 2.20am near the junction of High Road and Faulkeners Way. Victoria was only a few yards from her house.
Five days later, on Friday 24 September, Victoria’s naked body was found in a ditch next to a field by a dog walker in Creating Lane, Creating St Peter, approximately 25 miles from where she was last seen.
The case was cold until September 2019, when police announced that the case, known as “Operation Avon”, had reopened after new information came to light.
Wright was first arrested in connection with the murder in July 2021 and later released under investigation. He was then rearrested on Wednesday and later released pending further investigation.
In a statement released in September on the 24th anniversary of Ms Hall’s death, senior investigating officer Chief Inspector Matthew Connick said the force remained “fully committed” to finding Ms Hall’s killer.
He added: “If you have any information – no matter how small it may seem – we want to hear from you. It’s never too late.’
The Suffolk Strangler’s sadistic killing spree as he targeted sex workers in a six-week period of terror
Steve Wright’s DNA was found on the victims, and gloves containing his sperm were found near crime scenes.
Wright, a former forklift driver, was jailed for life after being found guilty of killing five prostitutes during a spree that horrified Ipswich.
His victims were 25-year-old Gemma Adams, 19-year-old Tanya Nicol, 24-year-old Anneli Alderton, 24-year-old Paula Clennell and 29-year-old Annette Nicholls.
They were all addicted to drugs and worked as prostitutes to finance their habits.
Their naked and partially decomposed bodies began to be discovered shortly before Christmas 2006.
All were suffocated by strangulation or suffocation, or both.
On December 1, following the disappearance of Miss Nichol and Miss Adams, Wright was stopped by police who saw him driving around the red light district in his car.
The killer picked them up while his girlfriend was working the night shift and strangled them while they were incapacitated by massive doses of heroin.
Their bodies were stripped and dumped in remote rural areas.
Wright had been arrested for stealing from a previous employer, so his DNA was registered with the police.
Police found a DNA match to the women’s bodies, but he will argue in court that it was simply a coincidence, despite admitting he knew all five victims.