New evidence has emerged that links a notorious Swindon killer to the death of a Wiltshire woman, a newspaper has claimed.
Melanie Hall, a 25-year-old woman from Bradford Leigh near Bradford on Avon, was last seen in the early hours of Sunday, June 9, 1996 at the former Cadillacs nightclub on Walcot Street in Bath.
Her remains were found at the side of the M5 motorway near Thornbury in 2009.
This year, an investigation into Ms Hall’s death has been relaunched as Avon and Somerset Police push for new evidence to come to light.
As reported in the Mirror in January of this year, a pool of under 100 "persons of interest" has been whittled down to less than 20 and officers are re-interviewing alibi witnesses to see if they stand by their stories.
At the time, a detective for Avon and Somerset Police has said the convicted Swindon killer Christopher Halliwell was on this list.
Halliwell, 61, is currently serving a whole life sentence for the murders of Sian O'Callaghan, 22, and Becky Godden Edwards, 20, who were both abducted in vehicles after leaving nightclubs.
Despite confirming Halliwell's presence on the list, DCI Lavender said he would not put the killer above anyone else in the investigation.
Now, national title The Daily Mirror has published a report that the paper claims connects Halliwell more closely to the area during the period in which Ms Hall went missing.
Avon and Somerset Police have downplayed the revelations in The Mirror’s investigation, saying: “It’s not a strong line of enquiry for us at the moment.”
Nevertheless, the national paper has published interviews with former police officers who back the evidence as well as a testimony from a reported former friend of Halliwell.
The Mirror has reported that electoral roll records show Halliwell's sister, Sarah, had been living in the small Gloucestershire town of Dursley for four years when Melanie was murdered.
Moreover, Halliwell’s mother Sofia, and stepfather John lived in neighbouring Nailsworth for 20 years from 1986, the documents reveal.
Former Met Det Chief Insp David McKelvey told the paper its findings are "substantive".
Full access to all of our articles online and on the app, fewer adverts, a better reading experience, exclusive competitions and more - all for less than the price of a cup of coffee. ☕️
Subscribe now! - https://t.co/WMk7dnx2V0 pic.twitter.com/tZ5fiHf9VF— Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) April 13, 2026
Karen Edwards, mother of Halliwell victim Becky Godden-Edwards, is reported to have told The Daily Mirror: "I think it's too much of a coincidence. This is good evidence, this is solid evidence. I think the police know that he's committed a lot more crimes. They need to put all the resources into this and investigate this."
One of Halliwell's former friends has now told the Daily Mirror that they would use the Michaelwood service station, around a mile up the M5 from where Ms Hall’s body was found.
He said: "Chris knew that junction well. In the 1980s we used to go to those services, when he was doing burglaries all over the region. I think his sister lived nearby and his mum as well. Chris knew the roads all round there. And he's got a connection to Bath because he used to rob the auction house there in the 1980s."
Responding to an enquiry about the claims made in The Mirror, a spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “It would be wrong to ignore any previous people who have killed, but there’s nothing in our investigation to suggest Christopher Halliwell is more of a suspect. It’s not a strong line of enquiry for us at the moment.”
The force recently launched a fresh bid to bring in information on the case of Melanie Hall’s death 30 years on from her disappearance from Cadillacs, the focus of the Justice for Melanie campaign.
The campaign is designed to transport people back to June 1996, during the height of Cool Britannia and Euro 96 – to trigger details or memories and encourage people to come forward with information.
The campaign urges anyone who was in Bath that night, or who knows someone who was, to think back to anything they remember, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.
