But 13 years after their 'young, vibrant' girl vanished, Steve and Pat Hall's grief was tempered by the knowledge that she could finally be buried.Melanie, 25, was last seen in June 1996 after apparently arguing with her boyfriend in a nightclub. Despite a huge police operation, no trace of her was ever found.
On Monday, however, a workman found parts of her skeleton hidden in plastic bags as he cleared away undergrowth just a few yards off the northbound slip road at junction 14 of the M5 near Thornbury, Gloucestershire. It was nearly 30 miles from where the psychology graduate was last seen, sitting on a stool in a Bath nightclub.
A total of five bin liners contained or covered her remains, including arm and leg bones and her pelvis and skull. Other parts of her skeleton were found partially buried nearby.
On Wednesday, she was formally identified using dental records but her parents had already been informed. They were shown pictures of a gold patterned ring found on the middle finger of her left hand, her great grandmother's wedding ring. Police say they will be concentrating on the ring in the hope that the killer has left forensic traces.
Yesterday Mrs Hall said the discovery of her daughter's remains had provided a form of relief after 13 years, even though she and her husband had long accepted that Melanie was dead. (Daily Mail)