Melanie Road murder: The 32-year investigation to catch a killer featured on Crimewatch tonight

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For 32 years, Melanie Road’s brutal murderer led a seemingly normal life, hiding a dark secret.

But justice finally caught up with painter and decorator Christopher Hampton earlier this year after DNA evidence helped to snare the killer, who was living a quiet life in Fishponds, Bristol. Tonight the story of the cold case investigation which finally brought Hampton to justice was featured on BBC One’s Crimewatch, showing how detectives did not give up in catching the man who murdered and raped the 17-year-old as she walked home from a Bath nightclub. Earlier this year, the Bristol Post provided extensive coverage into the murder case and its aftermath.

Melanie had been raped, stabbed 26 times and left to die, just a few hundred yards from her family home.

Read more: The full story of how police caught Melanie Road’s murderer and rapist 32 years on2

During the investigation nearly 100 people were arrested on suspicion of her murder, more than 1,000 had their DNA taken and just shy of 1,400 calls were made from the public about the case. But eventually it was a 700-yard trail of blood, the tenacity of a team of detectives and the unconnected arrest of Hampton’s daughter which finally led to him being locked up for life.

Police officers back in 1984 painstakingly swabbed 700 metres of blood spots, which led from St Stephen’s Court, where Melanie’s body was discovered in a trail down steps and onto Camden Crescent.

Read more: Christopher Hampton – t3he Bristol painter and decorator with a normal life, but murderous secret4

DCI Julie MacKay said the “meticulous” investigation at the time showed the killer had a specific blood grouping that just three per cent of the population had. By 1995 and as forensics improved detectives had a full profile of her killer but no one seemed to match with it.

But last year, the daughter of Christopher Hampton, Clare, 44, was over a small domestic incident and was cautioned for the criminal damage of a neckless. She had been born in Bath.

Read more: The mum of murdered Melanie Road says Christoper Hampton is a ‘monster’5

Finally in February this year the match was discovered and so Hampton was swabbed in a car park in South Liberty Lane in Bedminster. He was arrested in July and made a prepared statement merely said: “I did not kill or rape Melanie Road.”

But eventually, on the day his trial was expected to start, pleaded guilty to one of the most horrific crimes Avon and Somerset police had investigated.

Read more: The court case – Christopher Hampton jailed for life for the rape and murder of Melanie Road6

References

1. ^ Comments (0) (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
2. ^ The full story of how police caught Melanie Road’s murderer and rapist 32 years on (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
3. ^ Christopher Hampton – t (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
4. ^ he Bristol painter and decorator with a normal life, but murderous secret (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
5. ^ The mum of murdered Melanie Road says Christoper Hampton is a ‘monster’ (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
6. ^ The court case – Christopher Hampton jailed for life for the rape and murder of Melanie Road (www.bristolpost.co.uk)