Did rapist and killer of teen Melanie Road 30 years ago also kill Melanie Hall 12 years later?

HE HAS been jailed for the rape and murder of a teen in 1984. But did the killer strike again before finally being caught this year?

Melanie Road was killed by Christopher Hampton in 1984. But did he strike again before finally being caught?

CHILLING similarities between the 1984 murder of Melanie Road and the killing of another young woman exactly 12 years later have been investigated by police.

Christopher Hampton, 64, was jailed for life on Monday for the rape and murder of the 17-year-old after DNA evidence finally nailed him 32 years on.

In June 1996, 25-year-old Melanie Hall was also grabbed off the street and murdered. Her killer has never been caught.

Both victims were grabbed after leaving a Bath nightclub. They shared the same first name and were murdered on the same date, June 9, reports The Sun.

Police have probed the similarities but say as yet there is no evidence to suggest Hampton committed the second murder.

Hampton was caught after his daughter was arrested for criminal damage and gave a DNA sample. It flagged up a “familial link” to DNA Hampton left on the teenager’s body.

Hampton admitted murdering Melanie while on trial at Bristol Crown Court earlier this year.

Justice Andrew Popplewell told Hampton he would serve a minimum of 22 years, adding: “You will very likely die in prison.”

Melanie’s sister Karen summed up her family’s nightmare for the court, saying: “For 32 years I’ve felt as if I’m living in a horror film — one where the perpetrator has not been caught.”

Melanie’s mum Jean Road, 81, said: “He is not a man, he’s a monster. He should be shut up in a dungeon and left to rot.”

Detective Chief Inspector Julie MacKay, who led the original investigation into Hampton, said: “When Hampton was arrested we looked to see if there was any connection through DNA or anything else and could not find anything to connect him to Melanie Hall’s case.

Ex-Scotland Yard detective Colin Sutton believes there are compelling reasons to continue probing for links in the two murders.

Mr Sutton, who nailed serial killer Levi Bellfield, said: “Two such unusual crimes in the same town and in similar circumstances warrants a closer look.”

But the forensic samples in Ms Hall’s case are said to be of poor quality.

Her dad Stephen yesterday said Hampton’s conviction gave him hope his girl’s killer will one day be identified.

He added: “We are very pleased for the Road family and we too want to see someone charged with our Melanie’s murder.

“There was some recovery of partial DNA so we are ever hopeful that, as technology improves, they will develop some way to use that.

“They will eventually get a result, I just hope we are alive to see it. Then we will feel as though we have done all we can do for Melanie.

“But the one thing we want is to have our daughter back and we will never have that.”

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission