On 5 October 2009, her partial remains were discovered, after a garbage bag containing human bones was found by a workman on the M5 motorway near Thornbury, South Gloucestershire.

It was determined that Hall had suffered severe fractures to her skull and face, and had been tied up with rope, although a definitive cause of death could not be established.

[4] Hall had arranged to stay with her boyfriend Philip Karlbaum on 8 June and her mother dropped her off at his home.

Hall was reported as having had an argument with Karlbaum, and he left the club "upset" after he allegedly saw her dancing with another man.

[2][13] Hall's parents launched a fresh appeal on 8 October for anyone with information to come forward,[3] while Avon and Somerset CID DS Mike Britton stated that he was staying on after his retirement to continue working on the Hall disappearance, codenamed Operation Denmark, having spent 13 years on the case.

[18] Detectives investigated claims from sources that said that Cannan had spent many hours planning what he described as the "perfect" abduction with a fellow inmate.

[21][22] In 2009, a 37-year-old man confessed his involvement in Hall's murder to police in Greater Manchester, but was eliminated from the inquiry after undergoing psychiatric tests.

[26]In October 2013, police said that they had found a white Volkswagen Golf car connected to their inquiries, and had received relevant information about the rope used to tie up Hall's body.

[29] On 23 June 2016, a 45-year-old man was arrested following retrieval of DNA from where Hall's remains were discovered,[30] and released on bail a few days later.

[17] Police have yet to rule out the suggested links to John Cannan and the murder of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh (who disappeared in July 1986 and whose body has never been found).

[32][33] The unknown assailant is known to have attempted to carjack a woman at knifepoint, leaving her wounded when she fought back and managed to escape, in the same area of the city a few hours before Hall was abducted.