On 10 February 1991, fifteen year old Vicky Hamilton left her sister’s house to return home and was never seen again. A massive police hunt was launched and the disappearance became big news in my area; I remember posters were stuck up everywhere and everyone was talking about it. Vicky’s purse was found a few days later in Edinburgh and the police suspected the teenager had run away, especially after receiving various calls from people claiming to have seen her in London. The reports were all investigated but Vicky was never found. Vicky’s mum, adamant her daughter had no reason to run away, appeared on television numerous times pleading for Vicky to come home. Sadly, a broken-hearted Janette died in 1993, never knowing what had happened to her daughter.

Last year, Peter Tobin was arrested for the rape and murder of Polish student, Angelika Kluk, and during the investigation certain evidence came to light and Vicky’s case was re-opened. He was in fact charged with Vicky’s murder even though her body was never found. Over the past few months, police have been searching houses either owned or rented by Tobin and on Monday, a body was found in the garden of a house in Kent. Police believed they had found the body of a missing eighteen year old girl by the name of Dinah McLean but there was uncertainty as the belongings they found were not hers.

This afternoon, it was confirmed the body was Vicky Hamilton. After sixteen years, it looks like Vicky is finally coming home but not in the way her family had hoped. For their sake, I’m glad they finally know what happened to her but it’s all so sad.