THE body of a woman found in a garden in Scotland after she had been missing for more than a year was brought back to her hometown of Stevenage today (Wednesday). Samantha Wright, 25, a waitress, moved from Archer Road in Stevenage to Edinburgh five y

THE body of a woman found in a garden in Scotland after she had been missing for more than a year was brought back to her hometown of Stevenage today (Wednesday).

Samantha Wright, 25, a waitress, moved from Archer Road in Stevenage to Edinburgh five years ago, but went missing in June 2008.

As part of an ongoing investigation into her disappearance, police officers began searching an address in Magdalene Drive in the city in October last year.

Miss Wright's remains were found in a 'receptacle' in the back garden.

Miss Wright's parents, Jeremy Wright and Catherine Gibson, both still live in Stevenage.

Mr Wright said: "The long wait is over and at last she is home."

After a long pause, he added: "I'm just numb. I feel like it's only just happened. I feel like I'm back to square one. I'm so distraught again that I can't speak."

Ms Gibson said: "I'm just glad we have got her back and we can finally lay her to rest. It's been six months that we have been waiting.

"We will then have somewhere to visit her. Bless her."

Ms Gibson said her daughter, who worked for a time at Cineworld in Stevenage, was "happy and bubbly and trusting of anybody.

"She was very well liked and everybody who knew her loved her."

Miss Wright's brother, Jeff Slingsby, said: "We feel like we can pay our respects and be with her again."

Miss Wright's funeral will be held at Harwood Park Crematorium on Watton Road in Stevenage at 1.15pm on Thursday, April 1.

The family has said all who knew Miss Wright are welcome to attend.

* In connection with the discovery of Miss Wright's body, Robert Chalmers, 57, from Duddingston, was charged in October with attempting to defeat the ends of justice and is currently awaiting trial.