Chalmers receives life sentence at High Court in Edinburgh
The man who murdered Samantha Wright has today been sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Robert Chalmers (59) was convicted of the murder of 25-year-old Samantha when he appeared at court on May 12, and he returned to court today to receive a life sentence, with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 23 years.
Chalmers was brought to justice after police discovered Samantha’s remains while carrying out a search of his home in Magdalene Drive on November 12th, 2009.
They were led there after detectives discovered CCTV footage that showed Samantha with Chalmers in Edinburgh city centre on June 12, 2008.
It was discovered by detectives who were involved in the search for Samantha, who was reported missing by her family in January 2009. The CCTV footage is the last known sighting of Samantha, and it is believed she was killed shortly afterwards.
Following painstaking investigation, detectives were eventually able to identify the unknown man in the CCTV as Chalmers, leading them to Samantha’s remains, which were found in a wheelie bin.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Thomas said: “The sentence that has been handed down today reflect the wickedness of the crime committed by Robert Chalmers, who by his actions has shown that he is nothing more than a brutal and cold-hearted killer.
“He took the life of a sociable but vulnerable young woman, and nothing can make up for the pain and distress that his actions have caused to Samantha’s family, who have carried themselves with dignity throughout what has been a harrowing ordeal.
“It is my hope that they can draw some comfort from the sentence that has been handed down today.’
