Body found in Mexico is thought to be missing Scot

Published on Friday 24 July 2009 22:10

HUMAN remains have been found near a hotel resort in Mexico where a Scottish great-grandmother went missing more than a month ago.

Julia Howard, 78, from Edinburgh, disappeared on 16 June, 12 hours after arriving at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun which she knew well.

Bones, clothing and jewellery were discovered on Wednesday evening and reported to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Thursday. Police then informed Mrs Hamilton's family in Edinburgh.

Her daughter, Julia Brock said last night: "I'm dazed and it's a total nightmare. We're going out on Monday to formally identify the body.

"They said they think it is her but we are getting a huge amount of conflicting news. Although my brother thought it would be bad news, I was kind of hoping she was still alive. The rest of the family say at least we can bring her home now."

Ms Brock said reports her mother had dementia were untrue. She said: "She never went out of the complex, she rarely even went further than five minutes from the pool."

It is understood the remains were discovered just over a mile into the jungle, which is nearly two miles from the hotel.

"To say she walked three miles and in the wrong direction is just ludicrous, she just wouldn't," said Ms Brock.

"We can't prove it, but we know she was not capable of that. We've got to try to find out what happened to her," she said.

The Por Esto newspaper in Mexico reported that private security guards found items including a metal prosthetic hip, which the paper said officials linked to Mrs Howard.

Thomas Cook has arranged to fly the family to the resort, including Mrs Howard's son, Ron, who lives in the Philippines.

On 16 June, Mrs Howard disappeared after telling her family, who were sunbathing by a pool, that she was going to fetch a sun hat and go for a walk. It was the fifth year she had stayed at the resort, although her family said earlier this month they nearly cancelled the trip because of concerns over swine flu.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "The authorities in Cancun have alerted us that a body has been found." They added that no further information was expected before Monday.