Susan’s mother Maureen Whiting said following the convictions of killers Steven and Julie Beards: “From the moment Susan was reported missing our lives have been turned upside down. Susan’s death is such a tremendous loss to our family.

“She was just 20 years old, an easy-going, loving young lady, enjoying her life. I know she was loved and will be missed by so many people."

Image source, West Midlands Police

“We would like to thank family, friends, the local community and all the professionals who have supported us over the past months. We will honour her life by the way we continue to live ours."  

Here's more: 

Susan Whiting went missing in August after going to stay with the Beards, which she had done previously.

The couple (pictured) from Bloxwich in Walsall told the student's mother she had left their home safe and well, but the next day police found her body wrapped in a shower curtain under a bed in their house.

Image source, West Midlands Police

Here's more on our breaking story:

A woman has been found guilty of the manslaughter of a student with learning difficulties.

Julie Beards blamed her husband for the murder of her friend, Susan Whiting, 20, who was drugged, raped and killed in August, Leicester Crown Court heard. 

The 36-year-old, who also has learning difficulties, denied being involved in the murder.

Husband Steven Beards was convicted earlier this week of raping and murdering Ms Whiting.

A woman has been found guilty of the manslaughter of her friend whose body was found hidden under the bed of her husband.

Julie Beards was convicted of killing Susan Whiting, a 20-year-old student with learning difficulties, by a majority verdict. Her husband Steven Beards was convicted of the rape and murder of Ms Whiting earlier this week

She was found wrapped in a shower curtain at Mr Beards' home in Bloxwich, Walsall.   

BBC Midlands Today

No more babies will be born at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch if controversial proposals are passed this morning. 

There had been plans to bring back a midwife-led unit to North Worcestershire, but now the £1m cost is seen as unaffordable and unnecessary because Worcester has coped with the extra births.

Campaigners have been fighting to keep maternity services in the town for the past 11 years.   

Ozzy Osbourne is having a Birmingham tram named after him. Here he is in the city centre. 

Today's Birmingham City Council planning meeting is now under way. You can watch proceedings live here, external.

Rob Mayor
Black Country Political Reporter, BBC WM

Sean Coughlan has taken over from Mike Bird as leader of Walsall Council. 

A deal with the Lib Dems ensured the Labour leader had enough votes to wrestle power from the Conservatives for a second term in charge. 

And Councillor Coughlan told us he's aware the slender balance of power could make it difficult to get things done.

HS2's technical director, Giles Thomas, insists the benefits of the project are "wide-ranging" despite transport experts' prediction it would "fail in many of its objectives".

The critical group says the scheme is "over-priced" and will result in higher carbon emissions.

But Mr Thomas says it will  "create a system that will allow so much more capacity" than the conventional network and that cities will be connected "in a far more efficient way". 

Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

HS2 is an over-priced, gold-plated project and will fail in many of its objectives, a group of transport experts has warned.

The academics support high-speed rail overall, but say HS2 is five times more expensive than its French equivalent.

Image source, HS2

They argue that the benefits of HS2 can be achieved much more cheaply, with lower CO2 emissions, and they want their analysis examined by government.

A spokesman for HS2 said options for bringing down costs were being studied.

A heavily-pregnant woman was left in "severe pain" when she was robbed in the Moseley area of Birmingham, police say, external.

Officers have today issued an appeal for witness following the attack in which she was targeted by two men while walking along Queensbridge Road at around 14.55 on 9 May.

One of them snatched a gold necklace from her and shoved her into a wall, causing injury for which she received medical treatment.

Her unborn baby was unharmed.  

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

Here are our top stories on Thursday so far:

- A fresh witness appeal has been launched over the fatal stabbing of a teenager in Smethwick

- Trams running from Birmingham to Wolverhampton have not made a profit in the 17 years since the line opened, accounts seen by the BBC have revealed

- An investigation has been launched into an allegation a senior councillor urged his authority to buy back his mother's previously council-owned home

The family of a teenager who was stabbed to death in Smethwick has released new photographs of the 15-year-old in a bid for more witnesses to come forward.

Jamar Walker was stabbed during what police at the time described as a street "fracas". He was found in Raglan Road in the morning of 20 December 2015 and died later in hospital. Another youth, a 17-year-old,  suffered what police dubbed a "minor stab wound".

Image source, West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said several people had been charged in connection with the fracas but nobody was currently accused of killing Jamar. A 33-year-old man, the force said, was on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of murder, while two 17-year-olds are facing charges of attempted murder in connection with the stab wound suffered by the other victim.  

Jamar’s mum, who has asked not to be named, said: “Jamar’s life was ended in an unimaginably violent manner and no one, let alone a child, deserves to die like that."

BBC Midlands Today

The University of Wolverhampton has been accused by UKIP of "shamelessly manipulating" its students by sending them a list of reasons to remain in the European Union ahead of next month's referendum. 

The email was sent out this week, urging students to take part in the vote and referring to the funding and help that universities receive from the EU. 

The university said the email was designed to encourage students to register to vote but not influence their decision.

Peter Plisner
BBC Midlands Today

Trams running from Birmingham to Wolverhampton have not made a profit in the 17 years since the line opened, accounts seen by the BBC have revealed.

National Express, which runs Midland Metro, has lost about £34m on the route since 1999.

The news comes days before an extension to New Street is set to open.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

An investigation has been launched into an allegation a senior councillor urged his authority to buy back his mother's previously council-owned home.

Sandwell's former housing chief Simon Hackett is also alleged to have indecently exposed himself and asked for a parking ticket for a "relative or close associate" to be cancelled.

Mr Hackett denied the allegations, which he dubbed "completely untrue".

BBC Travel

There is slow traffic on the A5127 Birmingham Road southbound in Sutton Coldfield at the junction with the A453 Jockey Road, drivers are warned.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

I'm back with more news, sport, travel and weather updates on Thursday.

If you see a story you think we should be covering, email us, tweet @bbcwm, external or get in touch on Facebook, external.