Man admits murdering Glasgow woman Tracey Wylde in 1997
- Published
Tracey Wylde was found dead in her home in 1997
A 44-year-old man has admitted murdering a woman in Glasgow more than 20 years ago.
Zhi Min Chen choked Tracey Wylde to death at her flat in Barmulloch in November 1997.
The body of the 21-year-old mother-of-one - who had been working as a prostitute - was found the next day.
Chinese-born Chen had been due to stand trial at the High Court in Glasgow. He will return to the court to be sentenced next month.
Judge Lord Arthurson told the fast food shop owner: "You have been convicted of a murder of a 21-year-old young woman in her own home.
"The only sentence that the court can and will pass is that of life imprisonment."
Cold case review
A large-scale manhunt - initially lasting two-and-a-half years - failed to catch Ms Wylde's killer.
A cold case review in 2013 was also unsuccessful. But Chen was eventually arrested in July last year after being held for an alleged assault in Glasgow's Cowcaddens area.
His DNA matched samples found at the scene of Ms Wylde's murder at time.
Police described Ms Wylde as having a "turbulent background" and said she had been a sex worker in Glasgow at the time of her death.
She had previously been raised by her grandparents before moving into her own flat and giving birth to her daughter in August 1994.
The court heard Ms Wylde had gone into Glasgow city centre on 23 November 1997, and was last spotted on CCTV in the city's red-light area at about 03:20 the next morning.
Prosecutor Steven Borthwick told the court a neighbour heard arguing in Ms Wylde's flat at about 04:40.
Brought to justice
Her body was discovered in the house the following day.
It was not revealed in court how Chen met Ms Wylde.
Following Chen's guilty plea, Det Insp Gordon MacKenzie, of Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team, said: "Today marks the end of a 21-year wait for the family of Tracy Wylde, to see the man responsible for her brutal murder finally brought to justice.
"They never lost faith that this day would come and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the support they have given the inquiry team over the years.
"It is a real shame that Tracey's mother Fay, who died a couple of years ago, is not here to see her daughter's killer held accountable.
"This investigation involved a wide range of officers and detectives due to its scale and longevity and I speak for them all in welcoming today's result, which will hopefully provide a sense of closure to Tracey's family."