The room went quiet as Aamer Anwar led Margaret Caldwell into the packed press conference at the lawyer's Glasgow offices, which was arranged quickly following a meeting with police this morning.
Dressed in pink, she sat quietly, the resemblance to her daughter Emma strong, as Mr Anwar read a statement, confirming that police had arrested a 49-year-old man in connection with her death.
The development comes 18 years after her body was discovered woods in Roberton, near Biggar, South Lanarkshire, in May 8, 2005.
It remains one of Scotland's most high-profile unsolved cases.
Ms Caldwell, who was 27 at the time, was last seen between 12.30am and 1.30am on April 5, 2005, on London Road, Glasgow and was reported missing by her family on April 10.
She had been a sex worker in Glasgow's red-light district when she disappeared on April 4.
The case was reopened in 2015 following consideration by senior lawyers in the Crown Office and tireless campaigning by Emma's mother, Margaret Caldwell.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie, praised Mrs Caldwell's "incredible resilience" as he urged the media and public not to jeopardise the live investigation.
He said: "Police Scotland officers have undertaken a significant amount of work re-investigating all the circumstances surrounding Emma’s death following instruction from the Lord Advocate in 2015.
"This is a complex and challenging investigation and I would like to thank everyone involved for their efforts in getting us to this point of a man being arrested earlier today.
“Emma’s family, in particular her mother Margaret, have shown incredible resilience and determination since her death in 2005 and I would like to pay tribute to that today.
"We have remained in close contact with them during this investigation and officers have updated Margaret on this significant development.
“The investigation into Emma’s death continues and I would urge anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant they might think it is, to please come forward and speak to us.
“As legal proceedings are now live we are unable to comment further.”
Mr Anwar also paid tribute to a mother "who through the love of a child has never given up in her struggle for justice".
He said Mrs Caldwell was advised of the arrest this morning.
READ MORE: Man arrested in connection with death of Emma Caldwell
He said: "Margaret and her family are truly grateful to the detectives at Police Scotland and the Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain's team who have worked tirelessly in re-investigating the murder of Emma since we met with the then Lord Advocate in 2015.
"I also wish to pay tribute to Margaret Caldwell, a mother who through the love of a child has never given up in her struggle for justice.
"The investigation into Emma's death continues and her family would urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they might think it is, to please come forward and speak to Police Scotland.
"I would ask that Margaret's privacy and that of her family is respected. As proceedings are now live it would be inappropriate to comment further other than to state that nothing should be done to interfere with the administration of justice."
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