Source: Western Advocate
IT’S been five years since Bruce Herbert thanked his son Andrew Russell for his birthday present and said he’d “catch him later”.
Little did he know it would be the last time he’d see Andrew, who vanished in June 2009.
Two men have since been charged in relation to Andrew’s disappearance – Tony Simmons was charged with murder and Kieran Moore as an accessory after the fact – and both men will stand trial in February next year after pleading not guilty to the charges.
Sadly for his Andrew’s family, though, his body has yet to be found.
As the fifth anniversary of his disappearance rolls around, Bruce and his partner, Suzanne Wallace, are again appealing to anyone who may know anything about Andrew’s alleged murder, specifically the location of his body to contact police.
Both Suzanne and Bruce know that in terms of missing people they are lucky in that Andrew’s matter is before the court, something some families only dream of.
But they said they will never have closure until Andrew’s remains are laid to rest.
“Bruce knows Andrew’s gone but he’s still waiting for his son to come home,” Suzanne said this week.
Suzanne said the Bathurst detectives involved in the investigation had worked hard for the family, and for Andrew.
“But regardless of what happens [in court], without Andrew’s body, I don’t think we will ever get closure,” she said. “We can’t move forward.”
The fact Andrew went missing on June 2 – Bruce’s birthday – makes the anniversary even harder.
“Every year when the day comes around we don’t know what to do, we don’t know what to say. We should be celebrating Bruce’s birthday but we just can’t,” Suzanne said.
Bruce said his birthday would always be tinged with sadness.
“It’s the last day I got to see him,” he said.
Both Bruce and Suzanne believe there are people in Bathurst who know where Andrew’s remains are.
“Please if you know something, just make that call. Let us bury our boy.”
They recalled Andrew as a kind and loving son.
“He would never hurt anyone,” Bruce said.
“If anyone knows anything, please come forward and help us.”