Mother's Christmas plea for news of her son

As the mother of missing man Brett Hall prepares for Christmas without her son she says that she will never give up hope of finding him.

Brett Hall was reported missing on Tuesday, 31 May, having last been seen on his remote lifestyle block off the River Road, Whanganui, and police are treating his disappearance as a homicide.

He would have turned 48 on Sunday (4 December) and with Christmas just around the corner it is a tough time for Mr Hall's family.

"I wished him Happy Birthday, but it's very hard because we don't even have a grave site to go to where we can take flowers and have a chat with him," said Mr Hall's mother Lee.

Lee Hall has had her share of tragedy losing her husband 10 years ago in a work-related accident, and her 19-year-old grandson five years ago in a car accident. In May Brett Hall went missing and then in October this year's Lee's mother died.

No Christmas decorations will be going up in her home this year. Instead the cards Lee was sent when her son went missing are on display along with a yellow ribbon from a friend that is pinned to the front door.

"The cards and the ribbon will stay until Brett is found. I just can't take them down. None of us actually want Christmas this year apart from the children. After my husband was killed it took about four years before I could even put a decoration up; the same after my grandson. I'm just hurting. I just want to find him so that we can have a funeral and closure."

Lee has just one message this Christmas.

"Just tell us where you've buried him, that's all, even anonymously. For God's sake let us have closure, put our minds at rest, because until we get closure I don't think I will be at rest or at peace again; not until we've found him."

Six staff at Whanganui Police continue to work on the disappearance of Brett Hall. A review of extensive searching of his property has been reviewed and further searches have not been ruled out.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Kirby said: "It is a trying and upsetting time for Mr Hall's family leading into Christmas; not having a family member to be part of Christmas. I want to get some closure for the family and we are determined as a team to do that.

"It is a complex investigation, mainly due to the remoteness of the area in which he was last seen. We still value any assistance from members of the public around what has happened to Mr Hall. There is no doubt in our mind that he has been the subject of foul play."

Anyone with information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact the investigation team direct on 0800 PITANGI, email Pitangi@police.govt.nz or text 0272 475843. Alternatively information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.