Every day for the last five years the mother of missing Palmerston North man Nicholas Pike has thought about her son.
There is no hope the 22-year-old was still alive and police believe he was probably murdered.
However, they said the pain of his disappearance was taking its
toll every day on the family.
"It is greatly affecting their long-term health," said Detective Sergeant Dave Clifford.
"Every day his mother worries and has bouts of depression. She is despondent about the whole thing and it is really getting her down and that has an impact on the family.
"To their credit they are really hanging in there but it must be terribly distressing for them," Mr Clifford said.
Nicholas Pike was last seen in Tauranga in March, 2002.
Earlier this year a $50,000 reward was posted for anyone with information leading to his body or the murderer.
Police said they would consider immunity from prosecution for anyone other than the killer.
The reward had produced no leads, Mr Clifford said.
"It would be nice to find him, just for the family's sake at the very least."
Mr Clifford said Nicholas Pike dabbled in drugs and had a couple of minor convictions but he was not a big player.
"You would not consider him anywhere near being a career criminal or a seriously violent criminal."
Mr Clifford said three people, an 18-year woman and two men, were with Mr Pike in Mt Maunganui on March 15, 2002, before they went to a house in Tauranga. The three were saying little although Mr Clifford said they may not know much.
Some of them were, however, "reasonably skilled" at their criminal trade.
He said the missing man was hanging around with criminals and was probably a "wanabe criminal".
"But it just wasn't in his psyche to be a criminal. He was from a good family with good loving parents and a brother."
Mr Clifford said anyone with information should ring Palmerston North CIB on (06) 351 3852.
The reward was due to expire in a month.
Nicholas Pike was Caucasian, about 1.8m tall, thin with very short hair and a large tattoo of a dog on his back.
- NZPA
