On the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of 15-year-old Robert Williams, police are renewing their appeal for information. Despite extensive enquiries and numerous appeals for information over the past two decades, officers have been unable to find him.
Robert was aged 15 when he went missing from his home in Resolven, Neath, on March 22, 2002.
South Wales Police believe the local communities of Resolven and Aberdulais hold key information that might help them understand what happened to Robert and could help provide his family with much needed closure.
Read more: The missing people in Wales who have never been found
That night in 2002, when Robert failed to return home, there was a frantic search of the streets around Resolven to find him. You can read more stories about Resolven here. But as more days passed the family began to fear the worst. Rumours of sightings of Robert would reach the family, prompting them to search those areas.
Speaking to BBC's Crimewatch Live last year, Robert's mother, Cheryl Davies said: "He was a character, he always made you laugh. He loved his sport; he was never without a ball, a rugby ball or a football, he just loved everything about it. The morning Robert went missing was just like any other morning. He said, 'I am off out mam, see you later' and he looked so happy going around the corner. Just every day I think about that because that is the last time I have ever seen him.
"I never did see him. I never could find him. I still have to look out the window of my home, it is like a comfort for me. Every night I still look, every morning I look. It is just something I feel I have to do. We know Robert is no longer here any more, and we accept that, we have no choice. There is not a day goes by when I do not think about him".
"I know somebody out there knows something," said Cheryl. "Somebody was the last person to see my son alive. It is all we want as a family is to fetch him home and lay my son to rest like any other parent would, where you have somewhere to go to grieve and you know where they are.
"The slightest thing that you might think is not important might be really important to us. I would just ask them to come forward. Please just help me fetch my son home and give him the burial he deserves".
On the 20th anniversary of Robert's disappearance, Detective Inspector David Butt said: “All outstanding missing person cases remain open and are revisited periodically in case new evidence comes to light. We remain committed to finding out what happened to Robert. I believe that the local communities of Resolven and Aberdulais hold key information that might help us understand what happened to him.
“It may seem challenging to recall details from 20 years ago, but no matter how small or insignificant you think the information you hold is, it could prove vital to our investigation and could help provide Robert’s family with much needed closure. 20 years without answers has been agony for them – please if you hold information, it is not too late to do the right thing after all this time and come forward." You can get more local news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Anyone with information should contact police and quote occurrence 62070210819.
People can contact South Wales Police
• By sending a private message on Facebook/Twitter
• Via email at: PublicServiceCentre@south-wales.police.uk
• By reporting to South Wales Police's website here.
• By phoning 101
• Or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously via 0800 555 111.
