Family of Andrew Russell hopeful reward will help bring him home

Mr Russell’s stepmother Sue Wallace, 46, said after years of campaigning for a reward in Andrew's case they were literally speechless when news the State Government was going to offer a reward of $750,000 for the return of Andrew’s remains.

“It’s been a long time coming, but it changes everything.”

“I think now we will see that money is more important then loyalty.

"There would be a lot of them sitting out there with information, and they're druggos, and I think there'll be no loyalty amongst friends or thieves, or whatever you want to call it, now. I think someone's going to come forward and we'll end up finding Andrew's body, I really do."

The reward announcement, made on Friday, comes after years of campaigning by the family to have the reward raised.

The original amount of just $1,000, offered not long after Andrew went missing, was seen as a “sick joke” by the family.

“One thousand dollars, that’s an amount you’d put up for a missing dog, not a person,” Andrew’s dad, Bruce Herbert said.

The stress of the last few years has also taken a toll on the family, not only emotionally, but physically as well, with Bruce’s health declining rapidly.

"Bruce has felt it very much," said Ms Wallace, who is now Bruce's carer.

"When he sees people around town, he's thinking, 'what do you know about my son?' We're running around with bloody murderers, the people who murdered our son," she said.

Although the family ultimately want justice, their first priority is finding Andrew's remains.

"Bruce is really sick at the moment, he's got heart problems, liver problems... he was devastated when Andrew went missing and he just wants Andrew back. If he's got Andrew, then maybe they can get buried together or cremated together and be together again, that's all he wants.”

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information will be treated in confidence.