The discovery of human remains on a field near Wisbech have raised hopes that they could provide a breakthrough in an unsolved 2007 murder investigation.
The body of Terry McSpadden has never been found but police believe the then 24-year-old was killed 18 years ago.
The father-of-two vanished after a night out at the Locomotive pub in Wisbech, around a mile from the field over the county border in Walton Highway where human bones were discovered on Sunday.
The last sighting of him was in the early hours of March 2, 2007, after he had left the pub, withdrawing money at a cashpoint and buying goods at a nearby Tesco.
He was last placed by an electronic tag he had been wearing at an address on Outwell Road, at nearby Elm, at 8.43am the same morning where he was staying with a friend.
A man was charged with his murder in 2012, but the case was dismissed after a judge who stated there was insufficient evidence to proceed to trial.
Earlier this year, Mr McSpadden's children spoke of how they were still looking for closure.
His daughter Kayce Burton said she only had one vivid memory of her father, bathing and splashing her with water.
"I just feel like it's time someone came forward and actually told the truth and gave us answers," she said.
"It's a life-changing thing for anybody, but growing up, I really do want more answers now."
Mr McSpadden, who had been working as a window fitter at the time of his disappearance, had doted on his children, who were aged four and 18 months at the time.
His mother Helen Thrower, said: "You're stuck in limbo all the time because you don't know where he is, what happened to him, why it happened and it's just horrendous."
Norfolk police also launched a fresh appeal for information earlier this year.
Andy Guy, the force’s cold case manager, said: “Terry’s family including his mother and two children have never had closure. They have no idea of where he is, what happened to him, or why.
"I understand that people may not have wished to engage with the police in 2007 but having knowledge of what happened to Terry may lay heavy on someone’s conscience and for Terry, his mother, and children, now would be the time to disclose that information.
“As with all cold cases we remain open to new leads and information. Even the smallest piece of information could be significant in helping to understand the events that led to Terry’s disappearance."
He said knowing whether it had been sold on or disposed of could help detectives build a picture of the circumstances surrounding Mr McFadden's disappearance.
He added: "Terry was an attentive and loving father which makes any hypothesis that he simply upped and left the area all the more unlikely and there has been no proof of life after March 2, 2007.
Police are ruling nothing in or out. The families of missing persons are routinely contacted by officers to keep them informed of possible developments.
So far, it remains to be seen whether the discovery of human remains in a field on Sunday will give Mr McSpadden's loved ones the closure they have been craving for almost 20 years - or lead detectives to his killer.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Norfolk Police quoting crime reference 36/39431/16 via any of the following channels:
Website: https://www.norfolk.police.uk/tell-us
Phone: 01953 423819
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