'Not knowing about Rory is torture' - York parents' ordeal

His mum Liz described the daily wondering what has happened to her son.

“If somebody passes away, then you know where they are, and you’re not in limbo. Not knowing about Rory is torture, absolute torture.”

Both Rory's parents believe he is still alive, although the police think he fell into the River Ouse, which was in flood, sometime on the night of 19th/20th November 2015.

Both parents - Liz Johnson and Doug Hatfield - talked to YorkMix Radio as they do every year, and Minster FM before that, in the hope that someone in the city, or indeed anywhere, will come up with that vital bit of information that helps them find out what happened.

The interviews have been made available to other local media, including The Press.

The last image taken of Rory Johnson Hatfield was a CCTV shot of him at 12.47am on Friday 20 November 2015, in the City Mills area of York.

Liz and Doug live separate lives now having split up before he went missing.

They remained good friends and are united in their fight to find out the truth.

Doug told YorkMix Radio that he thinks Rory may have wanted to make a fresh start and Liz says looking back at the weeks before that night in November he looked troubled when she looks again at the photos taken at the time.

Liz said: “He is my first thought when I wake up, and the last thought before I go to bed.

“I think well it wasn’t today, but it could be tomorrow and that’s really what keeps me going.

“That and the fact that I’ve never ever thought that Rory went in the river. And I do believe he's out there somewhere.”

Rory Johnson-Hatfield (Image: Supplied)

Doug agrees: “It wasn’t unusual for Rory to go to York on a night out, but this particular weekend, he went with pals, and was last seen by the river.

“That was the last sighting of Rory, eight years ago, and he’s never been seen since or heard from whatsoever, or any leads whatsoever.

“Now, he was last seen near the river. But that doesn’t mean he was in the river. It was searched extensively and nothing was ever found.”

“Rory was 29. It’s a difficult age, late 20s coming up to 30. I know for the last 12 months or so he hadn’t been particularly happy with his work and his career.

“He was, you know, I think the age that you do look to reflect on where you’re going and where you’ve been. I think Rory was doing that, and I think he’s probably just turned around and said, You know, I could do with a fresh start somewhere.

“That’s what we’re looking for. We’re looking for Rory starting a new life somewhere, and just letting us know that really he is okay.”

Liz said emotionally it was a real torture and a torment not knowing.

Rory Johnson-Hatfield (Image: Supplied)

She fights to keep going sometimes but has the support of the wider family and her good friends.

“We don’t care what he’s done, we just want him home. We can deal with anything," she said.

“It’s just this eight years and where is he?

“Rory is always there in the back of mind all day. It just doesn’t go away. You don’t have a child for 29 years and not feel the loss daily.

“I saw Rory the day before his birthday and he was here for the weekend and everything was fine.

“I never suspected that it wasn’t all right. Or there was anything going on in his life.

But then when Doug and I looked through some of the photographs, He does look troubled.”

His father Doug has this message to Rory: “Let us know that everything’s okay son, because your family is struggling (Rory has brothers and sisters too).

“There’s a big cloud that hangs over this family. There were seven of us and now six of us and you are sorely missed.

“So please get in touch. You know, you don’t need to change your life back to what it was before but just get in touch and let us know you are Okay.

“All right? So lots of love, son.”

If you have any information about this case contact North Yorkshire Police.