Disappearance haunts Langley family

Craig Hannon’s son Nicholas was always the first person to get into the Christmas spirit, decorating the house and getting his family in the festive mood.

This year, it was questionable whether the Hannons would celebrate the holidays at all.

“It’s hard — it’s really hard,” Hannon said. “Some days it’s better than others, but you have to keep on keeping on.”

Ten months ago, 19-year-old Nicholas Hannon vanished without a trace.

He was last seen by his brother in the Walnut Grove area of Langley on Feb. 26. The next day, his locked vehicle was found abandoned in the 10400-block McKinnon Crescent, near Derby Reach Regional Park.

According to Hannon, his son wasn’t having any issues and it was out of character for him to leave and not contact his family. The remote area where his vehicle was found was not a place that Nicholas was known to frequent.

Hannon put up countless posters around Langley and even offered a $10,000 reward for his son’s safe return, to no avail.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team took over the file in April and announced at a news conference in August that investigators believe Nicholas Hannon was murdered.

“It’s a mystery,” Hannon said. “It’s very disheartening.”

Hannon said that over the past four months he’s been in touch with investigators every few weeks, but all he’s heard is that the case is still active. He feels that he and his family have done all they can to track down information about what happened to Nicholas.

“I just don’t see what else I can do, other than keep hoping and praying,” Hannon said.

He said he thinks about his son all the time, and anniversaries and special events are particularly difficult, but in the end, he said, if his son were around he would want his family to celebrate Christmas.

“He was right into it,” Hannon said. “Maybe we’ll just do it for him because he’d want it that way.”

• Anyone with information about Nicholas Hannon’s disappearance is asked to call the IHIT tip line at 1-877-551-IHIT (4448) or email ihittipline@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip at solvecrime.ca.

Jennifer Saltman is a Vancouver Province reporter. For more stories from the Province, click here.