It has been another year of pain and uncertainty for a handful of Hunter families living with the unexplained disappearance of a loved one - in some cases it has been decades.
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From Zac Barnes and Jayden Penno-Tompsett to Janine Vaughan and others, the names on the list of the region's missing people mark sad chapters in the Hunter's history.
Across Australia, police have this week been reminding communities that these are more than names and faces - they are people whose families and friends spend their days hoping for answers.
To mark National Missing Persons Week, Lake Macquarie police commander Superintendent Danny Sullivan on Thursday spoke publicly about the ongoing search for Gordana Kotevski, who was abducted at Charlestown more than 25 years ago.
The 16-year-old was bundled into a vehicle at Powell Street about 8.45pm on November 24, 1994, while walking to a relative's house after spending the evening shopping with friends.
Police re-launched an investigation last year into the disappearances of Gordana, Amanda Robinson and Robyn Hickie, who were each last seen at Lake Macquarie.
A team of detectives, under Strike Force Arapaima, is continuing its work.
A light-coloured ute remains of particular interest in Gordana's case.
"We want people to think about the person behind the photograph," Superintendent Sullivan said.
"She was a teenager. She had her whole life ahead of her. There are people in the community who have vital information that could help Strike Force Arapaima detectives solve this case."
Gordana's family had been expected to speak at Belmont Police Station on Thursday, but instead Superintendent Sullivan read a statement from the missing girl's loved ones.
It spoke of the toll the ordeal had taken on Gordana's parents, siblings, extended family and friends as well as the way that milestones - like the recent birth of her nephew - were "a stark reminder of the emptiness felt by her disappearance".
"The passage of time has not made acceptance of the situation any easier," the family said.
"It is unacceptable that for over 25 years, we are still waiting for answers. It is unacceptable that we continue to grieve an ambiguous loss.
"It is unacceptable that the persons responsible can continue to live their lives unaffected by our loss. It is unacceptable that people who know the secrets that can unlock the mystery remain silent.
"No-one should feel this kind of pain."
Police are calling for any information that could help solve one of the many ongoing missing person cases in the Hunter.
Along with Gordana, some of those include Zac Barnes, Dylan Dickie, Jayden Penno-Tompsett, Amanda Robinson, Robyn Hickie, David Webber, Lawrence Anderson, Rhydian Trent Morgan, Leslie Hinton, Janine Vaughan, Christopher Chillingworth, Michael Fowler and Steven Fenwick.
Anyone with information that could help police in the search for a missing person can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, where tips can be passed on to investigators anonymously.
