Family of missing Nova Scotia man 'looking for a Christmas miracle'

The family of a missing Colchester County, N.S., man issued an emotional plea Thursday for anyone with information about his disappearance to come forward. 

Peter Anthony (Tony) Walsh was reported missing on Aug. 28, 2019, a few days after he was last spotted in Truro.

In a video statement posted to RCMP Nova Scotia's social media, Walsh's mother, Susan Robben, said she and her family are "looking for a Christmas miracle."

"Tony is a son, brother, father, uncle and friend to many, and we all miss him dearly," said Robben.

"Tony's daughter is looking to have her dad come home for Christmas and cook her supper. That's all she's asking for."

According to the RCMP, Walsh was last seen on Aug. 23 getting into a truck in Truro. His family later recovered his vehicle, a 1999 Chrysler Sebring, in the parking lot of a Truro business.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Jennifer Clarke said police have received multiple tips from the public, but they still need more information. 

"We have received some information from people, which we absolutely appreciate," she said. 

"However, we know that there are people out there who know what happened to Tony."

She said the RCMP have used specialized teams in their search for Walsh, including police dog services, Colchester's major crimes unit and underwater recovery teams. 

Clarke said police searched "a smaller body of water" in the Debert area on at least two occasions since Walsh went missing.

"I can't speak to what information exactly came from those searches, but given the fact that we're doing a video appeal, we're still looking for information from the public about what happened to Tony," she said.

The RCMP posted a public video appeal from Walsh's family in December. Clarke said the move is unusual for Nova Scotia RCMP, but she said it's something they intend to do more in the future.

"We just find that it helps people to understand that there's family out there that is upset and they're worried about their loved one," she said. 

"We're just trying to be innovative and do as much as we can to help them get some answers."

Update, Jan. 20, 2020: The RCMP removed the appeal video after announcing they believed Walsh was the victim of a homicide.

Walsh, 35, is described as white, five feet nine inches tall, 180 pounds and bald. He has several tattoos, including a distinctive one of a diamond on his face under his right eye. He was last seen wearing brown work pants, a white T-shirt with black lettering and brown work boots.

Anyone with information about Walsh is asked to contact Colchester District RCMP or Crime Stoppers.