The holidays have been a difficult time for a Prince Albert family.
This was the first Christmas the Ballantyne celebrated without their son. It's been seven months since Wayne Ballantyne's suspicious death. He was only 13 years old at the time.
His body was found in a burned out car, leaving many questions unanswered. But police say they are close to providing closure in the case.
The family believes Wayne was severely beaten outside a house on River Street in Prince Albert, before being dumped in a car that was then set on fire.
His father Jonas says struggling through the holiday season without his son has brought the raw emotions back to the surface. "It's very difficult for me because I have never been without my son in Christmas."
The Prince Albert Police Service says they have a pretty good idea of what happened that night, but so far they are only calling the death suspicious.
"Knowing something and proving something are two very different things and we need to be very careful that we bring every investigation to its maximum conclusion. And in the case of young Mr. Ballantyne that's the situation we find ourselves in," says Sgt. Kelly McLean.
Jonas says although he will always struggle with the pain surrounding his son's death, finding justice for Wayne will make it easier to deal with. "I would like them to bring themselves into the cops and to me, because I want closure. And you know, it'll be better."
That closure for Jonas and his family could come soon. Sgt. McLean says a major announcement on the case is expected early in the new year.
"We're very confident that we're close to being able to tie that file up and reach our conclusion. However there is one individual that we have yet to talk to in order to be confident we have brought that file to a conclusion," says McLean.
Jonas says seeing justice done in this case is important but he will always be haunted by Wayne's death.
"I dream about him. You know sometimes I think he's here with me. I'd say I love him very much."
