In the nearly six months since Brice Holliman disappeared, his wife says his family has wrestled daily with the question of what happened.

“I think that the family just goes back and forth between frustration that they can’t find him and trying to get some sort of closure for the children,” says Paige Holliman. “His son and his daughter are both torn between wanting to know what happened and not wanting to give up hope.”

Brice Holliman disappeared on the afternoon of April 9 from Graham in Alamance County. His car was later found abandoned just over the Orange County line. Paige and Brice were separated at the time, but she says they were still good friends, working together to raise their six-year-old son.

“He called literally every day. He talked to his son every day, and to me nearly every day. So when he disappeared, after a couple of days, I was really afraid something had happened, because he’s just not the kind of person who just doesn’t keep in touch.”

Brice spent that last afternoon riding four-wheelers with his son, then left to go pick up his car before dinner. Paige recalls she had a plate of meatloaf waiting for him for when he got back. He never returned.

By now, family members fear the worst. Still, Paige says they can’t come to terms with Brice’s loss until they know what happened.

“You finally come to this place where you think that if you find out what happened, it’s not going to be good. For us to think that there’s no justice for him because we can’t even find him, it’s very frustrating. It makes you angry.”

The Orange and Alamance Sheriff’s Offices are investigating his disappearance. Paige says she’s heard rumors that some in his social circle know more than they are telling.

“Some of the things that we’ve heard in the community and from the police are that there are a number of people who are afraid to come forward, who are afraid to talk about what happened. All I can think when I hear that is, how can a person who’s afraid to talk think that they’re safer keeping quiet? The safest thing for everybody, and to let the community heal, is to talk about what happened and put it behind us.”

As the six month anniversary approaches, she hopes the community will reflect on what Brice’s disappearance has meant to those who love him.

“I just want people to understand what a vacuum this has created, what a hole in his family.”

She says until someone comes forward with answers about Brice, the family will continue to struggle with uncertainty, juggling grief and hope each day.

“All of us are kind of stuck in limbo. On his birthday this summer, some friends and close family got together and just kind of paid tribute and remembered him. We remembered what we loved about him, because we can’t have a funeral, we can’t acknowledge that because we don’t know it for sure. What we know in our hearts is different than what we know in our heads, and it really can be hard to reconcile the two.”

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Brice Holliman, Orange County deputies ask you to call 919-644-3050, or contact your local law enforcement agency.

There’s also a Facebook page where you can share support and keep up to date on the family’s search: https://www.facebook.com/bringbricehome