The RCMP say Theresa Ann Gregory, who disappeared from her P.E.I. home in 1982, was probably killed by her husband, Kenny Gregory, who committed suicide 10 years later.

RCMP Sgt. Denis Morin said police chased several tips about Theresa Ann Gregory's whereabouts in the early years of the case. (CBC)

No one has seen Ann Gregory since she disappeared from her home in Bangor, northeast of Charlottetown, in June of that year.

Police called for people to come forward with information about the disappearance this week, and her family hopes to find her remains so that they can give her a proper burial.

"We have nothing to go on," RCMP Sgt. Denis Morin told CBC News on Wednesday.

"She just disappeared on that day."

For years, police treated it as a missing person case. In a 1992 documentary by CBC's The Fifth Estate, RCMP officers said they believed Gregory drove away from her house that day and didn't return.

"There was several sightings everywhere on Mrs. Gregory; that threw us off the lead," said Morin.

"We pursued those leads one by one. Each time we ran into a dead end."

Officially it's still a missing person case because no body has been found. But both police and Gregory's family now believe she is dead. RCMP acknowledge it is probable she was killed by her husband.

"If we happen to find the body of Ann Gregory, I think we can say that Kenny Gregory would have been the main suspect in this case, and the only suspect," Morin said.

Theresa Ann Gregory's husband, Kenny, had a history of violence against her. (CBC)

Kenny Gregory had a reputation of drinking and violence against Ann Gregory. Police tried to get him to take a polygraph test, but it never occurred. Kenny Gregory killed himself in 1992, taking whatever secrets he'd kept about his wife to his grave.

There are five hectares of swamp and woods near the Gregory home. Police searched the area with a dog and ground-penetrating radar, but found only the remains of a small animal.

Patricia MacKinnon, Ann Gregory's daughter, said the family suspects her remains are on a property in the Morell area. She declined to give further details or reveal what led her family to that spot.

Gregory's sister, Cheryl Doherty, said the family is prepared to hire a crew to search the area if the police will not do so.

"If we have to go with shovels and dig for graves ourselves, we're prepared to do that," she said.

MacKinnon and Doherty said they believe someone may have information that will narrow their search, and are appealing for that person to come forward.

"They have no idea how much peace they would give us. It's not going to hurt us to know the truth. It's hurting us because we don't know the truth," said Doherty.

"We're ready to hear whatever it is we have to hear."

Morin said RCMP have checked into plenty of rumours over the years. What they are hoping for now is concrete leads into what happened, information people may have been too afraid to reveal before.

"There was a lot of people afraid of him at that time. He seemed to have a temper, and a drinking problem, too," he said.

People with information are being asked to call RCMP or Crimestoppers. The family says they're not so much interested in finding out who's responsible as in finding her remains, so they can put both her and this piece of their family history to rest.