Calgary police say they have located the body of a small boy which they believe to be that of missing 11-year-old Parker.
Police have described Parker as “neurodivergent and non-verbal,” and said his body was found July 28 inside a small drainage pipe on the east side of Deerfoot Trail in north Calgary.
“Today is an incredibly difficult day. It is with profound sadness that I can confirm that we have found the body of a small child, which we believe to be Parker,” Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan said.
“Our thoughts are with Parker’s family, loved ones, friends, and everyone who has been affected by this tragedy,” she added.
Parker went missing July 16 from his home-based daycare in northwest Calgary, sparking a massive search involving authorities and thousands of volunteers from the community. An Amber Alert was issued on July 18 and expired July 26, with police ending the widespread ground search efforts on July 27.
Police said they do not suspect foul play and believe Parker left the day home on his own walking through several Calgary neighbourhoods and eventually going into a culvert and ending up in a network of drainage tunnels that go underneath Deerfoot Trail.
“Based on the information that we have and the point last seen, we still have no information that leads to any element of wrongdoing, but we remain open to that,” said Inspector Lee Wayne of the Calgary Police Service’s Missing Persons Team.
Police say they received information from a member of the public who had found evidence that was “consistent with the clothing Parker was last known to be wearing.”
Personnel then went to the area and the Calgary Fire Department assisted in entering the drainage system where they located the body of the deceased child.
“His body was found in a small pipe on the east side of Deerfoot Trail. The Calgary Fire Department required specialized equipment to enter the tunnel system, as the conditions were extremely unsafe,” McLellan said, noting that Parker’s shoes appeared to have come off at some point and been washed out of the culvert.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he is “heartbroken” by the news.
“On behalf of the people of Calgary, I extend my deepest condolences to Parker’s family, friends, loved ones, classmates, and everyone whose lives were touched by this unimaginable loss,” he said.
“For nearly two weeks, our community rallied around Parker and his family. Thousands of Calgarians searched, shared information, volunteered their time, and kept Parker and his family in their thoughts,” he added, thanking all those involved in the search effort.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith also offered condolences to Parker’s family.
“There is no greater heartbreak than the loss of a child, and I hope they are able to find moments of peace and strength during this unimaginable time,” she said.
Search
Calgary Police Service Search Manager Sgt. Rich Wall said search crews had previously looked in the area around a nearby creek but due to the evidence found by the member of the public they had required specialized equipment to enter the culvert.
“We have been [looking] in that creek area,” Wall said. “The clue that was located by the public pushed us into a direction where we needed … more technical assistance.”
“The system of pipes and tunnels, its like a labyrinth in there … The clue that was located—we used K-9 today—that caused us to move further up the creek … there were some other things that we located that forced us into the tunnels,” he said, adding that “the aquatic team encountered even some issues around unsafe conditions due to a build-up of gas in that area.”
The news comes after police said July 27 that they were scaling back the size of the ground search for Parker and instead “refocusing” the investigation into his disappearance.
“Throughout this investigation, Parker’s family has demonstrated extraordinary strength and courage while enduring every parent’s worst nightmare,” McLellan said.
“Today, we grieve alongside them and share in the profound sadness of this loss.”
McLellan also praised the community-wide search for Parker and dedicated work of investigators.
“Since Parker was reported missing, they worked around the clock under challenging conditions, covering vast areas of terrain, following up on thousands of pieces of information, reviewing extensive digital evidence, and pursuing every avenue available to us,” she said.
“As I said earlier this week, in my 35 years with the Calgary Police Service, I have never seen such dedicated, extensive, and sustained search efforts,” she said.
