Investigators find body believed to be missing Calgary boy, Parker

Searchers have found what they believe to be the remains of Parker, the 11-year-old Calgary boy who has been missing for just under two weeks, police revealed on Wednesday.

“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,” said Calgary police Chief Katie McLellan.

“On Tuesday, we received information from a member of the public who located evidence consistent with clothing Parker was last known to be wearing. Search teams were deployed and as a result of those efforts the body of a small child has been located.”

The chief said it’s believed the boy entered a deep culvert on the west side of Deerfoot Trail, where he made his way into a network of pipes that crossed under the freeway. His body was found in a small pipe on the east side of Deerfoot Trail, she said.

“The Calgary Fire Department required specialized equipment to enter the tunnel system as conditions were extremely unsafe,” said McLellan.

Parker was located at 2:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday, said search manager Sgt. Rich Wall. He was found about 137 to 152 metres inside the tunnels, and only about one kilometre from his last known location, he estimated.

McClellan added that it is thought Parker was wearing all of the clothing he was last seen wearing when he went into the tunnels, but that his shoes likely came off at some point and washed out of the culvert.

A few hours earlier on Wednesday, police said new information had prompted investigators to conduct a search of an area in the northeast part of the city as they continued to try to locate the autistic boy.

The renewed intensive search was focused on an area immediately west of Deerfoot Trail, just east of the Beaver Dam Business Park, which is to the east of the community of Thorncliffe. 

The terrain is grassy with a tributary of Nose Hill Creek that flows southward before going into a culvert at Deerfoot Trail just north of Eighth Street N.E.

Parker’s disappearance on July 16 from his day home on Connaught Drive N.W. triggered an exhaustive search that involved hundreds of police officers, including hundreds of trained searchers as well as thousands more volunteers from across the city. 

Investigators reviewed more than 600 tips and analyzed 100,000 individual CCTV clips from more than 650 cameras in an effort to locate the boy. 

“Just a few days ago I spoke about seeing the very best of our city. That remains true. 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,” McLellan said.

“Behind every search map, every briefing, every tip and every hour spent looking was a little boy who was deeply loved by his family. Today, we grieve alongside them and share in the profound sadness of this loss. Our thoughts are with Parker’s family, loved ones, friends and everyone who has been affected by this tragedy.”

There is no evidence that criminality was involved in Parker’s disappearance, police said.  

Both Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith expressed their condolences in social media posts. 

“I am heartbroken by today’s devastating 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,” said Farkas on X.

“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,” Smith said on X.

Community members who need support are encouraged to contact the Calgary Police Service Victim Assistance Support Team (VAST), police said in a release. VAST is a free service that provides support, resources and information to victims of crime and tragedy. It can be reached at 403-428-8398 or toll-free at 1-888-327-7828.