Detectives with the Edmonton Police Service say missing 14-year-old Samuel Bird is presumed dead, and that his death is believed to be criminal in nature.
Bird was last seen on June 1. He was seen on surveillance video at approximately 8:30 p.m. that night, walking through the grounds of Holy Cross School in the city’s west end, investigators said in a news release.
He was last seen at the home of a friend in the area of 150th Street and 106th Avenue, where police conducted a search warrant in September.
Det. Jared Buhler with the EPS homicide unit said at a news conference on Wednesday that police have people of interest, but no charges have been laid.
Buhler said he believes the “suspect or suspects involved” in Bird’s disappearance may have disposed of his body no more than 150 kilometres from Edmonton within hours of his disappearance.
EPS said they believe Bird’s body was disposed of on land and that steps were taken to conceal the remains.
“We are now appealing to the public, in particular to hunters, landowners and outdoor enthusiasts to be mindful of Samuel’s disappearance,” Buhler told reporters.
Police have conducted three searches in the area using dogs and “specialized personnel,” and continue to search for a specific location where Bird’s remains may be. EPS did not make these searches public initially for “investigative reasons.”
“From the beginning of this investigation, our primary mission has been to locate and recover Samuel’s remains,” Buhler said. “Every investigative decision has and will continue to be informed by that priority.”
The detective expressed gratitude to Bird’s family — some of whom attended the news conference — saying their trust is not taken for granted, and that they have been a source of strength for investigators throughout the process.
“Samuel’s disappearance has shattered our lives in ways that cannot be measured,” Bird’s mother, Alanna, told reporters on Wednesday.
“I’ve carried this pain every single day since he went missing. … No parent should ever have to go through this. And yet too many Indigenous families continue to face this same nightmare.”
Bird’s mother thanked volunteers and those who have been there for her family during the “darkest time of [her] life.”
“We stand here in the shadow of a much larger injustice, the ongoing crisis of our missing and murdered Indigenous children and youth,” Alanna said.
“This is not just about Samuel. This is about the systems that continue to fail our families and a silence that too often surrounds our pain.”
Both of Samuel’s grandmothers told reporters that Bird’s spiritual name means “Little Boy on the Moon.” Bird’s father and paternal grandmother were wearing shirts featuring a big moon, with Samuel’s smiling face in the foreground in black and white.
Justin Bird, Samuel’s father, said he loves his son and misses him every day.
“I cry alone and my heart breaks daily with the pain and memories of time with him,” he told reporters.
Justin said he looks back on Xbox messages from Samuel, who would ask to play different games with him.
The spots where Samuel used to sit and snack in the living room are now empty, Justin said.
“On car rides, certain songs break me down in tears because they remind me of my Sammy. Going anywhere in the city makes my heart hurt.”
Anyone with information about Bird’s disappearance is asked to contact EPS or CrimeStoppers.
