Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan
Calgary police announced at a Wednesday afternoon media briefing that they have found the body of a small boy who they believe to be Parker Wells, the 11-year-old who vanished nearly two weeks ago.
In a press briefing late Wednesday, Chief Katie McLellan described the day as “incredibly difficult”
Parker was last seen on July 16 at his day home in the 0-100 block of Connaught Drive N.W. between 11:08 a.m. and 11:41 a.m.
Despite an extensive search operation involving hundreds of officers, trained volunteers, local residents, and people who traveled from outside the city, he was not located.
Earlier this week, officers shifted focus away from large-scale physical searches while continuing to pursue leads. On Wednesday, efforts returned to the Skyline West and Skyline East areas, specifically between the Beaver Dam Business Park and Deerfoot Trail.
Police said new information, including an article of clothing found by a member of the public, directed them to re-examine the location.
CPS Search manager Sgt. Rich Wall, noted that the area — including the creek — had previously been thoroughly combed using ground teams, K9 units, and aerial surveillance. However, investigators now believe Parker entered a culvert and became trapped within an underground network of pipes.
It is believed Parker was still wearing the clothing he had on when he disappeared.
Sgt Wall said the body was found in a small pipe on the east side of Deerfoot Trail, roughly four kilometres from where Parker went missing
The area of the culvert remains under the control of the chief medical examiner’s office, and police will follow all protocols, as with any death investigation.
Supports are also in place for Calgarians impacted by the case and police victim assistance teams are ready to support Calgarians impacted by the search.
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