Open this photo in gallery: Alanna Bird, the mother of missing teenager Samuel Bird, hugs a supporter during a rally in support of her and her family at the Edmonton Police Service Headquarters in Edmonton, on Wednesday.Amber Bracken/The Globe and Mail
Four months after the disappearance of 14-year-old Samuel Bird in Edmonton, city police have confirmed they believe the boy was the victim of a homicide.
They say intensive efforts to find Samuel have been happening out of public view since shortly after he was reported missing.
“There has been public scrutiny concerning the police investigation, particularly the timing of the release of information to the public,” Homicide Detective Jared Buhler of the Edmonton Police Service told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. “Investigations are not conducted in public, and for this, we make no apology.”
Samuel was reported missing on June 6, but police did not publicly announce the Indigenous teenager’s disappearance until more than a month later, on July 11. A second press release five weeks after that, on Aug. 22, said major-crimes investigators had deemed his disappearance suspicious.
But Det. Buhler said missing-persons investigators turned the case over to the homicide unit about 10 days after Samuel was reported missing, based on “information of significant concern.” He said the delay in publicly releasing information about the teen’s disappearance “was strategic and was carefully considered by the homicide team.”
“The only regret I have with respect to timing of our information release is that we didn’t wait longer,” he said.
Earlier this week, a house in west Edmonton connected to Samuel’s disappearance was damaged in a fire police have since declared suspicious. Police also say photos and videos circulating online, purporting to show Samuel’s injury or death, are contributing to misinformation about the case, and some have been confirmed as hoaxes.
Open this photo in gallery: Justin Bird, father of Samuel Bird, becomes emotional talking about his son during a press conference with Edmonton detectives.Amber Bracken/The Globe and Mail
The boy’s mother, father and grandmothers all spoke at the press conference, and expressed support for police efforts to find Samuel, pleading for anyone with information to come forward.
“Samuel’s disappearance has shattered our lives in ways that cannot be measured,” his mother, Alanna Bird, said.
“No parent should ever have to go through this, and yet too many Indigenous families continue to face this same nightmare,” she added. “I want people to remember Samuel not as a headline, not as a case file, but as a loved son, a brother, a cousin and a friend. His laughter, his spirit and his love are what define him, not the circumstances of his disappearance.”
Speaking publicly for the first time, Samuel’s father said there is “a hole in my heart that will never be filled.”
“I can’t enjoy life any more, and until we find him, we will never have closure,” Justin Bird said. “Finding Sam has always been the focus, which is why I haven’t spoken publicly until now. My family and I will continue to look for Sam by foot, boat and helicopter, and any means available to us.”
The families referred to Samuel by his spiritual name in both Cree and Stoney languages, “The Little Boy on the Moon.”
Open this photo in gallery: Edmonton detective Jared Buhler during a press conference with the family of Samuel Bird in Edmonton. Det. Buhler says rumours and misinformation circulating on social media have cost the investigation a 'significant amount of time.'Amber Bracken/The Globe and Mail
Police now say Samuel was last seen at about 8:30 p.m. on June 1, captured on surveillance video walking through a schoolyard on his way to a friend’s home in west Edmonton.
That house was searched by police in September, and then significantly damaged in what police have determined to be a suspicious fire earlier this week. On Wednesday, Det. Buhler said police have identified a vehicle of interest in the house fire.
The case has drawn significant attention in the city of Edmonton, where volunteers have powered massive search efforts. Online, the Bring Samuel Bird Home Facebook group has swelled to more than 35,000 members.
But Det. Buhler said the “astounding” amount of attention the case has gotten has also been challenging for investigators, as misinformation about it circulates broadly on social media.
“There’s a lot of conjecture, of theories based on nothing more than rumours, and it has cost us a significant amount of time that could have been otherwise spent investigating actual evidence,” he said, adding that police are receiving literally hundreds of tips, often repeating the same information.
He said photos and videos that allegedly show the homicide, for instance, are of poor quality, may not even be Samuel, or aren’t relevant to the disappearance.
“Unfortunately, there are troubled individuals out there who take some sort of perverse joy in trying to take credit to build up their own street credibility or online credibility by claiming knowledge or responsibility of this,” he said.
He said one of the most common stories circulating has been traced by police to a young man at a remote location in British Columbia, who was not in Edmonton and has no relation to the case.
“You can imagine that significant time and effort were eaten up to get to that point where we could eliminate those videos,” he said, adding later: “Those individuals should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.”
Open this photo in gallery: People rally in support of Samuel Bird's family in Edmonton, on Wednesday.Amber Bracken/The Globe and Mail
Through investigation, Det. Buhler said police now believe Samuel’s remains were left to the west or southwest of the city some time shortly after he was killed. Police are issuing an appeal to the public, specifically hunters, landowners and others outdoors, to be aware of the case and check their properties.
“The Edmonton Police Service remains fully committed to bringing Samuel Bird home. We will be relentless in our pursuit of identifying those individuals involved in his disappearance and holding those people accountable,” Det. Buhler said.
He added that anyone who was involved in the disappearance or has information should come forward.
“This investigation is progressing rapidly,” he said. “And time is not unlimited to do the right thing.”
[SRC] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-indigenous-teenagers-disappearance-in-edmonton-being-investigated-as/
