Remains of the 14 year old, whose spirit name is Achakapis, are believed to be ‘no more than 150 km’ from ‘Edmonton,’ according to investigators Samuel Bird’s father Justin speaks at EPS headquarters on Oct. 1. Screenshot via EPS video Content warning: This story contains details about a missing teenager and a homicide investigation into his case. Please look after your spirit and read with care. The father of Achakapis (Samuel Bird) shed tears this week as he recalled the moments spent with his son before the teen went missing earlier this year. “Samuel and I used to hang out in my living room before he went to bed, snacking, watching movies or TV shows — and now his spot sits empty,” said Justin Bird, who spoke publicly about the case for the first time at a press conference at Edmonton Police Service (EPS) headquarters. “On car rides, certain songs break me down in tears because they remind me of my Sammy … Going anywhere in this city makes my heart hurt.” Samuel, a Nakota Sioux/Cree boy from Paul First Nation, was last seen on June 1 at a friend’s house in the Canora neighbourhood of “Edmonton.” After months of grassroots searches and police scrutiny, EPS announced on Oct. 1 that the 14-year-old is believed to be dead, and subject to a homicide investigation. At the EPS event on Wednesday, Samuel’s relatives spoke — his father revealing that he hasn’t wanted to address media until now as his focus had been on searching for his son. Police have now identified a specific area west and southwest of “Edmonton” where the body is believed to have been disposed of “no more than 150 km” from the city within hours of his disappearance, according to EPS. The area where Samuel Bird’s body is believed to be located. Image: EPS “We believe Samuel’s body was disposed of on land, and that steps were taken to conceal the body to avoid detection,” said homicide detective Jared Buhler. “We are appealing to the public, and in particular, landowners, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts who may frequent rural areas to be on the lookout for Samuel’s remains.” Justin said he and his family would work with rescue teams and continue to look “by foot, boat and helicopter” and is asking residents in that area to cooperate with police and report anything suspicious. Buhler spoke about an “unprecedented” grassroots search effort led by Samuel’s family, as well as an “intensive, four month criminal investigation” by police looking into what happened to Samuel in the hours after he left his mother’s house on June 1. Buhler said an investigation began on June 6, after Samuel was reported missing by his mother. The probe was escalated from the missing person’s department to homicide investigators on June 16, after police received “information of significant concern,” said Buhler. He also addressed criticism of the police’s delayed release of information when it came to the case — but said this was intentional to collect evidence and avoid “contamination” of the investigation. “Investigations are not conducted in public and for this we make no apology,” he said, adding that police searches for Samuel — involving canine units and other resources — have also purposely not been made public. “Despite our efforts and the efforts of Samuel’s family, Samuel has yet to be located,” he said. He added that the search has become increasingly urgent as winter nears, and said EPS “will be relentless in our pursuit of identifying those individuals involved in his disappearance, and holding those people accountable.”“In this regard, I appeal to those individuals who are directly or indirectly involved with Samuel’s disappearance, who we know have information which could identify the location of his remains, to come forward,” he said. “This investigation is progressing rapidly, and time is not unlimited to do the right thing.” A missing poster for Samuel Bird that has been widely circulated. Photo via Facebook Little boy on the moon On Wednesday, Samuel’s paternal grandmother Geri Potts explained that the boy’s spirit name, Achakapis in Cree, translates to “little boy on the moon.”Cree stories around that name reference a lonely little boy who feels unloved and scared, and tells his woes to Grandmother Moon who takes him up to live with her — when the moon is full, you can see Achakapis standing there as a reminder of how to treat people who are less fortunate. “My Sam I Am, that’s what I called him, had a gift when he came into this world — he had a beaming light and an abundance of love,” Potts said. “He was full of spirit, promise and love — a child with dreams, laughter and a soul rooted in the strength of our ancestors. My Sam I Am was a cultural helper, learning about our cultural ways to serve our people when the time came.” Samuel’s mother Alanna Bird said she wants people to remember her son “not as a headline, not as a casefile” but as a loved son, brother, cousin and friend. “His laughter, his spirit and his love are what define him, not the circumstances of his disappearance,” she said. “Samuel always said ‘I love you’ and gave me a hug before he left anywhere. And I miss his humour, tons. I will forever miss our talks.” Potts also made a plea to anyone with knowledge about what happened to Samuel to come forward. “We are pleading with you to allow Samuel to be returned to our family, so we can lay him to rest according to our traditions, with love, with ceremony and the songs of our ancestors,” she said. “His soul cannot rest while his body is kept from the land and our family.” Alanna reminded people that Samuel’s case is “in the shadow of a much larger injustice” of missing and murdered Indigenous people. “I am calling on all leaders, matriarchs, Elders, Youth and allies to continue to stand with us,” she said. “We need your voices, your presence and your prayers. Join us in searching and gathering and demanding justice — not only for Samuel but for all of our children.”
He was full of spirit, promise and love: Police confirm Samuel Bird is presumed dead as search area narrows
