Edmonton police say case of 14 year old Samuel Bird likely criminal in nature

The Edmonton police say that Samuel Bird, the 14-year-old missing since early June, is “presumed dead” and his case is “believed to be criminal in nature.” According to a release on Wednesday, investigators say that Bird was last seen on surveillance video at around 8:30 p.m. on June 1, and was eventually going to a residence of a friend “where he was last seen.” Police conducted a search warrant at this residence in September and investigators believe that the “suspect or suspects” involved in the boy’s disappearance disposed of his body “no more than 150 km from Edmonton.” “We believe Samuel’s body was disposed of on land, and that steps were taken to conceal the body to avoid detection,” said the primary investigator, Det. 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.” Police said they’ve conducted three searches using “specialized personnel and canine resources, which were not initially made public for investigative reasons.” The map provided by Edmonton police on where investigators believe the suspect or suspects put Bird’s body. Bird’s mother has pleaded with authorities to put more resources into finding her son. A volunteer “command post” is set up in Edmonton to offer supplies to those conducting searches. Bird said Samuel, who is from the Paul Band/Paul First Nation in Alberta, would always be on Snap Chat, Facebook and Instagram messaging and talking with his friends and family daily. However, on the day he went missing, his activity online suddenly stopped. Adding to the family’s stress and heartache, Bird said she received disturbing, gruesome and graphic videos of people allegedly assaulting her son. Bird said Samuel can be seen laying on the ground, covering his face with his hands as he is allegedly getting kicked and beaten with a baton and bat. Someone is also seen carrying a long knife in the video. A spokesperson with Edmonton police said they are aware of the disturbing videos and images. “The EPS is aware of images circulating online depicting violent events. Investigators are working to determine the source and authenticity of the images and as such, at this time, the EPS cannot confirm whether this is connected to a missing 14-year-old youth. With files from Creeson Agecoutay Continue Reading