Police say they aren’t giving up on finding a missing 11-year-old Calgary boy but are “refocusing from the physical search.” Parker Wells went missing on July 16. Hundreds of police officers and trained volunteers, as well as many a Calgarian and others travelling from outside the city, have tirelessly searched for him every day since. But he still hasn’t been found. And on Monday, police said they were “refocusing from the physical search.” Police cited “operational needs, the information currently available and the results of the search to date.” “While our search efforts are evolving, our commitment is not,” said Chief Katie McLellan. “We will continue to pursue every investigative avenue available to us, and we remain steadfast in our determination to find Parker.” “Every single person involved in this search desperately wants to find Parker,” said Acting Staff Sgt. Scott Guterson. “Despite the refocus from a large ground presence, we will not rest until we do.” Guterson called the case “deeply unusual and deeply concerning.” He told assembled press that police still hope Parker is alive. He also said it isn’t lost on police that with every day that passes, the likelihood Parker is still alive diminishes. According to police, more than 600 tips have been assessed and tens of thousands of CCTV clips from more than 650 sources have been reviewed. Police said investigators will continue to look at new information and leads as they’re presented. “This case has affected the community deeply,” McLellan said. “There is not a single member of this team who does not want to find Parker and bring answers to his family.” “We are not giving up,” Guterson said. “We will continue this investigation for as long as it takes.” It’s a case that sits heavily on the minds of many in the community, including Kody Watmough. “I see his face when I go to bed,” he said. Watmough said he thinks about the day Parker went missing. “You’re thinking (about) what you could have done, but at the time, he was only gone from (his day home) for an hour.” Teams were busy searching Nose Hill Park over the weekend, including the west parking lot and pathway entrance near Shaganappi Trail. Volunteers also mobilized in the Thorncliffe Greenview Community Centre’s parking lot to assist in the effort to find Parker. Organizers say they are following the guidance of police in their search. “All the eyes you can possibly get throughout Calgary is very important,” said Becky Willmott with the group Find Parker YYC. “You just don’t know where he may or may not be.” “The more people, the better, because it’s really important to bring him home as soon as possible to his family.” Parker is 4′11″ tall (150 cm) and approximately 90 pounds (41 kg) with brown hair and brown eyes. When he was last seen, Parker was shirtless, wearing dark shorts and black noise-cancelling headphones. He is neurodivergent and non-verbal, and might become even more scared if confronted by strangers. If you locate Parker, you’re asked not to approach him, and to instead keep him in sight and call 911. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers. A missing person poster is available to download and print through the City of Calgary’s website.
