New info leads Edmonton police to hone search area for missing Indigenous boy’s remains

The Edmonton Police Service says it's searching for the remains of Samuel Bird west of Edmonton. CTV News Edmonton's Evan Kenny has the latest.

Edmonton police have centred their search for a presumed dead Indigenous boy, Samuel Bird, on a rural area west of Edmonton due to new information.

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“It’s like doing a puzzle. Sometimes, you don’t know the piece you’re looking for until other pieces fall into place around it, and that’s what unfolded this week,” said homicide detective Jared Buhler during a news conference at the junction of Carrot Creek and Yellowhead Highway on Thursday.

Bird, who would have turned 15 at the end of September, has not been seen since June 1.

No arrests have been made in the case.

At the beginning of October, investigators said they believe a person or people responsible for the teen’s disappearance disposed of his body within 150 kilometres of Edmonton.

The potential break in the case greatly narrows the search area, although Buhler wouldn’t say by how much.

“Yesterday, we were further down the road than we were today. Our information and analysis with recent information brought us here… It was compelling enough to immediately send our canine (unit) to this location from the other location,” he told reporters.

He said investigators’ “understanding of the evidence” has changed.

“Over the course of the last five days, let’s say, several pieces have fallen into place which helped us understand the big picture a little better.”

Carrot Creek, an unincorporated community located along Highway 16 in Yellowhead County, is about 160 kilometres west of Edmonton.

The area consists of forest and mixed agricultural land.

Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is coordinating the search resources in Yellowhead County and, for now, will only use professional third-party search resources. But Buhler said EPS has been in contact with local RCMP and search efforts.

“We don’t want 100 people traipsing through the bush right now. We want as pristine a search area as we can right now, and as we move through that and eliminate areas, then I’m all for a second set of eyes,” he explained.

The search will be focused on areas accessible by vehicle and that provide some concealment, as that is the kind of area research suggests offenders look for when disposing of evidence, police said.

Police will also be asking local landowners to look for oddities on their property.

Buhler added, “It’s important to remember this is still a huge area. We’re looking for, still, a needle in a smaller haystack than we were before. So there’s no guarantees. But right now, this is the best we’ve got.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Brandon Lynch and Evan Kenny

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