Calgary police are reducing their ground search operations for missing 11-year-old Parker Wells, nearly two weeks after the autistic boy went missing, as officers shift their attention to gathering evidence and pursuing investigative leads.
The last confirmed sighting of Parker was in the northwest district of the city on July 16, Calgary Police Service Chief Katie McLellan said during a press conference this week.
Parker—who has now been missing for 13 days—has been the subject of “round the clock” searches by land, air, and water involving more than 1,000 people from the Calgary police and partner agencies ever since, McLellan said.
“Despite these exhaustive efforts, sadly, Parker has not been located. However, we are not giving up,” she told reporters at the Calgary Police Service headquarters.
“We will continue to follow up on tips, re-examine evidence, and pursue any new leads that emerge. If new information identifies an area requiring additional search activity, we are prepared and ready to respond.”
Searchers have already covered 8,600 kilometres combined and police have “double and triple checked” all of the more than 600 tips that have come in from the public to no avail, acting Staff Sgt. Scott Guterson said.
The sergeant said police are again asking the public to check their yards, garages, and under their decks for signs of the missing boy.
He described the disappearance of Parker, who is non-verbal, as “deeply concerning and deeply unusual.” He said Calgary police handle approximately 5,000 reports of missing persons annually, including roughly 250 cases involving children younger than 12, some with special needs. He said 99 percent of these cases conclude with the missing individuals being found “safe and well.”
Guterson said there is currently no conclusive evidence to shed light on what happened to the boy, but did not rule out foul play.
“It is our sincerest hope that Parker is still alive,” he added. “But realistically, every day that goes by makes that hope less likely.”
He added that the lack of success had been “incredibly demoralizing for everyone involved.”
“But that’s why I would say that we have to have hope. We have to keep hope,” Guterson said. “To any volunteer searcher out there who is trying to help, I would say, don’t give up. Don’t give up hope. We’re certainly not going to. We’re going to keep that hope alive that we can bring Parker home until we find him.”
Parker Wells has been missing since July 16. The 11-year-old is autistic and non-verbal. Police handout photo
Family’s Plea
The family is also asking the community not to give up hope and to continue searching for Parker. His parents issued a statement through the police asking Calgarians to continue checking their neighbourhoods, parks, green spaces, yards, sheds, garages, hot tubs, and any other places where their son could seek shelter.“Parker experiences the world in his own way. He may not respond when his name is called, and he can become frightened when approached by people he does not know,” the family said. “If you see Parker, please do not approach him. Give him space and call police immediately with his location.”
The family described the community response thus far as “overwhelming” and thanked everyone who has searched, shared his photo, or provided information to the police.
“Our family is heartbroken by his disappearance,” they said. “Parker is deeply loved, and he is missed immensely. We just want our son home.”
Parker is described as 4 foot 11 and 90 pounds with short brown hair and brown eyes.
Amber Alerts
The investigation has made Alberta’s emergency alert system protocol a subject of debate.Police did not believe Parker had been kidnapped, which meant his case did not fulfill the legal requirements for an Amber Alert. That’s because he was seen walking alone on CCTV footage on July 16 in the 5000-6000 block of Travis Crescent N.E.
Investigators had to obtain a provincial exemption before an emergency alert could be issued. It was published on July 18, roughly two days after Parker was last seen.
Premier Danielle Smith addressed the issue during her weekend call-in radio program, “Your Province, Your Premier.”
She said the case has underscored the need to assess whether law enforcement should be given greater latitude to issue alerts for at-risk missing children.
“I think the bottom line is we have to give law enforcement this additional tool in the event that they need it, and we'll have to make the changes to make that happen in the fall,” she said.
Anyone with information that may assist in locating Parker is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
