FWIW
This is my rough transcript of the press conference held in the CPS regarding Taliyah Marsman and Sara Baillie which was posted July 14, 2016 at 9:14 PM MT
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/amber-alert-calgary-taliyah-marsman-found-1.3680185
Please note. This is not an official transcript and is not connected with any of the participants, the primary victims, or the secondary victims of this double homicide. All errors are my own. Please note. There were some glitchy points in the streaming, so it's possible I may have missed a word here or there. I think, overall, it's pretty accurate.
RC = Roger Chaffin, Calgary Police Chief
DC = Don Coleman, Inspector, Major Crimes, Calgary Police Service
RC: Tonight brings to a conclusion the Amber Alert related to young Taliyah Marsman.
We are very saddened to be announcing today that we believe we have found the body of five year old Taliyah Marsman. My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Taliyah as well as her mother [Sara Baillie] whom we all found deceased last Monday. Over the last 72 hours, we've had approximately a hundred police officers at times, working around the clock with the goal of finding young Taliyah and, unfortunately, they are completely devastated by the loss, as am I.
I'm proud of the members who have gone above and beyond to simultaneously find young Taliyah and the person we believe is responsible for her death, and the death of her mother. As well, I cannot thank the media enough and the community for your support over the last 72 hours, I'll sort of conclude my part of this. I'm going to turn my podium over to Inspector Coleman from Major Crimes so he can fill you in on the details that we're allowed to. I think, as you can appreciate, the investigation is still ongoing so he'll be somewhat limited in some of the details that he can offer.
1: 12 DC: Good evening. I think everybody pretty much gets the gist of why we're here, so I'll just field any questions that you may have.
Reporter: Can you just tell us a little bit more about how you came across the body? Where it was?
DC: Sure. So, the search area that we had identified in the early morning hours of today, and that was searched today towards the later part of the afternoon, early evening, about quarter after seven, the members that were searching that area located Taliyah's body, what we believe to be Taliyah's body, just off the roadway, approximately 8 kilometres east of town, I believe just off McKnight Boulevard.
2:08 Reporter: I mean, can you say anything about the circumstances of how she was last--I know this was in the middle of the investigation, but…
DC: Yeah, that's still all being followed up by our Crime Scenes folks, so there's not much detail to offer in that. But, what I can tell you is, the person we have had in custody over the course of the last 24 hours has been charged with two counts of first degree murder. And that's Edward Delton Downey, 46 years in Calgary, goes by the last name of Simmons [on occasion as well. So, he's being processed right now.
Reporter: I understand there might be some conditions. He hasn't been released, but he's still in custody?
DC: He's just been taken down within the last hour from headquarters to CSS [Calgary Court Services Section].
2:59 Reporter: Can you talk about him and his relationship with him and the victim as well as some of the family members? I understand there might be a relationship with him and Taliyah's father as well?
DC: I'm not sure on the relationship with his [sic] father. We believe that Mr. Downey's known to both--to all three: Sara, Taliyah, and the father, Colin. We believe that to be the case.
Reporter: Would he have been a trusted family member?
DC: I, I don't know the level of trust there would have been there, but I believe they're known. Definitely known to Sara and Taliyah.
3:35 Reporter: Can you speak to any motive in this case at all at this time?
DC: I can't speak to any motive. That's something we still have to try to figure out, but I don't have any details on that.
Reporter: Will he be remanded in custody?
DC: I believe his next court appearance is July 20th.
Reporter: And will he stay in custody?
DC: Yeah.
Reporter: Do you know how, uh, when Taliyah died?
3:59 DC: No, not exactly. I can tell you the timeline of events through the investigation would suggest that the entire, both events occurred prior to police involvement on Monday. We were contacted about 8:30 when Sara was reported as overdue and we believe that this incident had been concluded sometime that afternoon, so…
Reporter: You guys were extremely confident that you were going to find her alive, and we know that you never gave up hope. How is everybody doing?
DC: It's definitely disappointing to say the least. The family is devastated. There's still a ton of work to do investigationally (sic). The investigators involved, obviously, impacted, but there's also lots of work to still do.
4:52: Reporter: Do you still believe that, like you had witnesses say that she walked away with him in the neighbourhood. Like, do you know where he took her to and is there another crime scene in your opinion?
DC: No other crime scenes at this point, but, like I said, the investigation is still ongoing. I don't know what transpired after the witnesses seeing who we believe to be Downey and Taliyah in Pantego. We'll try to still figure that out but we don't know those details.
Reporter: Have you searched his residence yet?
DC: That's all…that's, that's the plan. I'm not sure when that will be but that will be the course of action I'm sure.
5:42 Reporter: So, just to clarify, you don't believe that both Sara and Taliyah were killed in the home. You believe that Taliyah was taken out still? That she was killed elsewhere?
DC: We don't really have information on that at this point. Clearly, Taliyah was alive at 11:30 on Monday and was out of the residence. What happened after that, we still have to try to firm up.
Reporter: Now, the fact that this is first degree murder on both counts. That's, you know, could you talk about, you know, the intentionality the charges would speak to?
DC: Yeah, well the charge of first degree murder would speak to some level of premeditation or foreplanning.
6:23 Reporter: You spoke on his criminal past and his history criminally. What, can you elaborate on that sort of timeline and with what he was previously charged?
DC: I don't know the exact details on that. He, there is an extensive criminal history at play though. I can tell you that.
Reporter: Are you looking at charging anyone else or...
DC: Well, the investigation will continue to still have lots of work to do. That may play into it, but, at this point, Mr. Downey's our only suspect.
7:00 Reporter: Could you delve just a little bit more into you know the relationship you said that--are they just family friends?
DC: I believe that to be the case, yes.
Reporter: Any indication of how Taliyah died?
DC: Not yet. I imagine the autopsy would be tomorrow afternoon and we'll have more information after that.
Reporters talk over each other.
Reporter: Do you have the cause of death for Sara? Do you have anything?
DC: Not that we would be able to put out.
Reporter: Will you continue to search? Is there anything you're still looking for now?
DC: Yeah. The scene where the recovery was made will be held overnight and searched again tomorrow in the vicinity between the city and where she was found for any other evidence.
Reporter: And what's Downey's connection to that scene? It's not his home, right? Is it his parents?
DC: Sorry. Which scene?
Reporter: The one in Chestermere. It's so close.
DC: I believe it's just a field with some out buildings. I don't believe there's a residence there.
Reporter: And you said that it's about eight kilometres outside of the city limits.
DC: Yeah. I don't know exactly. I believe that to be the case. It's the area that was searched, being searched earlier today.
Reporter:
DC: I believe so.
Reporter: Does this mean that, is it's somebody's land, or is it a field. What was in the area?
8:19 DC: Yeah. It's just a, just a field east of town where there's some type of storage bins. Grain bins of some kind. And I believe that to be the area.
Reporter: What drove you there?
DC: Pardon me?
Reporter: What drove you to go to look in that field?
DC: Oh, this part of the area was brought to light overnight last night and the early morning hours by some traditional investigative techniques that we utilized, that brought that area to light and it just took until 7:00 to complete it.
Reporter: You know, you stood here, just over three and a half hours ago or so, a little bit more, and with a totally different tone. How are you feeling now?
DC: It's disappointing for sure. We were hoping for another outcome, and worked hard for that other outcome, but, clearly by the timeline, as I indicated, there was nothing we could do before we even got involved.
Reporter: Can you speak to how the family is holding up? Sorry for them for this.
DC: Yeah, the family's devastated, clearly. Clearly.
Reporter: Was there any attempt made to hide or (?) the body? To bury the body perhaps?
DC: I'm not sure of the exact condition. I don't believe so.
Moderator: OK. A couple more questions, then we'll probably wrap it up.
Reporter: The biggest question, I think, and what I want to ask is motive. But a lot of people are asking about "Why the child?" Can you tell me anything into whether she might have been an innocent bystander in the original attack? What--can you speak to that at all?
DC: Not really. It would be speculation on my part to do so. Even so, I can't speak to Mr. Downey's motive. He hasn't made that clear to us at this point, so I wouldn't want to speculate on that.
Reporter: Is he talking to you at this point? Is he saying anything? Before you said he was not answering anything at all. How is he now?
DC: I'd say limited. Limited co-operation.
Reporter: And, is it the sense that Sara Bailley was the primary target? Or Taliyah was the primary target? Or both?
DC: That would be speculation as well. With the timeline of events, I would say we'd probably be of the opinion Sara.
10:37 Reporter: Can you say, if you know it, if there'd ever been threats from him at Sara in the past?
DC: I'm not aware of that. If there was, not aware of it.
Reporter: Was the suitcase, the little red suitcase, with Taliyah when you found her?
DC: I don't believe it was. I haven't heard that. But that area will continue to be searched in daylight again tomorrow.
Reporter: Was she dressed as the witness described her if she didn't have the suitcase?
DC: I don't have the details on the clothing description. And I haven't heard anything about the suitcase.
Moderator: Thank you everybody.
Reporters: Thank you.
