CANADA Samuel Bird, 14, Edmonton AB, last seen in West Edmonton - June 1, 2025

[otto]

I believe that his ex girlfriend lived in the house, and she was also a minor. There are likely adults that also lived there.

That sounds very sad if a 14 year old girl was involved, and she remained silent while someone she cared about was killed and transported out of the city by her relatives. I hope she is currently in government care and that she is receiving appropriate mental health treatment.

Did his mother know his girlfriend and follow up, or did she believe that he vanished off the street without any connection to a family friend?

 

[otto]

The family friend lived very close to where Samuel lived, so I'm guessing that would be one of the first people his family contacted after he was missing. I'm trying to understand the scenario ... are the families friends, or only the children?

He visited a friend on the way home, and was murdered. That friend and her family then hid his body in a field West of the city.

Police used CCTV to identify the last location where Samuel was seen alive. After police searched that property, where he was most likely murdered, the property was set on fire ... presumably to hide blood evidence?

Why would anyone murder a 14 year old child who was visiting his friend? I'm very curious whether there is some connection with drugs - perhaps he saw something he shouldn't see? Nothing makes sense at this point ... seems so random.

Google Map: approximate locations

"Investigators are now releasing that Samuel was last seen on surveillance video at approximately 8:30 p.m. on June 1, 2025, walking through the grounds of Holy Cross School near 151 Street and 104 Avenue, after which he attended the residence of a friend in the area of 150 Street and 106 Avenue, where he was last seen"

Samuel Bird's disappearance deemed criminal

 

[otto]

I would like to hear more about the suspect(s), how they fit into "missing and murdered Indigenous children and youth," and where the system has failed in protecting 14 year old Samuel.

We know that he was visiting a friend. That was the last time he was seen alive. We don't know why he was murdered, nor who was involved. I'm curious why there have been no arrests. Don't police know who was living at the house where Samuel was last seen? Don't they know the name of the friend?

"Bird's mother thanked volunteers and those who have been there for her family during the "darkest time of [her] life."

"We stand here in the shadow of a much larger injustice, the ongoing crisis of our missing and murdered Indigenous children and youth," Alanna said.

"This is not just about Samuel. This is about the systems that continue to fail our families and a silence that too often surrounds our pain."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/indigenous-teen-s-disappearance-now-deemed-criminal-by-edmonton-police-1.7648515

"Investigators believe that the suspect or suspects involved in Samuel’s disappearance may have disposed of his body no more than 150 km from Edmonton, and that this occurred within a short time of his disappearance on June 1, 2025."

Samuel Bird's disappearance deemed criminal

 

[bombardier]

I would like to hear more about the suspect(s), how they fit into "missing and murdered Indigenous children and youth," and where the system has failed in protecting 14 year old Samuel.

(snipped by me) I'm sorry, I don't know if I understand...Samuel's mother was referring to Samuel himself was talking about MMI children and youth, not the suspects.
As to the 'system that fails our families', I know plenty of Edmontonians were confused as to why it took four months for the investigation to really ramp up and be declared criminal, when that video of a youth (assumed to be samuel but never has been confirmed by LE) being viciously beaten was sent to his mum immediately. Not only did this lead to a delay in searching for evidence and remains, but it made it so the police didn't have to participate in those early searches led only by family.
As for the system failing to protect Samuel...it's so complicated, I don't know behind the scenes, all I know if as per mum Sam had fallen in with the wrong crowd to fit in and had dropped out of the end of grade 9. He was about to enter an intervention program but it hadn't started yet. Perhaps the school wasnt supporting or treating Sam well, didn't help when he was bullied when he was younger, or supports weren't available earlier when he started changing and skipping school.

 

[guttertroll]

I do believe Samuel's mother was referring to her son and not the suspects with her statement about the crisis. A missing 14 year old should not have gone through the month before being publicized. Is there 'proof' (ie: someone saying such) that him being indigenous was part of that? No. Do I think had this happened to a white teenager, this would have been followed up on sooner and publicized? Personally, yes. The police release says they were following up on sightings of him, it still took until July 11th for them to put anything out, while Samuel's mother was receiving video of what she believes to be her son being viciously assaulted as well as the video being put online in more than one space. Police in this city (and in Canada overall) have often ignored missing (and murdered) indigenous people and I personally believe had Samuel's mother not been interviewed and put forward her story more, this could've slipped through the cracks.

Looking up facts about missing people overall in Canada in 2024:

The overall number of persons who went missing decreased by 4% in 2024, from 70,168 occurrences in 2023 to 67,611 in 2024, bringing the total number to 8% lower than it was pre-COVID (i.e. 2019).

23% of missing children/youth in 2024 were Indigenous and 67% of all missing Indigenous children/youth were female
12% of all missing adults in 2024 were Indigenous and 59% of all missing Indigenous adults were female

Indigenous people make up about 5% of the population of Canada (per 2021). Often times, there are no alerts, they are moved to the bottom of the pile and the police move on, while their families are left questioning more than ever. I would definitely say these numbers show there is a crisis.

 

[otto]

(snipped by me) I'm sorry, I don't know if I understand...Samuel's mother was referring to Samuel himself was talking about MMI children and youth, not the suspects.
As to the 'system that fails our families', I know plenty of Edmontonians were confused as to why it took four months for the investigation to really ramp up and be declared criminal, when that video of a youth (assumed to be samuel but never has been confirmed by LE) being viciously beaten was sent to his mum immediately. Not only did this lead to a delay in searching for evidence and remains, but it made it so the police didn't have to participate in those early searches led only by family.
As for the system failing to protect Samuel...it's so complicated, I don't know behind the scenes, all I know if as per mum Sam had fallen in with the wrong crowd to fit in and had dropped out of the end of grade 9. He was about to enter an intervention program but it hadn't started yet. Perhaps the school wasnt supporting or treating Sam well, didn't help when he was bullied when he was younger, or supports weren't available earlier when he started changing and skipping school.

My interpretation is that Samuel family made those remarks in relation to Samuel's disappearance - too many missing children; system failure.

We know now that police investigated right away and obtained CCTV footage. Based on that information, they discovered where Samuel was last seen alive. They then developed evidence to submit to the prosecutor's office so they could obtain a search warrant. It sounds like that took time - it always does.

Search warrants cannot be obtained simply because someone was last seen alive at someone's house.

Anyone who has raised a 14 year old knows there can be many challenges as the child learns that independence comes with responsibility. Some children choose independence, and can't be bothered with responsibility. It's challenging for most parents to keep children on track when they are that age.

Searches should be based on evidence. Police have released information about their searches, both at the home where he was last seen, and in the area where they believe he will be found. Searching random areas isn't something that police do, but family and friends may have ideas about where to search that are unrelated to evidence. Police should not be expected to participate in those searches.

 

[Bigditch]

I believe that his ex girlfriend lived in the house, and she was also a minor. There are likely adults that also lived there.

Why do you think Samuel's ex lived in the house in question?

 

[bombardier]

We know now that police investigated right away and obtained CCTV footage. Based on that information, they discovered where Samuel was last seen alive. They then developed evidence to submit to the prosecutor's office so they could obtain a search warrant. It sounds like that took time - it always does.

Search warrants cannot be obtained simply because someone was last seen alive at someone's house.

(snipped by me) you don't think that a video of a missing youth, consistent with Samuel, being kicked, beaten with objects, and threatened with a knife could yield a search warrant at his last known location sooner than 3.5 months post-disappearance?
genuinely asking, because I'm not exactly sure what level of evidence rises to the extent of "reasonable grounds" to request a search warrant under Canadian law. Considering the video evidence, I'd like to think that the could have applied for a digital search warrant (of the house residents' phone, computer activity) at the least, but again I'm not sure.

 

[stonedgnome]

Why do you think Samuel's ex lived in the house in question?

I know I read it somewhere, but I can not source that for you as I don't know where.

 

[stonedgnome]

Anyone who has raised a 14 year old knows there can be many challenges as the child learns that independence comes with responsibility. Some children choose independence, and can't be bothered with responsibility. It's challenging for most parents to keep children on track when they are that age.

This feels like victim blaming to me.
Snipped be me
MOO

 

[otto]

(snipped by me) you don't think that a video of a missing youth, consistent with Samuel, being kicked, beaten with objects, and threatened with a knife could yield a search warrant at his last known location sooner than 3.5 months post-disappearance?
genuinely asking, because I'm not exactly sure what level of evidence rises to the extent of "reasonable grounds" to request a search warrant under Canadian law. Considering the video evidence, I'd like to think that the could have applied for a digital search warrant (of the house residents' phone, computer activity) at the least, but again I'm not sure.

There is no video mentioned in news reports, but a video of Samuel being beaten must have been horrifying for his mother. Was she able to immediately identify her son, the location and the people with him? Did his family know these friends of Samuel?

If Samuel's family knew where he was when he was last seen, were they at that home until police obtained a search warrant? If they knew where he was when he was last seen, was there any reason to search anywhere else for him?

It feels like there's some missing pieces of information. Being seen at a friend's house does not mean that he was killed at that house. There has to be more evidence than visiting, even if police are unable to find more CCTV footage.

Police very likely did request access to his cell phone information, but that takes time. It sounds like his phone plan was paid by someone else, but there were no tracking features added to his phone to ensure his safety.

 

[bombardier]

There is no video mentioned in news reports, but a video of Samuel being beaten must have been horrifying for his mother. Was she able to immediately identify her son, the location and the people with him? Did his family know these friends of Samuel?

(snipped by me) See the MSM link in post #2 CANADA - Samuel Bird, 14, Edmonton AB, last seen in West Edmonton - June 1, 2025
Locally (i am in edmonton) the existence of these videos was big news and most people assumed from the jump that sadly Sam was dead. LE never confirmed his identification but his mother believes it IS him, though it's hard to tell as the victim was covering their face. It sounds like the video might have been a closeup of the victim where it was hard to see the perps as well? I think the vid might have been spread thru social media amongst his peers but I've never personally seen it and obviously LE has not released it.

 

[otto]

(snipped by me) See the MSM link in post #2 CANADA - Samuel Bird, 14, Edmonton AB, last seen in West Edmonton - June 1, 2025
Locally (i am in edmonton) the existence of these videos was big news and most people assumed from the jump that sadly Sam was dead. LE never confirmed his identification but his mother believes it IS him, though it's hard to tell as the victim was covering their face. It sounds like the video might have been a closeup of the victim where it was hard to see the perps as well? I think the vid might have been spread thru social media amongst his peers but I've never personally seen it and obviously LE has not released it.

Thank you. That suggests that although there was a video, no one could identify anyone in the video, or the location where the video was made.

I don't think that investigators are at fault for needing time to track Samuel's movements, identify his last known location, gather evidence to support a search warrant, and identify the location where his body will most likely be found.

I don't see any system failure, or any relationship to missing and murdered children (e.g.: Highway of Tears) in Canada.

From reading comments here, it sounds like Samuel was not doing well in school, not involved in hobbies or sports, not happy at home, and that he ultimately connected with others who are not doing well in general.

In some ways, I am reminded of 16 year old Jorydyn Dines, who also struggled socially, also associated with questionable people, and whose body was found in an abandoned car in Southern Alberta in July 2025. The murderer is at fault, no one else.

 

[stonedgnome]

Thank you. That suggests that although there was a video, no one could identify anyone in the video, or the location where the video was made.

I don't think that investigators are at fault for needing time to track Samuel's movements, identify his last known location, gather evidence to support a search warrant, and identify the location where his body will most likely be found.

I don't see any system failure, or any relationship to missing and murdered children (e.g.: Highway of Tears) in Canada.

From reading comments here, it sounds like Samuel was not doing well in school, not involved in hobbies or sports, not happy at home, and that he ultimately connected with others who are not doing well in general.

In some ways, I am reminded of 16 year old Jorydyn Dines, who also struggled socially, also associated with questionable people, and whose body was found in an abandoned car in Southern Alberta in July 2025. The murderer is at fault, no one else.

He is still a missing and murdered child. It took too long for EPS (Edmonton police) to start searching for him and because he is Indigenous, he is now part of the statistic of MMIWC in Canada.

 

[guttertroll]

I don't see any system failure, or any relationship to missing and murdered children (e.g.: Highway of Tears) in Canada.

(snipped by me) You won't find a relationship between this case and a stretch of highway in British Columbia, no. That has nothing to do with this, and is also not the only existence of lack of care and resources towards indigenous people in this country.

He is a missing and (presumed) murdered who is indigenous. That means he does fall within the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people in Canada and his family should be allowed to bring that up.

It boils down to that it shouldn't take a month to have a report out to the public on a missing child, even if there's investigating and following up on. There are multiple missing cases out without that. I'm not saying the police should've been busting doors down day one, but there were faults there in my opinion.

 

[guttertroll]

Family of missing Edmonton teen Samuel Bird pushes to expand search before winter

The search for missing 14-year-old Samuel Bird, now presumed dead by Edmonton police, is taking new form, as his family races to find answers before the winter season sets in. Edmonton Police Service homicide investigators say Samuel was last seen on surveillance video June 1 at 8:30 p.m...

edmonton.citynews.ca

Samuel’s loved ones say they will be taking down the command post in Dawson Park along the river valley to re-focus the search in the zone identified by police.
Farmers and property owners are being advised that volunteers will not be trespassing, but they will search the surrounding areas while wearing bright visibility vests.

“We’ve had one of our friends, his dad brought down four quads from Penticton, B.C. That was literally a couple days right after, so it’s been good. We’ve had a lot of support. We’re just going to keep searching,” said Alanna Bird, Samuel’s mother.

Bird is asking hunters and anyone in the highlighted area to call police if they see anything.

 

[bombardier]

for the sake of family and trace evidence i hope we can find him before it starts snowing...we have maybe a month, month and a half....

 

[bombardier]

btw, does anyone else think the wide map of potential remain locations was likely gathered thru someones phone GPS pings?

 

[otto]

In July, an Indigenous group was contacted to perform ceremonies to determine where Samuel could be found. They told family that Samuel will be found in water. That explains why the family searched the river, and why they were upset that police were not assisting with river searches.

Police have located the vehicle associated with the house where Samuel was last seen.

Struggling with mental health, skipping school, had fallen in with friends that family didn't like, and police initially thought that he was with friends and would return home in a few days.

Indigenous people criticized police for not issuing an Amber Alert, but Samuel's disappearance did not meet criteria for an Amber Alert.

"Bird was supposed to return to his west Edmonton home on June 1.

Family has said he was struggling with mental health issues and was lovesick, and had fallen in with a group of friends they didn’t trust. They said friends who used to call on Bird regularly stopped coming by or sending messages after he vanished. The family has stated that social-media videos are circulating which look to show him being beaten.

They aren’t holding out much hope of finding the boy alive.

In mid-July, when the family and Indigenous groups began organized searches for Bird, there was criticism of Edmonton police’s handling of the file. Police, however, on Aug. 22, deemed his disappearance suspicious.​

Suspicious fire at west Edmonton home linked to missing Samuel Bird case: Police

Police are investigating a suspicious Monday fire at a west Edmonton home officers searched in connection to a missing Edmonton teen.

edmontonjournal.com

Police have found a vehicle of interest in the west Edmonton duplex fire investigation that’s linked to the disappearance of Edmonton teen Samuel Bird.

Two days after announcing they were looking for a white cargo-style minivan believed to be connected to the fire, the Edmonton Police Service said Wednesday the vehicle was located.
...

The duplex is the same house where EPS executed a search warrant on Sept. 18. EPS has confirmed to CityNews the warrant was related to Bird’s disappearance.​

Edmonton police locate vehicle of interest in duplex fire case linked to missing teen

Police have found a vehicle of interest in the west Edmonton duplex fire investigation that’s linked to the disappearance of Edmonton teen Samuel Bird. Two days after announcing they were looking for a white cargo-style minivan believed to be connected to the fire, the Edmonton Police Service...

edmonton.citynews.ca

“The reason we’re doing this search is that we waited a very long time for information to come, to verify that Sam is either here with us or gone to the spirit world,” said Potts. The family sought out “ancestral knowledge” in their search of Samuel. Ceremonies were held.
...

“We were directed to start looking in the water,” said Potts.
...

“We should have had some action right away,” said Coun. Cameron Alexis of the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. “We should be searching the river, we should be searching the riverbank, and all of this should be coordinated. And it’s for far too long that our Indigenous people have been targeted, whether it’s through gangs or otherwise. We’ve said this many times, our people are targeted people.”

“Was there an AMBER alert? If not, why wasn’t there an AMBER alert?” said Grand Chief Greg Desjarlais of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations. “Why did we take so long to report Sam missing?”​

Family, friends scour Edmonton river valley in search of 14-year-old Samuel Bird

Samuel Bird, 14, has been missing since June 1.

edmontonjournal.com

 

[otto]

btw, does anyone else think the wide map of potential remain locations was likely gathered thru someones phone GPS pings?

I think so. I think it took time to get access to Samuel's phone data. Search warrants were issued on Sept 18 (first search of duplex). Police must have tracked phone data from that location to the area where they believe the body will be found.