Missing 11-year-old Calgary boy Parker found dead after extensive two-week search

Calgary police have confirmed that 11-year-old Parker, who had been missing for the past two weeks, has been found dead following one of the largest search operations in the city's history.

According to Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan, Parker, who was autistic and non-verbal, disappeared from a day home on July 16. His body was discovered at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday inside a small pipe located approximately 137 to 152 metres into a tunnel near Deerfoot Trail. The location is about one kilometre from Connaught Drive N.W., where he was last seen.

Police said the discovery followed a public tip received Tuesday after a person found a child's shoe near the outlet of a drainage tunnel in a green space west of Deerfoot Trail. Search teams later located a second shoe before conducting a detailed search of the underground pipe system, where Parker's body was found. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death remains ongoing.

The search for Parker involved hundreds of police officers, search-and-rescue teams, police dogs and thousands of community volunteers, making it one of Calgary's largest missing-person searches. Authorities have not released additional details about the cause of death.

The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of condolences from the community. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and other leaders expressed sympathy to Parker's family as they mourn the loss.