The remains of 14-year-old Samuel Bird have been located and a murder charge has been laid in his death, police said Thursday.
His mother, Alanna Bird, announced on social media Thursday that the remains of the boy had been located.
Edmonton Police Service later said in a news release that the remains were located in a rural area outside Edmonton.
Police said Bryan Farrell, 38, was arrested and charged Wednesday with second-degree murder and interfering with a body in relation to Bird’s death.
Farrell has also been charged with 13 other offences, including: aggravated assault, arson to property with disregard for human life, unauthorized possession of a firearm, assaulting a peace officer with a weapon, uttering threats and fraud over $5,000.
Police said they are not looking for any other suspect in Bird’s death and Farrell is the only person charged.
Bird, a member of Paul First Nation, has been missing since June 1, after he left his west Edmonton home to visit a friend.
He was seen on surveillance video at approximately 8:30 p.m. that night, walking through the grounds of Holy Cross School in the city’s west end, investigators said in a news release.
He was last seen at the home of a friend in the area of 150th Street and 106th Avenue, where police conducted a search warrant in September.
Earlier this month police said the disappearance was considered criminal, stating that investigators believe he’s dead, and that his body was taken and concealed outside the city.
“After a lengthy and complex investigation, we are pleased to be able to conclude this file and hopefully bring some measure of resolution and justice to Samuel’s loved ones, who have been searching tirelessly for him,” said primary investigator Det. Jared Buhler, with the EPS homicide section, in a news release Thursday.
