Edmonton police believe they have discovered the remains of an eight-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered. In a news release on Saturday, investigators announced that they had found the child’s remains earlier that day on the Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis, south of Edmonton. While detectives are confident the remains belong to the missing girl, they are awaiting forensic confirmation from an autopsy scheduled for Monday.
On Friday, a 27-year-old woman was charged with first-degree murder and indignity to a body, while a 66-year-old was charged with accessory to first-degree murder and indignity to a dead body. Police were initially alerted to a welfare call related to the child on Monday, but officers were unable to locate her and believed she was deceased.
A 25-year-old man has also been charged with accessory after the fact to murder and causing indignity to a dead body, according to the news release. The suspects and the child, who knew each other, have not been identified by the authorities in order to protect the identities of other children related to the victim.
Staff Sgt. Colin Leathem of the EPS Homicide Section expressed gratitude for the support of the RCMP and the Band leaders of Samson Cree Nation, who helped facilitate the search and recovery of the remains. However, Leathem also acknowledged that there is still much work to be done in the investigation. Police say they will provide further updates on Monday after the autopsy.