Parker, an 11-year-old non-verbal boy with autism, shown in this undated handout photo, went missing from a day home in Calgary’s north end on Thursday, July 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout – Calgary Police Service (Mandatory Credit)
By The Canadian Press
Jul 30, 2026 | 2:00 AM
CALGARY — A non-profit representing Canadians with autism says better emergency alert systems for missing vulnerable people are needed after the death of a Calgary boy.
Police found the body of 11-year-old Parker on Wednesday afternoon in a labyrinth of water pipes under the city, nearly two weeks after he was first reported missing from a northside day home.
There was a massive search for the boy, who had autism and was non-verbal, that saw hundreds of officers and volunteers scour city blocks and play his favourite Disney songs to try to draw him out.
The search also raised questions about how to alert the public when vulnerable children disappear.