In the update on Wednesday, police said witnesses also reported seeing a girl matching Marsman’s description with a stocky, black man in the vicinity of where her mother’s auto was found on Panamount Boulevard N.W.
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An Amber Alert was issued for five-year-old Taliyah Marsman after her mom was found dead in their Calgary home.
Police took Downey into custody for questioning Wednesday night at a Calgary strip mall.
Yesterday Calgary Police said a girl matching Taliyah’s description was spotted just hours before her mother’s body was found, and they have reason to believe Taliyah is being cared for.
Coleman said Baillie, 34, knew the suspect, as did Taliyah’s father, Colin Marsman.
The cause of death has not been determined for either victim, Coleman said.
Police Chief Roger Chaffin said 100 officers had been working around the clock the last number of days.
Police said they aren’t ruling anything out in their search for the little girl, and have faith she will be found safe.
The body was discovered Thursday afternoon but investigators did not reveal the exact location as to protect the integrity of the site for further investigation. Coleman said he was giving “zero co-operation” to investigators, though he later amended that to “limited” co-operation.
“I can tell you that the timeline of events through the investigation would suggest that the entire – both events – occurred prior to police involvement on Monday”.
He described the two as “inseparable” and said Taliyah “worshipped” her mother. Madison and Taliyah went to the same daycare and Brignall said she’d run into Baillie when the mothers picked up and dropped off their kids.
After concerned family members contacted the local authorities to inform them that Baillie had not shown up for work on Monday, July 10, police paid a visit to the woman’s rented Panorama Hills home.
Police have not identified the man, who has not been charged, but said at a news conference Thursday that he has an extensive criminal history, including violent offences. According to Huffington Post Canada, Downey is now being held in custody, where he will remain until his court hearing on July 20. “They are completely devastated by the loss as am I”.
CPS expects an autopsy on the child’s body to take place Friday.
The AMBER Alert has now been cancelled.
No other suspects are being sought.
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Wednesday 2 p.m. – Police release the Dairy Queen footage along with the detail from witnesses who may have seen the girl in the neighbourhood Monday morning.
