BEAVERLODGE, ALTA, - Two children at the centre of a high-profile Alberta Amber Alert investigation have been found safe in British Columbia, ending a search that spanned multiple provinces and territories.
The Alberta RCMP Major Crimes Unit announced Friday that six-year-old Lanakai Morrison and four-year-old Kark Morrison were located safely on September 17 in West Kelowna, B.C., following what police described as an extensive investigation.
The search began on July 7, when the children were reported missing. Investigators said the case led them across multiple jurisdictions in Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Yukon as they pursued numerous leads and conducted searches on rural properties.
Police said Krista Morrison and Daniel Ludwig were also located in West Kelowna and arrested without incident on outstanding warrants.
Both have been charged with contravening a custody order. Investigators are seeking to have them detained and returned to Alberta to face justice proceedings.
The case first drew widespread attention in July when an Amber Alert was issued after police alleged Lanakai Morrison had been taken from the Beaverlodge area by his mother.
Amber Alert criteria
Police said there was some confusion about the Amber Alert and who it pertained to as the case played out because provinces set the rules for issuing an Amber Alert, and the criteria for issuing one varies by jurisdiction.
“In the province of Alberta, the Amber Alert programme is a separate entity from the police. We have no say on what the criteria is that the Amber Alert is issued,” Staff Sgt. Derrick Gladdish told reporters.
“The criteria was met for [the older boy] and then after a certain amount of time, the criteria was no longer met.”
The younger boy was never part of an official Amber Alert.
“The apprehension order for [the younger boy] comes from the Children’s and Family Services, not the family court order,” Gladdish said.
“By the time we requested that [the younger boy] be added to the Amber Alert, it was no longer in place.”
The two boys are currently in the custody of the ministry of children’s and family services in B.C. and police say they are in the process of being transferred to Children’s and Family Services in Alberta.
According to RCMP, approximately 70 Alberta-based investigators, along with civilian support staff, contributed to the investigation at various stages.
The effort also involved assistance from RCMP units in British Columbia, including emergency response teams, federal policing, air services and officers from the Kelowna and West Kelowna detachments.
“This investigation demonstrates the dedication and persistence of investigators and the value of collaboration across multiple RCMP units and jurisdictions,” said Inspector Breanne Brown, acting officer in charge of the Alberta RCMP Serious Crimes Branch.
Brown said cooperation between Alberta and B.C. personnel played a key role in safely locating the children and bringing the investigation to a successful conclusion.
RCMP thanked members of the public and media organizations who shared information during the search and helped keep the case in the public eye.
To protect the privacy of the children, police said no further details will be released.
With files from CTV Edmonton’s Karyn Mulcahy