Calgary police have released images of a car seen driving close to where homicide victim Sara Baillie’s car was recovered. CCTV footage obtained shows the car around the time when Taliyah Leigh Marsman was last believed to have been seen.
Calgary police have charged a 46-year-old man with two counts of first-degree murder after officers found what they believe to be the body of five-year-old Taliyah Leigh Marsman on Thursday evening. Her mother was found dead Monday evening.
Edward Delten Downey, the alleged double-murderer from Calgary, knew Taliyah and her mother Sara Baillie, Calgary Police Service said Thursday evening. Police have not been able to pinpoint the suspect's motive. Mr. Downey has an extensive criminal history, according to police.
Investigators found what they believe to be Taliyah's body in a rural area east of Calgary around 7:15 p.m. local time. The case began Monday evening when investigators were called to Ms. Baillie's basement suite when she did not show up for work. Ms. Baillie was dead but Taliyah was not there. Witnesses later told police believe they saw a child who looked like Taliyah with an unknown man Monday at 11:30 a.m.
CPS now believes Taliyah was killed before police were called to Ms. Baillie's residence.
"The timeline of events through the investigation would suggest that both events occurred prior to police involvement on Monday," Inspector Don Coleman said Thursday evening. "We believe that this incident had concluded sometime [Monday] afternoon."
He added: "By the timeline...there was nothing we could do."
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Mr. Downey will remain in custody until his next court appearance, Insp. Coleman said. It is scheduled for July 20. Mr. Downey was showing "limited cooperation" with investigators Thursday evening, Insp. Coleman said. Previously, the suspect was uncooperative.
"At this point, Mr. Downey is our only suspect," Insp. Coleman said.
CPS believes Mr. Downey knows Colin Marsman, Taliyah's father and Ms. Baillie's estranged partner.
Mr. Downey occasionally goes by the last name Simmonds, CPS said. Other reports gave conflicting spellings for Simmonds.
CPS expects an autopsy on the child's body to take place Friday. Investigators are not releasing the cause of Ms. Baillie's death. She was 34.
Ms. Baillie and Taliyah lived Calgary's Panorama Hills neighbourhood in the city's northwest quadrant.
Witnesses believe that they saw Taliyah with a "stocky, black" man around 11:30 a.m. on Monday near her home. The child and man walked from Ms. Baillie's abandoned car to a grey sedan, witnesses told police.
CPS believes that man was Mr. Downey.
Investigators picked up Mr. Downey in a grey sedan Wednesday evening near a strip mall in Calgary's northeast.
Between 50 and 75 CPS and RCMP officers searched a rural area about 35 kilometres east of Calgary looking for clues on Thursday. "Several investigative strategies led us to believe [the suspect] was briefly in that area," Insp. Coleman said at the afternoon press conference. The search for evidence will continue Friday.
Friends and family say Ms. Baillie's world revolved around Taliyah.
"[Sara] was just so supportive," said Michelle Godin, a family friend and dance teacher at the studio Taliyah attended. "There was a year when Taliyah was dancing onstage and in the dress rehearsal, she was just doing so great and so awesome and just having a blast. She had that crazy energetic smile that she has.
"And then somehow, in the real show, she was a little nervous and Taliyah ended up crying and not having a great time really on stage," Ms. Godin said. "But I remember seeing Sara just pick her up and say: 'It's all good, dude. Dance is fun. Let's just keep going.'"
Ms. Baillie also enjoyed clubbing with her pals. "We would find a small place that wasn't too busy and just kind of find a dance floor where we could let loose on our own," Ms. Godin said. "Just us. Just the people that you know and the people that want to have a good time with."
Ariel Yaskow worked with Ms. Baillie for a stretch at Chili's Grill & Bar in Calgary's airport. Ms. Yaskow was pregnant at the time and her co-worker shared parenting and pregnancy tips.
"There was a couple times where she'd come in the bathroom when I was throwing up [with morning sickness] and she would offer her help. She'd say: 'Can I hold your hair? Do you need anything?'"
Carrie Tait