The search for a man and his two kids, missing for more than a month, has escalated as police now believe the children were abducted on purpose.
On Wednesday, the Edmonton Police Service announced a Canada-wide warrant was issued on Sept. 23 for Scot MacDermid, 42, in relation to two counts of abduction in contravention of a custody order.
That charge is considered when investigators believe a parent or guardian has taken a child under the age of 14, in violation of a valid court order, with the intent of depriving another guardian of possession of the child.
MacDermid and his children, nine-year-old Lesley and six-year-old George, disappeared from north Edmonton on Friday, Aug. 28.
Their last known whereabouts within the city was at the Manning Town Centre shopping complex in northeast Edmonton, near 155 Avenue and 37 Street.
Investigators learned Scot and his children were then seen in Lloydminster that same day, around 6:30 p.m. They were seen with an man who police have since spoken to.
The travel direction of Scot and his children beyond Lloydminster wasn’t known but in a Sept. 17 news release, police believed they may have been seen in Saskatchewan or Manitoba.
The first news release over the trio was issued 12 days after their disappearance on Sept. 8, at which time police said MacDermid has been unreachable and there was concerned for their welfare.
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But now police allege the father kidnapped his kids, and Canada-wide warrants have been issued for Scot MacDermid.
Scot MacDermid is five-feet, five-inches tall and weighs about 160 lbs. Police said he has brown hair and blue eyes.
His son George, who is six, is described as being four-feet, two-inches tall and weighs about 45 lbs. George has short, curly brown hair and brown eyes.
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His daughter Lesley, who is nine, is described as four-feet, four-inches tall and also weighs about 45 lbs. She has medium-length curly brown hair and brown eyes.
While children are missing, police have not issued an Amber Alert, saying the criteria has not been met. Police have remained tight-tipped over the case.
“An AMBER Alert is one tool available to police, but it is not the investigation itself. Finding Lesley and George remains our top priority,” said a statement from Staff Sgt. Robert Davis with the EPS child protection section. “We want the community to know that we are working to locate the children safely.”
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Scot, George or Lesley is asked to call the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.
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