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A timeline in the disappearance of five-year-old Taliyah Marsman in Calgary

Jul 14, 2016 | 3:00 PM

CALGARY — The search for missing five-year-old Taliyah Marsman came to a tragic end Thursday with the discovery of her body in a rural area east of Calgary. The body of the child’s mother, Sara Baillie, was found Monday night. Here is a look at how events unfolded in the case:

Sunday 11:30 a.m. — Taliyah is last seen by her extended family.

Sunday 5:30 p.m. — Security cameras show Baillie with her daughter at a Dairy Queen restaurant not far from the home. Baillie is seen speaking with a family at the restaurant.

Monday 11:30 a.m. — A girl matching Taliyah’s description is seen near the family’s home with a stocky, black male. She is carrying a suitcase.

Monday 8:30 p.m. — Baillie’s relatives call police, concerned that she didn’t show up for her job at the Calgary airport Chili’s. Officers arrive and find Baillie’s body in the basement suite where she lived with Taliyah. There is no sign of the girl.

Tuesday 1:40 a.m. — Police declare an Amber Alert for Taliyah.

Tuesday 4:45 a.m. — Police publicly reveal that Taliyah’s mother is dead and her car has been found near the home.

Tuesday 7 a.m. — Police hold a news conference. They say they are considering all options in their investigation. They say Baillie and Taliyah’s father, Colin Marsman, are estranged and there is a history of domestic violence. Police say Marsman is co-operating with the investigation.

Tuesday noon — Baillie’s distraught family members plead for Taliyah’s safe return at a news conference with police.

Wednesday 11 a.m. — Taliyah’s father releases a statement through a friend pleading for anyone with information to “do the right thing.”

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.

Wednesday 10:30 p.m. — Police take into custody a man they believe was involved in Taliyah’s disappearance. Police don’t release any details about his identity other than to say he is not Taliyah’s father and it’s believed he is connected to Baillie.

Thursday 5:20 a.m. — Police announce that a ground search has been launched in a rural area east of Calgary near the bedroom community of Chestermere. “They are hoping to find Taliyah,” police say.

Thursday 2:30 p.m. — Police call the man in custody a suspect and say he is offering “zero co-operation.” They say he has an “extensive criminal history” and was known to both Taliyah’s mother and father. They also believe he is the same man witnesses saw with a girl who looked like Taliyah. They believe he and the girl got out of Baillie’s car and drove off in a grey sedan on Monday morning.

Thursday 9:04 p.m. — Police issue a news release saying Taliyah’s body has been found.

Thursday 10 p.m. — Police hold a news conference and say two charges of first-degree murder have been laid against Edward Delten Downey, 46. They reveal that Taliyah had already been killed before police were first called: “There was nothing we could do before we even got involved.”

 

The Canadian Press