A massive search by Calgary police and RCMP is underway on a rural property near Airdrie as police investigate the disappearance of Nathan O'Brien and his grandparents, who were reported missing Monday.
Police say a vehicle was found on the scene that was similar to the description of the green Ford F150 that was seen driving around the family's Parkhill neighborhood several times on the night the three disappeared.
A man from the residence near Airdrie has been taken in for questioning, but police say it is too early to determine if that man, the vehicle or the property currently being searched are linked to the case.
On Friday evening, police received a tip from the public that led them to the property, located just on the northeast outskirts of Airdrie.
Officers are expected to remain at the property for the next 24 to 36 hours as they search for evidence in the high-profile missing people’s investigation, which has captured international attention.
"If this lead turns out to be something we're very interested in, we want to make sure we cover every avenue; we want to cover off that ground as quickly as we can," duty inspector Joel Matthews said.
Police don't know whether they are any closer to finding the three missing family members or whether they are still alive, Matthews said.
While combing through the acreage near Airdrie, officers hope to find “anything that will help us solve this file and help us find the family,” he said.
The man in custody is a “person of interest” officers hope will offer new information into the case.
More than10 police vehicles, including an RCMP special tactical operations truck, had been parked outside the rural acreage near Airdrie earlier Saturday, though several vehicles left later in the afternoon.
Corissa Boychuk, who lives nearby, said she saw police officers outside the same rural property Saturday at midnight and again at 11 a.m. She said the scene was unusual for the rural area, which offers panoramic views of farmland.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in Airdrie, let alone out in the country outside Airdrie,” Boychuk said.
Officers separately ended a ground search for the three family members and clues about their disappearance, just hours after launching it in the area surrounding the Likneses’ home in southwest Calgary. Matthews said the search was complete.
More than30 search and rescue crews and over 20 police officers had been expected to search an area bounded roughly by 42 Avenue S.W., Macleod Trail, Mission Road and the Elbow River. Police said it's a best practice to return to the scene of an abduction five to seven days afterward, with research suggesting fresh searches have proven to be helpful in finding missing persons.
Before the search ended, police said crews were going to comb through yards, green spaces and ask to inspect about 300 homes in the area throughout Saturday and possibly into Sunday.
Police say the Amber Alert remains in effect and the appeal for any information relating to the disappearance of the family members or the location of the green F150continues.
Nathan was last seen by his mother when she dropped him off at his grandparents' home Sunday night. Police believe Nathan and the Likneses had been taken from the home against their will by Monday morning.
Investigators said a violent struggle took place inside the Likneses' Parkhill home before they vanished along with Nathan. Officers suspect at least one of them has been injured - they are still waiting for forensic testing to find out who was hurt.
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