Family of slain Calgary woman plead for return of her daughter

Police in Calgary say they aren’t ruling anything out in their search for a missing five year old whose mother was found dead.

Insp. Don Coleman says that includes the possibility that Taliyah Leigh Marsman was dropped off with someone who has yet to realize the girl is the subject of an Amber Alert.

“Anything’s possible, including that whoever may have committed the offence and taken Taliyah has dropped her off with other people and those other people may not know that Taliyah’s mother has been the victim of a homicide,” Coleman told reporters at a news conference Tuesday morning.

Coleman said family members became concerned when Taliyah’s mother didn’t show up to work on Monday.

When police went her home in the 1000 block of Panamount Boulevard at 8:30 p.m., they found the woman, in her 30’s, deceased in the home. There was no sign of the child and an Amber Alert was issued overnight.

CityNews has confirmed that the deceased mother is Sara Baillie.

Scott Hamilton, uncle of the slain woman, is asking whoever has Taliyah to drop her off at a police station, a grocery story, a gas station, or anywhere else.

He says the family will pick her up and no questions will be asked.

“Sara was a beautiful young woman who was single handily raising her daughter. We love her and we miss her,” said Hamilton. “Sara worshiped Taliyah, Taliyah worshipped Sara. It was a very awesome relationship to see between a mother and daughter.”

Hamilton and his wife would often take care of Taliyah and said that she enjoyed playing on her iPad or riding her bicycle.

“The bicycle sits in our garage waiting for her to come back,” said Hamilton through tears.

Coleman said Taliyah’s father is estranged from her mother and he is co-operating with the investigation.

He said the couple had a “limited” history of domestic violence “both reported and unreported,” but did not elaborate.

Taliyah is described as a mixed-race child with a slim build, brown curly hair and blue eyes.

The mother’s car, which police initially said may have been connected to the disappearance was found not far from the home. Coleman said it has been seized by forensic investigators.

The man who owns the house in a quiet northwest Calgary neighbourhood said the woman and her daughter moved into his suite May 1 and were good tenants.

Olumuyiwa Dada said family members came by on Monday looking for the woman and he did not see or hear anything in the downstairs apartment.

He said he has never met the five-year-old’s father.

He said the last time he saw his tenants was last week when they were coming home with groceries.

“No stress. No problems,” Dada said.

Yellow police tape blocked off the stairway down to the suite’s entrance at the back of the house.

“I’m really feeling down because I only see things like this on the TV,” he said. “I don’t really understand what is happening myself. I’m really in shock.”

Coleman said he is not convinced a stranger was involved in the child’s disappearance.

“That’s all part of the witness interviews and interviewing family to try and figure out who may have been coming and going from the residence, any relationships that she may have had. There is a whole host of investigative avenues to cover off in a short period of time,” he said. “Our primary focus is the safe return of Taliyah.”

“She will be found, it is just a matter of time,” said Hamilton.