The Amber Alert for a six-year-old Alberta boy is still active, and RCMP have changed several key details as the search stretches into a second full day.
Lanakai Morrison was abducted on July 7 from the hamlet of Valhalla Centre, roughly 63 kilometres northwest of Grande Prairie, RCMP say. We reported on the alert when it was first issued.
https://www.culturealberta.com/articles/amber-alert-in-effect-for-6-year-old-lanakai-morrison-abducted-near-beaverlodge-alberta
Since then, police have updated the vehicle, widened the search area, and confirmed what set the incident in motion.
What's changed
The biggest update is the vehicle. Police now believe the group is travelling in a 2006 red Ford F350 with Alberta licence plate CXW8820. The 2015 black Toyota Tundra named in the original alert has been found by officers, which is why the description has switched to the Ford.
The search area has also been redrawn. The alert now covers everyone north of Grande Cache, up to Chateh, and within the northern and western provincial boundaries, a vast stretch of northwestern Alberta. RCMP say they still have reason to believe the group has stayed in the Beaverlodge area, but that they have no information pointing anywhere else.
"At this point in time, we have reason to believe that they have remained within the area of Beaverlodge," RCMP Const. Sandra Geiger said Thursday. "However, we do not have any other information guiding us elsewhere."
Why the alert was issued
RCMP have now confirmed what triggered the situation: a family court order involving Lanakai.
"From what I understand, RCMP were called to assist with the court order, and so from that this incident has transpired," Geiger said. Police have not released further detail about the order, which is standard while the search is active and the matter is before the courts.
Who to look for
Lanakai Morrison, the missing child, is six years old, white, male, with a slight build, long light brown hair, and brown eyes.
Police believe he is with his mother, Krista Morrison, 35, described as five foot eight, medium build, with long dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Two others may be with them. Daniel Ludwig, 35, is described as a white male, five foot eleven, large build, with a shaved head and brown eyes. He was described in the earlier alert as having brown hair. Also with the group is a second child, Karl Morrison, four years old, white, male, slight build, with long dirty blonde hair and brown eyes.
The vehicle to watch for
This is the detail most likely to locate them: a 2006 red Ford F350, Alberta plate CXW8820. A red heavy-duty pickup with that plate, seen anywhere in the region, is exactly what RCMP are asking the public to report.
What to do if you see them
Do not approach. If you see the child, the truck, or anyone described in the alert, call 911 immediately, or Beaverlodge RCMP at 780-354-2955. As of Thursday evening, RCMP said they could not confirm any sightings but were actively working through tips from what Geiger called a "highly engaged" public.
Where this stands
The alert was first issued early Thursday morning and remained in effect into the evening. The recovery of the Tundra shows the investigation is moving, but with the group believed to still be somewhere in the Beaverlodge area and no confirmed sightings, the public's eyes on that red Ford remain the fastest route to finding the two children.
This is an active alert. We will update this story the moment RCMP release new information or the alert is cancelled.
When an Amber Alert involves a parent
Not every Amber Alert is a stranger abduction. A significant share, in Canada, often the majority, involve a parent or family member, frequently tied to a custody dispute or a court order, as police say this one is.
That does not make them less serious. Amber Alerts are only issued when police believe a child is in danger, and the parental connection is exactly why they can be hard to resolve: a parent knows the child, can travel with them without raising alarm, and may have somewhere familiar to go. The public warning exists because, danger aside, the fastest way to locate a child on the move is thousands of people watching for one specific vehicle.
RCMP have not detailed the court order behind this case, and the allegations have not been tested. What matters right now is narrow and practical: two young children are the subject of an active alert, and anyone who spots that red Ford F350 should call 911.
Sources:
Alberta Emergency Alert / Beaverlodge RCMP, updated Amber Alert, July 9, 2026 (emergencyalert.alberta.ca)
Alberta RCMP, statements from Const. Sandra Geiger, July 9, 2026
Culture Alberta, our earlier coverage of the Amber Alert when it was issued
