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Calgary teen found dead had been in provincial care

CBC News has confirmed that a teen who was found dead in his parents' northwest Calgary home had once been in the care of social services in British Columbia.

Teen, who was home schooled, had been returned to his parents before moving to Calgary

EXCLUSIVE: Details on Calgary teen found dead

11 years ago
Duration 2:13
CBC News has confirmed that a teen who was found dead in his parents' northwest Calgary home had once been in the care of social services in British Columbia

CBC News has confirmed that a teen who was found dead in his parents' northwest Calgary home had once been in the care of social services in British Columbia.

The investigation into the death of teen in Calgary's northwest community of Citadel is still underway. Police have so far deemed the death as suspicious. (Justin Pennell/CBC)

Calgary police say the investigation is ongoing but the boy's death is classified as suspicious.

Police and EMS crewsfound the teenager emaciated ina housein the 100 block of Citadel Drive N.W. earlier this month.

He looked starved, sources tell CBC News.The disturbing discovery led many officers and EMS personnel to seek peer counselling.

"Nobody expects to ever see a child who is the victim of a horrific crime or a death," saidRick Hanson, Calgary's police chief.

"Idon't think a police officer ever forgets certain crime scenes and any crime scene that involves a child is the toughest for any member."

Officialshave not released the cause of death and investigators are still waiting forfurther analysis from the medical examiner's office.

Police confirm they did not know the family and were never called to the home.

Teen also had diabetes

The boy, believed to be 15, and his family moved to Calgary from British Columbia, although when that happened is unclear.

Sources with knowledge of the police investigation confirm the teen had been in the care of B.C.'s social services, butwas eventually returned to his parents.

Theteen alsosuffered from diabetes, according to sources,although it's unknown what roleif anythat disease played in his death. The teen was home schooled.

CBC News did reach out to the family today, but no one wanted to make a statement.

Alberta's Human Servicesdepartment also won'tdiscuss what happened to the teen.

A spokespersonsaidthere would be no information sharing between provinces if an investigation into a youth under the care of social services has wrapped up.

"If a family had a closed file, and unless that file was reopened, we may or may not know if that family was doing well or not doing well until we receive new information at a later point," saidRoxanne Dube Coelho with Alberta Human Services.

"If the file has been closed... there is good reason it's been closed, that means that the family is doing well. We might not even know that there is a family here who might be in need[or] who might have had history of child welfare involvement in another province."

With files from CBC's Meghan Grant