Disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan
 Lilly Sullivan, left, and Jack Sullivan, right | |
| Date | May 2, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Duration | Missing for 2 months and 5 days |
| Location | Pictou County, Nova Scotia |
| Coordinates | 45°25'50"N 62°49'22"W |
| Outcome | Unsolved |
| Missing |
|
Canadian siblings Lilly Sullivan (born 2018 or 2019) and Jack Sullivan (born 2020 or 2021) disappeared from their rural home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia on May 2, 2025.[1][2]
A large-scale search effort was undertaken in the days immediately following their disappearance, which was mostly scaled back on May 7 after no trace of the children was found. Several further individual organized search efforts have taken place in the weeks since, which have not resulted in any significant findings.[3] Police investigation into the disappearance has included interviews of at least 54 individuals, some of whom were administered polygraph testing.[4] Authorities have stated that there is no evidence that the children were abducted, but that they have "not ruled out" that the disappearance is suspicious.[5][6]
The case has captured widespread attention both across Canada and around the world[4][7] due to the unusual circumstances surrounding the disappearance. As of June 2025, the Government of Nova Scotia is offering a reward of up to $150,000 for information that is deemed to be of "investigative value" to the search for the missing siblings.[7][8]
Background
[edit]The Sullivan siblings lived with their biological mother Malehya Brooks-Murray and their stepfather Daniel Martell in a rural property on Gairloch Road, in Landsdowne, Nova Scotia, described as being surrounded by woods, steep banks, and thick brush. According to Martell, both siblings were kept home from school on both Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2 because Lilly "had a cough". They had also not been at school on Wednesday, April 30, because there was no school due to a professional development day for teachers.[2][9] The siblings were seen in public with family on May 1, the day prior to their reported disappearance.[10][11]
Disappearance
[edit]On the morning of May 2, Martell and Brooks-Murray claim that while they were both in the bedroom with their one-year-old daughter, Lilly came in and out of the bedroom several times, and Jack could be heard in the kitchen. Shortly afterward, they say they could no longer hear either of them, and never saw the two children again. Martell stated his belief that the siblings likely opened the home's back sliding door, which is purportedly silent when operated, and went outside. Brooks-Murray stated that she and Martell looked for the siblings outside, yelling out for them. Around 10:00 a.m., Brooks-Murray called 9-1-1 to report them missing. Lilly is said to have likely been wearing a pink sweater, pink pants, and pink boots, and Jack blue dinosaur boots, when they disappeared.[12][13]
Aftermath and investigation
[edit]May 2025
[edit]At 12:25 p.m. ADT on May 2, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) issued a statement notifying the public about the disappearance, asking anyone who may have information to come forward. At the time, police stated their belief that the children had wandered away from their home, and that there was no evidence of abduction. At 4:55 p.m., police issued an update advising a vulnerable missing persons advisory had been issued for Pictou County, and asking the public to stay clear of the area where the disappearance is said to have taken place.[2]
On May 3, police and volunteers numbering at least 100 searched the area surrounding the siblings' home using ground search, dogs, drones, and helicopters to aid in the search. The siblings' mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, spoke to CTV News and stated that she was still "hopeful" the children would be located, saying "we just want them home as soon as possible". She further elaborated, saying that "[the night of May 2] was one of the worst nights because I didn’t have them in their beds, and I don’t want to go another night without them".[12] The same day, Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston released a statement: "People in Pictou County and across Nova Scotia are praying for a positive outcome for two missing children. During this time of worry, please know that our first responders and volunteers are working tirelessly during this 24/7 operation".[2]
By May 4, the number of people searching had reached 160, according to RCMP staff sergeant Curtis MacKinnon. Martell said he wanted authorites to "monitor the New Brunswick border" and nearby airports in case the children were abducted.[2] On May 6, Martell told CBC News that after the siblings' disappearance, their mother left the area to be with her family in another part of Nova Scotia, and blocked him on social media. The siblings' maternal grandmother Cyndy Murray spoke with The Canadian Press over the phone, stating that the family is hoping and praying for the recovery of the children. She also stated that police had advised the family "against speaking to the media".[2][9]
On May 7, police announced that the search for the missing children had been "scaled back", with staff sergeant MacKinnon saying that there hadn't "been any confirmed sightings" of the children and that it was unlikely they were still alive. On May 18, a renewed search took place with 115 volunteers in addition to police personnel.[14][9][13]
On May 28, a RCMP Major Crime Unit representative disclosed that the siblings were confirmed to have been "observed in public with family members" on May 1, the day before they were reported missing by their mother and stepfather.[10] The location of where they were observed has not been made public by authorities.[11] Regarding this development, the siblings' stepfather Martell told CBC News that the police had retrieved surveillance footage of himself, Brooks-Murray, their one-year-old baby, as well as Lilly and Jack in nearby New Glasgow, but that the precise location of where the footage took place could not be disclosed because it may impact the ongoing investigation.[15]
June 2025
[edit]On June 11, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police agency provided an update on the case stating that their "intensive approach" to the investigation is continuing. The police agency elaborated that the investigation may take "longer than" they had hoped, and that they are considering all possible scenarios and are partnering with agencies across the country. The agency said more than 11 Nova Scotia RCMP units are working on the case, including the Major Crime Unit and the Criminal Analysis Service.[16][17][18]
The agency disclosed key details of the ongoing investigation, including that "hundreds of hours" of video of the areas surrounding the location of the disappearance had been collected, that they had formally interviewed 54 people in connection with the investigation which included the administration of polygraph testing, and that many of the 488 tips they've received have been assessed. The agency confirmed they'd been granted numerous legal authorizations to seize and examine materials and devices that may prove useful to the investigation. Corporal Sandy Matharu, identified as the lead investigator on the case, stated that the RCMP is "accessing, evaluating and analyzing a significant volume of information from a variety of sources", and that they have a "very coordinated and deliberate approach" which they say will ensure that "all information is meticulously scrutinized, prioritized and actioned to ensure nothing is missed".[16][17][18][4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "MCSC - Missing Children Cases". Missing Children Society of Canada. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "2 Nova Scotia children are still missing. Here's a timeline of the case". CBC News. May 16, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ Jerrett, Andrea (May 30, 2025). "Search for missing N.S. children to resume in Pictou County this weekend". CTV News. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ a b c Sundel, Jenna (June 11, 2025). "Lilly and Jack Sullivan Update: Officials Conduct Polygraph Interviews". Newsweek. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "What we know about the search for missing N.S. children". CBC News.
- ^ "Three weeks since two young children reported missing in rural Nova Scotia". CTV News. May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ a b Cuthbertson, Richard (June 19, 2025). "N.S. offers $150K for information about disappearance of Jack and Lilly Sullivan". CBC News. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ Lau, Rebecca (June 19, 2025). "N.S. missing kids: Province offers $150K reward in search for Lilly and Jack". Global News. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c Silverman, Hollie (May 10, 2025). "Lilly and Jack Sullivan: Latest Update as Kids Missing for Over a Week". Newsweek. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ a b Lambie, Chris (May 28, 2025). "Missing Nova Scotia siblings, Lilly and Jack, were seen with family the day before they disappeared". National Post. Archived from the original on May 28, 2025. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ a b Taheri, Mandy (May 28, 2025). "Lilly and Jack Update: Police Release New Information on Missing Kids". Newsweek. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ a b Tsicos, Stephanie (May 3, 2025). "'We just want them home': Mother of missing children in Nova Scotia's Pictou County pleads for safe return". CTV News. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ a b Cecco, Leyland (May 7, 2025). "Canadian police scale back search for two children missing in woods for six days". The Guardian. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ Rodrigues, Gabby (May 23, 2025). "Police remain silent as Nova Scotia missing kids investigation hits Week 3". Global News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
- ^ Thomson, Aly (May 30, 2025). "4 weeks after disappearance of N.S. children, stepfather remains hopeful". CBC News. Retrieved May 31, 2025.
- ^ a b "Nova Scotia RCMP's intensive approach to missing persons investigation continues". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ a b O'Neill, Natasha (June 19, 2025). "Province offering $150K for information in missing Sullivan children case". City News Kitchener. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Lau, Rebecca (June 11, 2025). "N.S. missing kids: RCMP say search for Lilly and Jack 'may take longer' than hoped". Global News. Retrieved June 28, 2025.