May 30, 2025 – PICTOU COUNTY, NS

Nearly four weeks after siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan were reported missing, the RCMP has announced a renewed ground search scheduled to begin this weekend in the wooded areas surrounding Gairloch Road and a nearby pipeline trail. The move comes amid growing public scrutiny and a mounting demand for answers as the case continues to raise more questions than it resolves.

Six-year-old Lilly and four-year-old Jack were reported missing on May 2 from their family home in Lansdowne Station. However, investigators recently confirmed that the children were last seen alive the day before – on May 1 – based on newly reviewed video footage showing them in public with family members. This revision to the timeline has shifted the scope of the investigation and has amplified concerns over why this footage was not disclosed sooner.

To date, the RCMP has received more than 355 tips and formally interviewed over 50 individuals. Despite these efforts, no trace of the children has been found. The absence of physical evidence – clothing, shoes, scent trails – has fueled growing skepticism among the public and online communities, many of whom are questioning whether the “wandering off” theory still holds weight.

The RCMP is once again asking the public for assistance, particularly for dashcam or surveillance footage from April 28 to May 2 along Gairloch Road. Investigators believe even minor details could be critical in piecing together what happened during that window of time.

Saturday’s renewed search effort will focus on areas informed by this shifting timeline and newly acquired data, though authorities have not confirmed what specifically prompted the decision to return to the field. Previously, large-scale ground searches were scaled back on May 7 due to difficult terrain and lack of new leads.

Meanwhile, public attention remains fixed on the differing behaviors of the children’s caregivers. The stepfather, Daniel Martell, has continued to engage with media, submitting to a polygraph and publicly cooperating with investigators. In contrast, the children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, reportedly left the area shortly after the disappearance and has remained absent from public appeals – an absence that continues to draw concern and speculation.

As the RCMP reengages with the physical search, the broader questions remain: What really happened between May 1 and May 2? Why has there been such limited communication about the children’s home environment, last known movements, or possible witnesses? And why, in a case involving two missing children, does the public still seem to be working with incomplete information?

The search resumes – but so does the uncertainty.

If you have any footage or information that could aid in the investigation, please contact the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit at 902-896-5060 or submit anonymous tips via Crime Stoppers at crimestoppers.ns.ca.