4 weeks after disappearance of N.S. children, stepfather remains hopeful

Aly Thomson · CBC News

· Posted: May 30, 2025 1:45 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Four weeks after 2 children vanished without a hint successful agrarian Nova Scotia, the children's stepfather is inactive holding connected to hope.

Lilly Sullivan, 6, and her member Jack Sullivan, 4, person been missing since May 2, erstwhile constabulary received a 911 telephone from their parent and stepfather reporting they had wandered distant from their location successful Lansdowne Station, a sparsely populated area about 140 kilometres northeast of Halifax.

The disappearance sparked an extended six-day hunt done 5.5 quadrate kilometres of mostly dense woods and included upward of 160 hunt and rescue officials, dogs, helicopters and drones.

The effort was scaled backmost connected May 7, but consequent searches person taken place, including crushed searches around the children's location connected Gairloch Road and underwater searches of bodies of h2o successful the region.

The RCMP's large transgression portion has been progressive since the time aft the children were reported missing.

Daniel Martell, the children's stepfather, said the disappearance has taken a toll connected him and his family.

"Every time erstwhile I aftermath up, it feels similar I'm reliving a nightmare," said Martell successful an interrogation Friday successful Lansdowne Station, astir 1 period aft the children went missing.

"The main feelings of sadness conscionable crook to choler due to the fact that there's nary grounds aft 1 month."

Still, Martell said helium has not mislaid hope.

"That's each we person astatine this point," helium said. "That's the lone extremity I person ... is to bring Jack and Lilly home."

Martell had asked RCMP for a polygraph trial earlier successful the investigation. He told CBC News helium passed that test, truthful "you truly can't constituent fingers astatine maine anymore." RCMP antecedently declined to accidental whether a polygraph would beryllium administered.

Martell besides addressed rumours there was a enactment astatine the home before the children went missing.

"There was nary cause enactment the time earlier the disappearance," helium said. "That's implicit nonsense."

Robert Parker, warden for the Municipality of the County of Pictou, said determination is simply a feeling of disappointment and sadness successful the community.

"We haven't adjacent recovered 1 iota it appears of what happened to small Lilly and small Jack," said Parker successful an interrogation Friday.

"It's hard to believe that galore radical look for that long, including hunt parties from each implicit this province, and the RCMP person been progressive since Day 1, tons of different looking and trying ... but not 1 iota that I've heard of anyhow arsenic to a hint arsenic to wherever the 2 small ones went."

Parker said residents are feeling anxious and frustrated by the galore questions near unanswered 4 weeks later.

"I cognize older radical successful their 90s, they've told maine they can't slumber astatine night," helium said.

"Those small ones, and each the small ones, beryllium to each of us. We each consciousness similar they're portion of our family. They're portion of the Pictou County family. They're portion of the Nova Scotia family. We request to find answers."

Members of the assemblage person been showing their enactment for Lilly and Jack by placing flowers and stuffed animals connected a station extracurricular of the RCMP detachment successful Stellarton. 

Earlier this week, RCMP confirmed the siblings were seen successful nationalist with household members connected the day of May 1 — 1 time earlier the disappearance — based connected the details constabulary person gathered.

Martell said constabulary person retrieved surveillance camera footage in New Glasgow that shows himself; the children's mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray; the couple's one-year-old baby, Meadow; and Lilly and Jack. He said helium couldn't accidental wherever the footage came from due to the fact that it mightiness beryllium important to the investigation.

WATCH | RCMP investigators are combing done camera footage:

Police were besides asking anyone who has dashcam footage oregon video along Gairloch Road between 12 p.m. AT connected April 28 and 12 p.m. AT connected May 2 to interaction them.

Last week, a nonmigratory who lives adjacent wherever the children went missing said police had collected hours of footage from the 7 way cameras scattered astir her 16-hectare property.

RCMP said they have received much than 355 tips and person formally interviewed much than 50 people, with much interviews planned.

The Mounties have said each missing persons cases "are treated arsenic suspicious until our probe leads america to find otherwise."

Family of the children's mother have said they were advised by constabulary not to talk to media.