PICTOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA — More than 15 months after Lilly and Jack Sullivan disappeared from their rural Nova Scotia home, their family is still waiting for the answers that could explain how two young children seemingly vanished without leaving a clear trail.

Lilly Sullivan, now 7, and her younger brother Jack, now 5, were reported missing from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station on May 2, 2025.

Despite extensive searches, hundreds of investigative steps and continued efforts by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the siblings have not been found.

Their disappearance remains one of Canada’s most closely watched missing-children cases.

The Children Were Last Seen at Their Home
According to the RCMP timeline, Lilly and Jack were last independently seen in public on May 1, 2025.

Surveillance footage captured the siblings with family members at a Dollarama store in nearby New Glasgow at approximately 2:25 p.m.

Later that evening, the children were put to bed at their home.

The following morning, their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, notified the school that Lilly and Jack would remain home.

Brooks-Murray has said that she later heard the children playing before returning to sleep.

When she woke up, the children were gone.

At approximately 10:01 a.m. on May 2, she called 911 to report that Lilly and Jack were missing.

A Massive Search Began
The disappearance immediately triggered a major search operation.

Police, search-and-rescue teams, aircraft and other specialized resources were deployed around the family’s rural property.

The surrounding landscape presented significant challenges, with dense woods, steep terrain and difficult-to-access areas surrounding the home.

A pink blanket believed to belong to Lilly was discovered approximately one kilometre from the family property on the afternoon of May 2.

However, a tracking dog reportedly failed to establish a scent trail from the blanket.

The initial search continued for days before authorities significantly reduced the operation on May 7 after failing to find any confirmed trace of the children.

Investigators Have Examined Thousands of Pieces of Information
The disappearance has not simply been left unresolved.

According to an RCMP update released as the one-year anniversary approached, investigators had:

Formally interviewed 106 people
Reviewed 8,132 functioning video files
Evaluated and prioritized 1,191 tips
Completed approximately 1,534 investigative tasks
Searched approximately 40 kilometres around the Lansdowne area using human-remains detection dogs

Conducted forensic examinations through the RCMP National Forensic Laboratory
Used polygraph examinations as an investigative tool
Obtained judicial authorizations allowing investigators to examine digital devices, phone records and financial information involving people close to the children
RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon said investigators continue to pursue credible information and that the investigation will remain active until the circumstances surrounding the children’s disappearance can be determined.

Police Have Not Announced an Abduction
One of the most important aspects of the case is what authorities have not established.

Police have not publicly confirmed that Lilly and Jack were abducted.

They also have not publicly identified a suspect in their disappearance.

Earlier in the investigation, authorities said there was no evidence that an abduction had occurred.

At the same time, investigators have continued examining multiple possibilities and have not publicly provided a definitive explanation for how the children disappeared.

The lack of a confirmed scenario has made the case particularly difficult.

Their Mother Says She Wants Answers
Lilly and Jack’s mother has continued to maintain hope that her children will eventually be found.

In a recent interview with CBC and The Globe and Mail, Brooks-Murray described the emotional toll of living without knowing what happened to her children.

She said she does not believe she owes people explanations about her life and instead wants answers about what happened to Lilly and Jack.

She has also continued to reject the idea that the family should simply move on from the disappearance.

For her, the search remains unfinished.

Family Circumstances Have Also Been Examined
The children’s family relationships have become part of the investigative record.

Police documents released through access-to-information requests revealed that investigators examined the relationship between Brooks-Murray and her partner, Daniel Martell, who was the children’s stepfather.

Brooks-Murray told police about alleged problems within the relationship, while Martell denied the allegations and described them as part of a narrative intended to portray him negatively.

Police have previously said the family’s circumstances are among the matters examined during the investigation.

That does not mean authorities have publicly accused either person of causing the children’s disappearance.

The RCMP has not announced criminal charges against anyone in connection with Lilly and Jack’s disappearance.

Stepfather Later Faced Separate Charges
Daniel Martell was arrested in January 2026 in connection with allegations involving an adult.

Those charges include sexual assault, assault and forcible confinement.

Police have emphasized that the allegations are unrelated to the disappearance of Lilly and Jack.

Martell’s case has continued separately through the courts.

The existence of those unrelated charges should therefore not be interpreted as evidence that Martell was responsible for the children’s disappearance.

The Province Offered a Major Reward
Authorities have also tried to encourage new information from the public.

Nova Scotia announced a reward of up to C$150,000 for information considered to have investigative value in locating Lilly and Jack or determining what happened to them.

The reward remains one of the largest incentives associated with the case.

Police have repeatedly urged people with firsthand information to contact investigators rather than spreading unverified claims online.

RCMP officials have specifically warned that rumors and speculation can make an investigation more difficult.

The Case Reached Its One-Year Anniversary
May 2, 2026 marked one year since the children were reported missing.

Community members gathered outside an RCMP detachment in Stellarton to mark the anniversary and call for answers.

Despite months of searching, investigators still had not found the siblings.

The anniversary was particularly painful for the family because it meant that Lilly and Jack had now been missing for an entire year without a confirmed explanation.

The community response demonstrated that public interest in the case had not disappeared.

New Search Efforts Have Continued
Even after the massive initial search was scaled back, investigators have continued conducting targeted searches.

Specialized teams have returned to areas around Lansdowne, while police have continued examining digital evidence and information received from the public.

The RCMP says hundreds of follow-up investigative steps remain part of the ongoing case.

Investigators have also continued receiving tips.

The challenge is determining which information is reliable and can actually help establish what happened.

Their Mother Still Hopes They Will Come Home
More than a year later, Brooks-Murray has continued to speak about her children.

She has said she believes they can still come home.

For a mother who last heard her children playing before they disappeared, the uncertainty has been especially difficult.

There has been no confirmed sighting of Lilly or Jack since May 1, 2025.

There has also been no publicly confirmed evidence establishing where the children went after leaving — or allegedly being removed from — their home.

That unanswered gap remains at the center of the investigation.

What Investigators Know — And What They Don’t
The publicly established timeline provides some important pieces.

Lilly and Jack were seen with their family in New Glasgow on May 1.

They returned home.

They were expected to remain home from school on May 2.

Their mother later reported them missing.

A blanket associated with Lilly was found in nearby woods.

Large-scale searches failed to locate either child.

Since then, investigators have reviewed thousands of pieces of information without publicly announcing a definitive breakthrough.

What remains unknown is far more significant:

Where did Lilly and Jack go after they were last known to be at home?

And perhaps the most painful question for their family:

Are they still alive?

Authorities have not publicly answered either question.

The Investigation Remains Active
As of August 26, 2026, Lilly and Jack Sullivan remain missing.

The RCMP says the investigation continues and that all credible information is being pursued.

Authorities have not announced that the case has become a confirmed homicide investigation, nor have they announced an arrest related to the children’s disappearance.

The family continues to seek answers, while investigators continue to examine evidence gathered over more than a year.

For those following the case, the lack of a definitive explanation is one of its most haunting features.

Two children disappeared from a rural Nova Scotia property.

Despite extensive searches and an enormous investigative effort, their whereabouts remain unknown.

And until investigators determine what happened, the case remains open.

Lilly and Jack are still missing. Their family is still waiting. And the central mystery of their disappearance remains unsolved.

Latest Update — August 26, 2026
Lilly Sullivan: 7 years old.
Jack Sullivan: 5 years old.
They disappeared from their home in Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia, on May 2, 2025.
The siblings were last independently seen in public on May 1, 2025.
RCMP has reviewed 8,132 functioning video files and evaluated 1,191 tips.
Investigators have conducted extensive searches, forensic examinations, interviews and polygraph examinations.
Nova Scotia has offered a reward of up to C$150,000 for information of investigative value.
No one has been publicly charged in connection with the children’s disappearance.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed an abduction or established what happened to the children.
Lilly and Jack remain missing as of August 26, 2026.
Sources
National Post: Original reporting on the disappearance and investigation.