More than a year after two young siblings disappeared from their rural Nova Scotia home, there is still no confirmed answer about what happened to them.

Lilly Sullivan, 6, and her younger brother Jack Sullivan, 4, were reported missing from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, on May 2, 2025. What began as an emergency search quickly grew into a large-scale investigation involving police, search-and-rescue teams, helicopters, drones, divers and specialized RCMP resources.

The children have never been located.

A CASE THAT HAS PRODUCED FEW ANSWERS
According to the Nova Scotia RCMP, investigators have spent more than a year pursuing leads and examining evidence connected to the disappearance.

By April 2026, police said they had formally interviewed 106 people, reviewed 8,132 functioning video files, evaluated 1,191 tips and completed or worked through 1,534 investigative tasks. Investigators also searched roughly 40 kilometres around the Lansdowne area with human-remains detection dogs and conducted forensic examinations through the RCMP National Forensic Laboratory in Ottawa.

Despite those efforts, investigators have publicly released very little information about what they believe happened.

RCMP have said there is no evidence establishing an abduction, and the case remains under the Missing Persons Act rather than being classified as a criminal investigation. At the same time, police have stressed that all possible scenarios remain under consideration.

THEIR MOTHER SPEAKS OUT AGAIN
In August 2026, Lilly and Jack’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, spoke publicly about the disappearance after months of largely staying out of the spotlight.

In an interview reported by PEOPLE, Brooks-Murray described the morning the children vanished.

She said Lilly briefly came into her bedroom before she heard both children playing together in another room. Brooks-Murray then fell back asleep. When she woke up, the house was quiet and the children were gone.

Fifteen months later, she said she continues to believe her children could come home.

Brooks-Murray has also expressed frustration over what she considers a lack of visible progress in the investigation, saying she wants clearer answers about what investigators are doing and whether new leads are being pursued.

She told PEOPLE that she still has dreams about Lilly and Jack returning home.

POLICE HAVE NOT CLOSED THE DOOR ON ANY POSSIBILITY
The lack of a confirmed explanation has left investigators facing a case with very few physical clues.

Early searches around the property and surrounding woodland involved extensive ground crews, aircraft, drones, police divers and specialized dogs. Searchers also examined nearby waterways and other locations.

Police have repeatedly asked the public to separate confirmed information from speculation.

In April, Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon said investigators specifically needed fact-based and verifiable information, rather than rumors circulating online.

That distinction remains important because numerous theories about the children’s disappearance have circulated publicly, but many have never been substantiated.

THE FAMILY’S RELATIONSHIP HAS ALSO COME UNDER SCRUTINY
Court documents released during the investigation have provided additional background about the relationship between Brooks-Murray and Daniel Martell, who was living with the family when Lilly and Jack disappeared.

According to reporting on those documents, Brooks-Murray told investigators that Martell had sometimes behaved physically toward her during their relationship. Martell, however, reportedly described their relationship differently and denied physical violence. The allegations contained in the documents have not been tested in court.

Martell was arrested in January 2026 in connection with separate allegations involving an adult complainant. He faces charges including assault, sexual assault and unlawful confinement. Authorities have said that case is not related to the disappearance of Lilly and Jack, and the allegations have not been proven in court.

Importantly, neither those charges nor the relationship allegations establish what happened to the children.

A $150,000 REWARD REMAINS AVAILABLE
The Province of Nova Scotia continues to offer a reward of up to C$150,000 for information that helps investigators resolve the disappearance of Lilly and Jack.

RCMP continue to ask anyone with specific information about the children’s whereabouts or disappearance to contact investigators.

The case has also continued to draw attention from volunteers and members of the public, including people who have organized searches, vigils and awareness campaigns.

15 MONTHS WITH NO CONFIRMED ANSWER
The disappearance of Lilly and Jack remains one of Nova Scotia’s most closely watched missing-person investigations.

Their mother continues to hold onto the possibility that they could return home, while investigators maintain that the case remains active.

More than 15 months after the siblings were last seen, however, one central question remains unanswered:

What happened to Lilly and Jack Sullivan after they disappeared from their home that morning?

For now, authorities say they are still following leads, reviewing information and pursuing the evidence needed to establish what happened.

SOURCES
Royal Canadian Mounted Police — Nova Scotia RCMP investigation update