In a stunning development that has reignited public interest in one of Canada’s most baffling missing children cases, the stepfather of Lilly and Jack Sullivan has been arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Daniel Martell, 34, was taken into custody on January 26, 2026, facing three serious charges: sexual assault, assault, and forcible confinement. Authorities have emphasized that these allegations involve an adult complainant and are unrelated to the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of his stepchildren.

Lilly Sullivan, born in March 2019, and her younger brother Jack Sullivan, born October 29, 2020, vanished from their rural home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, in the early morning hours of May 2, 2025. The children, then aged 6 and 4 respectively, lived with their biological mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, Martell (her common-law partner at the time), and their infant half-sister. Brooks-Murray called 911 to report that the siblings had apparently wandered away from the property, sparking an immediate and massive search effort.

Over the following months, authorities deployed extensive resources, including ground search teams, cadaver dogs, drones, and volunteers combing dense woods and rural terrain. A pink blanket belonging to Lilly was recovered, but no other definitive traces of the children have surfaced. The case remains classified under Nova Scotia’s Missing Persons Act, not yet escalated to a full criminal probe, though police have repeatedly described it as active and unlikely to become a cold case. A provincial reward of up to $150,000 continues to stand for information leading to a breakthrough.

Martell had previously been vocal in media interviews, expressing belief that the disappearance involved foul play while insisting on his full cooperation with investigators. In early January 2026, he provided a DNA sample during an interview and denied any involvement in the children’s fate. Just weeks later, the arrest occurred, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit community and online discussions.

Court documents unsealed earlier in 2026 revealed details about the family dynamics in the lead-up to May 2025, including allegations of physical conflict within the household. These filings, part of search warrant applications, painted a picture of tension but offered no direct link to the vanishings. Police have stressed the separation between the new charges and the missing persons inquiry, protecting the privacy of the adult victim in the assault case. Martell was released on conditions and is scheduled to appear in Pictou provincial court in early March.

The arrest has fueled speculation among observers, with many wondering if it could indirectly influence the Sullivan investigation—perhaps through forensic comparisons or shifts in witness accounts. Family members and friends of the mother have spoken of ongoing grief, describing her as coping day by day amid the uncertainty. Nine months on, with no sightings or solid leads, the mystery endures, haunting a province and a nation desperate for answers about what happened to two innocent young lives.

As the legal process unfolds for Martell and searches persist, the hope remains that truth will eventually emerge for Lilly and Jack Sullivan.