NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA – Seven months after the disappearance of four-year-old Jack Sullivan and his six-year-old sister, Lily, the investigation remains stalled, but the public advocacy of their stepfather, Daniel Martell, has become the leading voice challenging the official focus. In a series of comprehensive public interviews, Martell has systematically worked to clear his own name, debunk circulating rumors, and pressure authorities to abandon the search in the local woods in favor of a full-scale abduction investigation.

Martell’s stance is firm: the children are not lost; they were taken.

The case, which began on the morning of May 2, 2025, has been defined by intense media scrutiny directed at the family. Martell, navigating the immediate and often brutal spotlight, has utilized public platforms to detail his full cooperation with law enforcement, presenting himself as a key partner in the search rather than a potential suspect.

Clearing the Air: Polygraph, Subpoenas, and the Shifting Gaze

It is standard procedure in cases involving missing children for immediate family members to come under intense initial scrutiny. Martell confirmed he was no exception, detailing the measures he took to swiftly eliminate himself and the children’s mother, Malia, from suspicion.

Crucially, Martell volunteered for and claims to have successfully passed a polygraph examination. He credits this result as the turning point when the keen suspicion from local investigators began to subside. In addition to the lie detector test, Martell provided unfettered access to personal data, including drug test results, bank records, GPS data, and full access to his phone records.

Martell contends that this level of cooperation and the forensic results should have definitively shifted the investigation away from the family unit. By providing transparency that goes beyond basic legal requirements, he aimed to resolve the narrative that often focuses prematurely on internal family dynamics, redirecting focus to external possibilities. His actions set the stage for his subsequent critique of the ongoing investigative strategy.

Debunking Rumors and Establishing the True Timeline

Martell used the compilation of interviews to address and dismantle persistent, damaging rumors circulating on social media:

The “Drug Party” Myth: He unequivocally denies reports that the family was involved in a “drug party” the night before the disappearance. Martell maintains that the evening of May 1st was ordinary, asserting that the lack of detailed recollection for a routine day should not be misconstrued as secretive behavior.

The Last Confirmed Sighting: A significant point in Martell’s testimony involves definitive video evidence. He claims that camera footage captured Lily and Jack with him and their mother at the Holland Square Mall on the afternoon of May 1st. This key piece of evidence establishes beyond doubt that the children were alive and accounted for less than 24 hours before they vanished, conclusively eliminating theories that the children were missing for days prior to the May 2nd report.

The confirmed sighting places the critical window for the disappearance solely between the early morning hours of May 2nd and 10:01 AM, when they were reported missing.

Frustration: Why the Focus on the Woods?

Martell’s greatest point of contention lies in the investigative resources continuously devoted to the immediate area surrounding the home. He expressed deep dissatisfaction with the initial coordination of the massive search and rescue effort, which involved drones, K9 units, helicopters, and hundreds of volunteers across an estimated 8-kilometer radius.

The failure of this exhaustive search, Martell argues, is not a failure of the searchers, but proof that the children are not in the vicinity.

His conviction was reinforced by the deployment of cadaver dogs. Martell stated he was relieved when the dogs were brought in, confident they would find nothing, thereby definitively eliminating the possibility of bodies being hidden in the nearby forest or on the property.

“The search failed to find them; therefore, they are not here,” is the simplified logic driving Martell’s public push.

He believes the ongoing efforts to comb the dense woods are now performative—a means to appease the public interest—rather than a productive line of inquiry. He has openly pressed investigators to move beyond the local tragedy narrative and consider external criminal involvement.

The Abduction Theory: A Call for an Inter-Provincial Search

Martell’s testimony repeatedly returns to the theory of abduction. His conviction stems from a forensic analysis of the failed search effort: given the advanced technology and manpower used, Martell asserts that if the children had merely wandered off or succumbed to exposure within that 8km zone, they would have been found.

He argues that investigators are being hampered by their initial assumptions, failing to expand the scope to a possible inter-provincial or international search. The children, he believes, were forcibly removed from the area.

This unwavering focus on abduction has led to tension with law enforcement. Martell detailed an incident where a search coordinator challenged him on his lack of detail regarding the “uneventful” day prior to the disappearance, suggesting investigators are still looking for clues of internal conflict or neglect. Martell views such questioning as evidence of a lingering, misplaced suspicion. Furthermore, he noted the frequency of police contact drastically reduced from daily calls to approximately one call every five days, reinforcing his view that official interest is waning.

The Toll of Public Life

Martell acknowledged the mental fatigue of maintaining a public presence, describing his emotional state as shifting from profound sadness to anger—anger at the lack of closure and the failure to find a single piece of viable evidence.

Despite the personal cost, Martell remains committed to his public advocacy. He views his ongoing interviews and engagement with social media not as a choice, but as a necessity for Lily and Jack, ensuring the massive $150,000 reward remains active and that their story is not relegated to the cold case file. His continued efforts serve as a persistent reminder to law enforcement and the public that the search, Martell believes, needs to be drastically redefined.