Stepfather Daniel Martell found himself at the center of fresh questions this week after unsealed court documents from the ongoing probe into missing Nova Scotia siblings Lilly and Jack Sullivan showed he initially told police a key piece of evidence—the torn pink blanket—wasn’t Lilly’s, only to reverse course when pressed.

The revelation, buried in hundreds of pages of redacted RCMP warrants released over the summer but resurfacing in online discussions November 2025, has reignited public speculation six months after the children vanished from their Lansdowne Station home on May 2. Martell, 34, who married mother Malehya Brooks-Murray in 2024, reportedly hesitated when officers asked about the blanket fragments: one snagged high in a tree a kilometer away, another folded in a neighbor’s driveway trash bag days after the disappearance.

“When a police officer asked Daniel about the pink blanket, he said it wasn’t Lilly’s, at first,” notes one affidavit summary from August filings obtained by media outlets including The Globe and Mail. Martell later confirmed it belonged to the 6-year-old, explaining the mix-up as confusion in the chaos. RCMP declined comment on the discrepancy, citing the active investigation, but sources familiar with the case say such details fuel why “all scenarios” remain open despite polygraphs clearing both parents of deception on major questions.

The blanket bombshell joins a string of oddities that have kept Pictou County buzzing: a loud engine revving near the rural Gairloch Road property around 1:30 a.m. on May 2, captured by neighbors but unexplained in surveillance reviews; child-sized boot prints on a nearby pipeline trail matching Lilly’s Walmart-purchased size 11s from March; and a sock discovered in the woods during early searches.

Martell has vigorously defended his account in interviews, insisting he and Brooks-Murray woke to the kids playing, dozed off briefly while tending their infant sister, then panicked when the sliding door showed no sign of forced entry—but boots gone. “I jumped in the car, checked culverts, everything,” he told CTV in June. He volunteered his phone, bank records, and even demanded a polygraph, which he passed alongside Brooks-Murray, with results deeming them “truthful” on queries about harm or knowledge of the children’s fate.

Yet the initial blanket denial—however minor—has online sleuths in overdrive. Facebook groups topping 100,000 members dissect it alongside older whispers: alleged child-welfare files on the household, teachers noting inconsistencies in the kids’ attendance and well-being pre-disappearance, and Martell’s own past CFS involvement with children from a prior relationship. RCMP acknowledges receiving such reports but stresses no criminal charges stem from them, and as of July, the case wasn’t deemed criminal.

Brooks-Murray and Martell estranged shortly after May 3 amid family tensions, with her relocating temporarily before returning for vigils. At Jack’s fifth birthday event October 29, Martell voiced doubts the pair remained in the woods, pleading: “We opened our home—where are our kids?” Brooks-Murray’s latest statement via advocates begged for Christmas closure: “I see their faces everywhere—bring my babies home.”

The $150,000 reward—boosted by provincial funds and donors—sits unclaimed after 950+ tips, most recycled rumors per RCMP. Investigators processed 8,000+ videos, interviewed 60+ people, and deployed 11 units, including behavioral experts and underwater teams. September’s cadaver dog sweep across 40 km yielded nothing, nor did thermal drones or ground-penetrating radar.

Community backlash grows fiercer, with petitions demanding full file releases and CFS audits. One viral post blasts: “He denied the blanket at first—hiding something?” Martell fired back on social media: “Stop attacking a grieving family—we passed everything.”

Winter halts major ground ops, but RCMP vows tech-driven pushes pre-freeze. Tip lines ring daily, anonymous options available. Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon: “Complicated case—every detail matters.”

Extended family splits: biological dad Cody Sullivan passed his polygraph, denying involvement; relatives like Darin Geddes hinted early at foul play but clammed up.

Roadside memorials swell with toys, notes: “Lilly’s pink, Jack’s blue—come home.” Billboards from Halifax to Cape Breton flash their smiles.

Six months in, the pink blanket flip-flop symbolizes the puzzle’s frustration. RCMP: “Committed until resolved.” Nova Scotia waits, questions mounting.

Anyone with info: 1-833-622-7672 or crimestoppers.ns.ca. Reward awaits the right call.