Court documents unsealed Wednesday reveal eerie new testimony in the five-month search for missing Nova Scotia siblings Jack and Lilly Sullivan—neighbors reporting the sound of a vehicle “idling and moving back and forth” near the family’s remote trailer in the early hours of May 2, 2025, just before the children disappeared.

The affidavits, released after a successful media challenge led by CBC, The Globe and Mail, and the Canadian Press, include statements from two residents living within a kilometer of the Sullivan property on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station. One neighbor told RCMP investigators they were awakened around 3 a.m. by the “distinct sound of a pickup truck starting, idling for several minutes, then driving slowly down the gravel road—only to return 10 minutes later.” The second witness reported hearing “multiple engine revs and tire crunching” between midnight and 4 a.m., describing the activity as “highly unusual” for the isolated rural area.

Jack Sullivan, 4, and his sister Lilly, 6, were last seen by their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, around 9 a.m. that morning. Brooks-Murray told police she briefly left the trailer to check on livestock, returning to find the children gone. The single-wide mobile home sits on a wooded 10-acre lot with limited road access, surrounded by dense forest and no nearby surveillance cameras.

RCMP launched an immediate ground search involving over 160 volunteers, K9 units, drones, and helicopters, covering 8.5 square kilometers of rugged terrain. Divers scoured nearby rivers, and cadaver dogs were deployed in late May—but no trace of the children has been found. Acting Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon of the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit confirmed in October that forensic testing continues, but “at this time, the disappearance is not believed to be criminal in nature.”

The newly revealed vehicle reports have fueled fresh speculation, though police caution they remain unverified. Investigators reviewed limited dashcam and trail camera footage from the area but found no vehicles matching the descriptions during the reported window. “We take all witness statements seriously,” McCamon said in a statement. “But without corroborating evidence, these remain leads to be explored—not conclusions.”

Brooks-Murray and her partner, Daniel Martell, both passed polygraph tests and have cooperated fully, including handing over digital devices and granting access to the property. Martell, who shares a younger daughter with Brooks-Murray, was cleared early in the probe. The children’s biological father, who had no contact for three years prior, was also ruled out.

One affidavit mentions a USB drive voluntarily provided by Brooks-Murray containing a recorded phone call between her grandmother and a relative—contents redacted but noted as “potentially relevant to family dynamics.” No further details were released.

The unsealing follows months of legal wrangling. Media outlets argued public interest outweighed investigative secrecy, especially given the case’s high profile and lack of progress. Justice Glen McDougall of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court granted partial access, redacting sensitive operational details but allowing witness summaries to be made public.

Lansdowne Station, a quiet community of roughly 200, has been rocked by the disappearance. Purple ribbons—Lilly’s favorite color—still hang from mailboxes and porch posts. Belynda Gray, the children’s paternal grandmother, told reporters outside court, “We just want answers. If someone saw something that night, speak up.”

A $150,000 reward—up from an initial $15,000 offered by private donors—remains active for information leading to the children’s safe return or location. The RCMP tip line (1-800-803-7267) continues to field calls, with investigators urging anyone with dashcam, trail cam, or even old cellphone footage from the area to come forward.

Volunteer group Please Bring Me Home has organized multiple waterway searches since summer, focusing on less-traveled paths and drainage ditches. Founder Amanda Lucas said the vehicle reports “add a new layer—we’re asking hunters and loggers who were out early that morning to rack their memories.”

Brooks-Murray, who briefly relocated to stay with family amid intense scrutiny, has returned to the area and participates in volunteer efforts. In a statement released through Please Bring Me Home, she wrote, “I hear their voices in my dreams—Lilly singing, Jack laughing. Someone knows where they are. Please.”

As winter looms, search conditions worsen. Snow and ice could bury potential evidence, but RCMP say they remain committed. “This is still a missing persons case,” McCamon stressed. “We follow facts, not rumors.”

Online, the case has spawned dozens of true crime threads and podcasts, with some speculating abduction despite the lack of criminal classification. RCMP have repeatedly asked the public to avoid online sleuthing that could harm the investigation or the family.

For now, the engine sounds in the night remain an unsolved echo in a case full of silence. Jack and Lilly Sullivan—two small kids in a big woods—still missing. The search goes on.