Six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and her four-year-old brother Jack have been the focus of a province-wide effort since they vanished from their rural home in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, on the morning of May 2, 2025. As the investigation marks its sixth month, the children’s maternal grandmother, Cyndy Murray, has opened up about her concerns regarding the family’s living conditions, offering a glimpse into the challenges that defined their daily lives. Her candid reflection—”When I saw that house, I thought, how could the kids live here?”—has struck a chord across Nova Scotia, prompting renewed calls for tips and highlighting the ongoing strain on families in remote areas.

The siblings, members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation, were last seen at their residence on Gairloch Road, a secluded mobile home surrounded by dense woods, steep banks, and thick underbrush. Lilly, born in March 2019, stands about 3 feet 8 inches tall with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes; she was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, and a white backpack with red strawberries. Jack, born October 29, 2020, measures around 3 feet 2 inches with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a gray T-shirt, black pants, and a pull-up diaper. Their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, reported them missing around 10 a.m. after noticing their absence during a quiet morning at home. The children had been kept out of Salt Springs Elementary School on May 1 and 2 due to Lilly’s cough, a decision that placed them at the property during the critical hours.

Stepfather Daniel Martell, 33, told reporters he last saw Lilly entering the bedroom several times and heard Jack in the kitchen around 9:30 a.m. By 10 a.m., the home fell silent, leading to an immediate alert to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Initial assessments by the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit, operating under the Missing Persons Act, indicated no evidence of outside involvement, suggesting the children may have wandered from the yard. Vulnerable persons notifications were issued across Pictou County and neighboring regions, but no Amber Alert was triggered given the circumstances.

The response was swift and expansive. Starting May 2, more than 150 personnel—including ground teams, helicopters, canine units, and volunteers from the Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association—scoured the rugged terrain near the East River. The Nova Scotia Guard, a volunteer network, joined for the first time in such an operation, tackling the area’s challenging landscape. Searches extended to highways like the Cobequid Pass, with requests for dashcam footage from April 28 to May 2. By May 7, efforts scaled back amid no confirmed leads, with RCMP Staff Sgt. Brian MacKinnon noting the low likelihood of survival after several days. Still, the probe continues, involving multiple RCMP detachments from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario, plus support from the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

Court records unsealed in August 2025 reveal key investigative steps. Officers found pieces of a pink blanket linked to Lilly—one in nearby woods and another in a driveway trash bag—prompting additional canine sweeps that detected no trails. Polygraph sessions were conducted with family members, including Cyndy Murray and her partner Wade Paris, though specifics remain confidential. A May 3 lead pointing to the biological father, Cody Sullivan, proved unfounded; a welfare check confirmed no contact in three years. Authorities also reviewed toll data and CCTV from provincial routes between May 1 at 2:25 p.m. and May 3 at 3 a.m.

Family dynamics have come under gentle scrutiny as details emerge. Brooks-Murray, who relocated temporarily to stay with relatives elsewhere in Nova Scotia, has blocked Martell on social media, a development he described to CBC News as adding to their difficulties. In an October 29 post marking Jack’s fifth birthday, she expressed unwavering hope: “Nobody is giving up yet—we just want them home as soon as possible.” A candlelight vigil at the Stellarton RCMP Detachment drew locals, underscoring community solidarity. Premier Tim Houston echoed this in a May statement: “People in Pictou County and across Nova Scotia are holding out hope for a positive outcome.”

Cyndy Murray’s comments, shared through family networks and local gatherings, paint a picture of concern over the Gairloch Road property’s setup. The mobile home, owned by the children’s step-grandmother Janie Mackenzie, was described as cluttered and isolated—a common reality in Lansdowne Station, a hamlet of about 100 with limited cell service and distance from services like New Glasgow, 25 kilometers away. Mackenzie, who lived on-site, recounted to CBC hearing the children’s voices from her nearby bedroom on May 2, followed by silence. “After that, I heard nothing,” she said, emphasizing her role in welcoming the family two years prior when they needed stable housing.

This revelation ties into broader insights from August reports in The Globe and Mail, which detailed the household’s financial pressures and daily routines. The family, including a one-year-old sibling, relied on support from extended kin, with trips to Murray’s for laundry on May 1. Photos from September 2024 capture Lilly and Jack on their first school day, beaming amid forest activities—a stark contrast to the worries that followed. Paternal grandmother Belynda Gray, based in Middle Musquodoboit, cherishes such images, though she has not seen the children in nearly two years. In a June CBC interview, Gray shared her intuition: “My heart tells me these babies are gone,” while urging continued searches.

A planned November effort by the Missing Children’s Network, coordinated with Gray and Brooks-Murray’s associates, aims to cover high-priority zones before winter sets in. Organizer Sylvie Oldrieve outlined goals: scanning for items like clothing that could link to the siblings. RCMP’s October 9 update confirmed cadaver dogs found no traces in targeted spots, but Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon stressed: “We’ve exhausted those areas as best we can—everything is important to us.” The $150,000 reward from the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, announced in October, bolsters incentives for information of investigative value.

Online discussions, from Reddit’s r/TrueCrimeDiscussion to Facebook groups, have compiled timelines—from the children’s last school day on April 30 to aerial overviews on May 8—while cautioning against unverified theories. NCMPUR data shows over 90% of missing child cases resolve within 48 hours, but rural settings like Pictou County’s forests and rivers extend timelines. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection advocates for better early resources in isolated communities, where access lags.

In Pictou County, rooted in forestry and farming, this case tests resilience. The Family Resource Centre has expanded counseling, turning vigils into discussions on support systems. As November 5, 2025, arrives, the hotline (902-896-5060) and Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS) await calls. For Murray, whose words capture a grandmother’s quiet alarm, each update carries weight. “We’re praying for their safe return,” she told The Canadian Press in May. In a province of enduring bonds, the pursuit of answers for Lilly and Jack reflects a shared commitment to clarity amid uncertainty.