Eight months after six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and five-year-old Jack Sullivan vanished from their rural home in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, a senior RCMP investigator has described the case as “extremely rare,” admitting he’s never encountered anything similar in his 33 years on the force. In a year-end interview released December 23, 2025, Criminal Operations Officer Dan Morrow emphasized the investigation’s complexity, explaining the methodical pace despite massive public attention. “It’s extremely rare. I’ve never seen it across my career,” Morrow told Global News, noting the case drew national and international scrutiny. The siblings were reported missing on May 2, 2025, after their mother Malehya Brooks-Murray called 911 believing they wandered off. Extensive searches—covering four square kilometers of dense woods with volunteers, drones, K9 units, and helicopters—yielded no trace, leading police to scale back ground efforts early while shifting to investigative leads. As 2025 ends without answers, Morrow’s comments highlight the baffling nature of a disappearance with no criminal indicators yet no resolution.

The Sullivan case began as a presumed wander-off in a remote area surrounded by thick forest and waterways, but quickly evolved into one of Nova Scotia’s most intensive missing persons probes. Brooks-Murray reported the children missing around 10 a.m., saying she briefly lost sight of them while caring for their baby sister. Initial searches involved hundreds, including cadaver dogs in September and volunteer efforts in November that found unrelated items like a child’s T-shirt and tricycle. Polygraphs on parents, stepfather Daniel Martell, biological father Cody Sullivan, and others showed truthfulness, with no foul play suspected publicly. A $150,000 provincial reward remains for “investigative value” tips. Morrow stressed the rarity lies in the lack of closure: “What’s not rare is the complexity—why it’s taking so long, because these investigations have to be methodical.”

Public and media interest has been intense, with the case garnering international coverage and community vigils. Brooks-Murray has shared emotional pleas on the “Find Lilly and Jack Sullivan” Facebook page, while paternal grandmother Belynda Gray expressed lost hope in recent interviews, decorating her Christmas tree with the children’s ornaments. RCMP continues assessing over 860 tips and forensic evidence, partnering with agencies nationwide. No new developments reported as of late December 2025, but the file stays active under the Major Crime Unit.

This “extremely rare” label underscores the puzzle: Most child disappearances resolve quickly, but this one defies patterns—no sightings, no remains, no suspects. As families face another holiday without answers, the community holds vigil. Tips to RCMP at 902-896-5060 or Crime Stoppers anonymously. Hope endures for resolution. #LillyJackSullivan #NovaScotiaMissing #RCMPUpdate