DECEMBER 7, 2025 – The rural backwoods of Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia, remain shrouded in mystery six months after two young siblings vanished without a trace from their family home. Lilly Sullivan, 6, and her brother Jack Sullivan, 4, were reported missing on the morning of May 2, 2025, sparking one of the largest search operations in the province’s history. As the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) continue their exhaustive investigation, questions swirl around the circumstances of the disappearance, with no concrete leads emerging despite extensive efforts.

The case has gripped the nation, drawing comparisons to other high-profile child abductions and fueling public speculation. What started as a frantic 911 call from the children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, has evolved into a prolonged ordeal for families on both sides of the biological divide. With a $150,000 reward now on the table from the Government of Nova Scotia, authorities are pleading for tips that could finally bring closure.

The timeline of events paints a picture of a seemingly ordinary Friday morning gone horribly wrong. According to court documents and police statements, Lilly and Jack lived with their mother, stepfather Daniel Martell, and one-year-old baby sister Meadow at a remote property on Gairloch Road, surrounded by dense woods, steep banks, and thick brush. The children had been kept home from school on Thursday, May 1, and Friday, May 2, due to Lilly’s cough.

Around 6:15 a.m. on May 2, Brooks-Murray marked the children absent from school for illness. Between 8:00 and 9:40 a.m., Martell and Brooks-Murray were in the bedroom with Meadow, with Lilly reportedly coming in and out while Jack was heard in the kitchen. By 10:01 a.m., the couple called 911, reporting that the children had “wandered away” from the home around 10 a.m.

The last verified sighting of Lilly and Jack outside the home was the afternoon of May 1 at a Dollarama store in New Glasgow, accompanied by their mother and stepfather. Surveillance footage from that day, along with other local cameras, has been scoured by investigators, but no anomalies have surfaced to explain the sudden vanishing.

The initial response was swift and massive. By 4:55 p.m. on May 2, a vulnerable missing persons advisory blanketed Pictou County, urging the public to avoid the area. Overnight, Brooks-Murray raised concerns that the children’s estranged biological father, Cody Sullivan – who hadn’t seen them in three years – might have taken them across the border to New Brunswick. Police visited Sullivan’s home at 2:50 a.m. on May 3, where he denied involvement, and requested toll camera footage from the Cobequid Pass on the Trans-Canada Highway.

Search efforts peaked quickly, involving up to 160 volunteers, RCMP officers, drones, K9 units, and cadaver dogs. Ground searches covered miles of rugged terrain, while divers probed nearby waterways. A pink blanket belonging to Lilly was found in pieces: one in a tree a kilometer from the home on May 2, and another in a trash bag at the end of the driveway on May 4. Despite these finds, no human remains or definitive clues emerged. Retired RCMP dog handler Tim Brown called the lack of results “really strange,” noting the baffling absence of traces in such a searched area.

By May 4, with confidence waning, the RCMP scaled back active searches but shifted to a long-term investigative mode. Premier Tim Houston issued a statement of support, highlighting the tireless work of first responders. Community vigils sprang up, with stuffed animals and flowers adorning posts outside the Stellarton RCMP detachment.

As weeks turned to months, scrutiny intensified on the family. Newly unsealed court documents reveal RCMP delved into bank records, phone data, and GPS tracking of Brooks-Murray and Martell in the days leading up to May 2. On April 30, the family visited Brooks-Murray’s grandmother for laundry, with Martell staying behind with the children while Brooks-Murray ran errands. No evidence of criminal involvement has been found, and both parents have cooperated fully, though tensions simmer. Martell expressed anger over the lack of progress in late May, insisting the woods had been “searched everything.” Brooks-Murray later relocated to be with family and blocked Martell on social media.

The paternal side of the family harbors deep doubts. Grandmother Belynda Gray, speaking in June, said her “heart tells me these babies are gone,” sharing first-day-of-school photos from September 2024 to keep the case alive. Relatives like aunt Haley Ferdinand and family friend Cheryl Robinson await waterway search results, viewing them as pivotal.

Recent developments have tempered some leads. In October, RCMP dismissed reports of a suspicious vehicle near the home late on May 1, stating they couldn’t substantiate it as a “key element.” The reward, upped to $150,000 in October, underscores the province’s commitment. Investigators continue analyzing footage and evidence, with Martell reiterating in November that he doesn’t believe the children are in the woods.

Lilly, described as having long brown hair in pigtails, last wore a gray T-shirt, black leggings, and purple runners. Jack, with short blondish hair, was in a camouflage T-shirt, blue jeans, and blue dinosaur boots. The public is urged to contact Pictou County District RCMP at 902-485-4333 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS.

For the Sullivan family, hope flickers amid grief. “There is more evidence than what the public knows,” Martell hinted in June, without elaborating. As winter blankets the search area, the question lingers: Where are Lilly and Jack? The RCMP vows the case remains a top priority, but with no breakthroughs, the community holds its breath.

The Daily Chronicle will monitor updates in this unfolding tragedy.