Conflicting statements from the family of missing Nova Scotia siblings Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, have plunged the six-month investigation into deeper turmoil, with newly unsealed court documents exposing rifts, unverified witness reports and mounting frustration over stalled leads.

The children vanished from their rural Lansdowne Station home on Gairloch Road in Pictou County on May 2, 2025, sparking what RCMP called one of the largest recent missing persons probes in Canada – yet zero traces have surfaced despite exhaustive searches, cadaver dogs drawing blanks and a $150,000 reward dangling unclaimed.

Fresh court records, partially unredacted after media challenges, lay bare inconsistencies that have fueled online speculation and family divisions. Stepfather Daniel Martell insisted no one left the property overnight, claiming he went to bed early and heard nothing – but neighbors Brad Wong and Justin Smith reported hearing a “loud vehicle” revving back and forth multiple times after midnight on May 1-2, with lights visible over treetops.

RCMP reviewed surveillance and found “no evidence” to corroborate the accounts, spokesperson Cindy Bayers confirmed last month, quashing abduction whispers tied to the noises. Yet the reports persist in fueling doubt, especially as Martell told cops mother Malehya Brooks-Murray put the kids to bed around 9 p.m., unaware of his late-night activities since the house wasn’t cleaned as expected.

Tensions boiled over post-disappearance: Martell revealed Brooks-Murray fled to her family’s home elsewhere in Nova Scotia and blocked him on social media, shattering their household. Paternal grandmother Belynda Gray demanded broader probes into vehicles and out-of-province properties, while step-grandmother Janie MacKenzie recounted hearing the kids’ voices that morning before “nothing” – her polygraph deemed inconclusive due to unsuitable physiology.

Biological father Cody Sullivan, estranged for three years after losing custody, passed his polygraph with “truthful” responses, denying any involvement despite Brooks-Murray’s midnight May 3 tip he might have whisked them to New Brunswick. Cops raided his home at 2:50 a.m. that night; he hadn’t seen the kids since separation.

Martell and Brooks-Murray also passed initial polygraphs, ruling out criminality for now – but a relative, Darin Geddes, stirred pot on YouTube under pseudonym, theorizing Brooks-Murray sent the kids away pre-911 call. He grew “confrontational and evasive” when quizzed by RCMP, demanding info in return.

The 911 call at 10:01 a.m. May 2 claimed the kids wandered off while home sick – Lilly coughing, both barefoot in pajamas per early reports, though a size 11 boot print on a pipeline trail matched Lilly’s recent Walmart buy. Last public sighting: Dollarama footage May 1 afternoon with family.

Searches grid-covered 8.5 sq km of brutal terrain – woods, rivers, brush – with 160 volunteers, drones, helos. Pink blanket scraps confirmed as Lilly’s: one in a tree 1 km away, another in driveway trash. Sniffer dogs lost scents; September cadaver sweeps over 40 sq km alerted to zilch.

No Amber Alert issued – kids possibly autistic, per family, but criteria unmet for proven abduction. RCMP probed toll plazas, borders, banks, phones, GPS – movements verified errands April 30-May 1, no exits.

Online sleuths and true crime pods exploded, dissecting statements for deception – one channel claimed grandma suspicions proved right. Rumors tore the tight-knit community; Gray called for public inquiry.

Brooks-Murray pleads on Facebook: “Someone knows something – bring my babies home.” Martell fumed over no evidence after months. Gray: “My heart tells me these babies are gone.”

As winter nears, volunteers plan “last ditch” November sweeps for clothing. Over 800 tips, 80 interviews, 8,000 videos – nothing.

RCMP: “All scenarios” explored, no criminal grounds yet. Tips: 902-896-5060 or Crime Stoppers.

This baffling case – no scents, no remains, fractured family – defies explanation. Hope fades, but the probe grinds on.