Nearly eight months after six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and her four-year-old brother Jack vanished from their rural home in Lansdowne Station, Nova Scotia, fresh leads are surfacing in one of Canada’s most baffling missing children cases. The siblings disappeared on the morning of May 2, 2025, sparking an intensive search across dense woods, waterways, and remote areas surrounding their family property on Gairloch Road in Pictou County.

Authorities initially believed the children had wandered off, as reported by their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, who called emergency services around 10 a.m. that day. She described Lilly wearing pink clothing and Jack in blue dinosaur boots. The family home, shared with stepfather Daniel Martell and a younger sibling, is isolated amid thick brush and steep terrain, prompting immediate large-scale ground searches involving volunteers, drones, helicopters, and specialized dogs.

Over the months, the investigation has evolved into a major crime probe led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit. Extensive efforts included examining phone records, banking details, surveillance footage, and forensic items like toothbrushes and pieces of a pink blanket linked to Lilly—one found in nearby woods and another in household trash. Polygraph tests conducted on family members, including the parents, initially suggested no deception, and early assessments indicated the disappearance might not involve criminal activity.

However, emerging clues have shifted focus. Police have identified a primary person of interest and are awaiting confirmatory evidence to advance the case. This development comes amid ongoing searches, including recent deployments of human remains detection dogs in September 2025, though no traces were found. The province has offered a $150,000 reward for valuable information, underscoring the urgency as winter approaches and hope fades.

Family members have expressed profound shock at the latest police updates. Relatives, including paternal grandmother Belynda Gray, have voiced heartbreak and dwindling optimism, with some admitting they’ve lost hope the children are alive. Gray has publicly shared her grief, decorating her home with reminders of the siblings while calling for answers. Tensions within the family and community have surfaced, fueled by online speculation and the lack of breakthroughs despite hundreds of tips and interviews.

The case remains “extremely rare,” according to seasoned RCMP officers, with no confirmed sightings since the children were seen with family the day before their disappearance. Investigators continue exploring all scenarios, assisted by units across Canada, emphasizing that even small details could unlock the mystery.

As December 2025 draws to a close, the Sullivan siblings’ absence haunts Nova Scotia. The community rallies with vigils and volunteer searches, but the waiting for solid evidence intensifies the agony. Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward, vowing to pursue every lead until the truth emerges and brings closure to a devastated family.