Canadian Police Scale Back Search for Missing Nova Scotia Siblings After Six Days

• May 8, 2025

Officials acknowledge chances of finding Lily and Jack Sullivan alive are now “very low” amid limited evidence and harsh conditions.

Canadian authorities are scaling back the search for two young siblings who vanished from their rural Nova Scotia home six days ago, as hope dims and questions about their disappearance deepen.

Lily Sullivan, 6, and her 4-year-old brother Jack were reported missing on 2 May from their home in Pictou County. Since then, over 160 searchers, including canine units and drones, have combed through dense forests in increasingly difficult weather, but with little success.

Speaking on Tuesday, Staff Sgt. Curtis MacKinnon of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that search efforts would be reduced, citing the exhaustive nature of the operation and the diminishing likelihood the children are still alive. “We’re not packing up and we’re not giving up,” he said, emphasizing that their missing persons investigation is still active.

MacKinnon also noted that the RCMP’s major crime unit has been involved since early in the investigation and that all missing person cases are treated as suspicious until proven otherwise.

The children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, and their stepfather, Daniel Martell, said they were asleep with their infant when the older children disappeared. When they woke, Lily and Jack were gone. Martell has told media he has been actively searching for the children himself, expressing frustration at the lack of evidence. “It’s mind-boggling that nothing else was found,” he told reporters.

The children belong to the Mi’kmaq First Nation community of Sipekne’katik, and their disappearance has shaken the community and the broader Canadian public. Despite one boot print that initially guided the search, police say there's little to suggest the children are still in the forested area.

Sgt. Robert McCamon acknowledged that poor weather conditions and the amount of time that has passed have lowered expectations. “The likelihood they’re alive right now is very low,” he said.

Martell has reportedly been interviewed by police for several hours and claims his account of events has remained consistent. “When you tell the truth, it’s always consistent,” he told The Globe and Mail.

Investigators stress that the case remains open, and their goal remains to bring Lily and Jack home.