The Mounties provided a brief update that they are still working through the “intensive” investigation of Lilly and Jack Sullivan after weeks of silence from officials.

The siblings disappeared more than two months ago on May 2, from a rural Pictou County community, and there have been no indications as to what happened to the six-year-old and four-year-old.

RCMP said in an update on July 16 that the case is continuing with assistance from its units in Ontario and New Brunswick, and help from the National Centre of Missing Persons and Canadian Centre for Child Protection. Further municipal and provincial policing agencies from Nova Scotia and in parts of the country are also helping.

“For example the forensics lab in Ottawa is supporting the investigation in partnership with forensic identification units here in Nova Scotia,” Cpl. Carlie McCann, RCMP media relations officer, said. “As well, there may be police detachments and units in other provinces who are conducting interviews with witnesses.”

The update comes after weeks of no communication from the RCMP, which said officers have been reviewing approximately 5,000 video files from cameras around Lansdowne Station, the area where the children were last seen.

One of the policing units are working to examine materials located through these searches, including a pink blanket that officers found on Lansdowne Road. McCann confirms this is the same blanket found on May 2, and police said that the family confirmed the blanket belonged to Lilly.

“Police are investigating if and how it relates to her and her brother’s disappearance,” she said.

McCann did not elaborate on the other materials seized early in the case that police are using forensic testing on.

Over several weeks in May and June, ground searches combed through the rugged and difficult terrain looking for the young children. They went through the dense bush and creeks surrounding the home where the pair lives with their stepfather, Daniel Martell, and mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, on Gairloch Road.

Other information police have shared with the public include the 600 tips they are going through and how they have interviewed more than 60 people, some of which were given polygraph (lie detector) tests.

“Right now, there are more than 800 tasks associated to this investigation,” says Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon, Officer in Charge (acting), Major Crime and Behavioural Sciences. “A tremendous amount of careful, deliberate investigative work is underway by people here at home and in other parts of Canada; our collective efforts will continue every day until we determine with certainty the circumstances surrounding Lilly and Jack’s disappearance.”

The investigation into the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan has entered a critical new phase, as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirm they are coordinating with law enforcement agencies in Ontario and New Brunswick. This multi-jurisdictional cooperation marks a significant expansion of efforts to locate the missing siblings, who vanished under increasingly suspicious circumstances nearly two weeks ago. With every hour that passes, concerns for their safety grow deeper, and the search intensifies.

Lilly, aged 8, and her brother Jack, aged 10, were last seen near their home in Nova Scotia, where they lived under the custody of their mother and stepfather. The initial report categorized the case as a standard missing persons situation, but as evidence—or the lack thereof—emerged, RCMP investigators began to suspect that the children had not simply wandered off. Their school attendance was regular, and there were no known behavioral issues. Then they were gone.

What triggered alarm was not just the suddenness of their disappearance, but also the actions of the adults in their lives. The children’s mother, who first reported them missing, provided details that police have since described as “vague” and “inconsistent.” Surveillance checks and interviews with neighbors uncovered few leads, but hinted at activity that didn’t align with the mother’s version of events. The stepfather’s statements added to the confusion, offering little clarity about the day the children vanished.

As days passed, local searches turned up no concrete results. K9 units, search-and-rescue teams, drones, and helicopters scoured nearby forests, lakes, and abandoned properties. But investigators hit a wall—no witnesses, no digital trail, no physical evidence. That’s when attention shifted to broader possibilities. A tip suggesting the children may have been transported across provincial lines led the RCMP to coordinate with police units in Ontario and New Brunswick. The expanded search area now spans hundreds of kilometers.

This interprovincial collaboration involves intelligence sharing, surveillance analysis, and coordinated checkpoint activity. Investigators are reviewing highway traffic data, toll booth camera footage, and credit card activity linked to the family. Authorities in Ontario are combing through reports of suspicious vehicles or unfamiliar children in rural communities and border towns. New Brunswick officers are focusing on maritime routes and potential ferry crossings, in case the children were moved via less conspicuous channels.

The RCMP has not confirmed whether they believe the children were abducted or voluntarily taken out of province by a family member, but the nature of the search now points toward the likelihood that this was a planned and intentional act. Both the mother and stepfather remain persons of interest, and authorities have emphasized that neither has been ruled out as a suspect. Court records, where available, are being reviewed for any signs of domestic disputes, custody conflicts, or previous investigations into child welfare.

Several leads are being tracked simultaneously. A possible sighting in Ontario’s cottage country is being pursued, though it remains unverified. In New Brunswick, investigators are reviewing a series of calls made from a burner phone, registered in a false name, that may be linked to the Sullivan case. The possibility that others could be aiding in hiding the children—family members, acquaintances, or even strangers influenced by misinformation—is one the RCMP is taking seriously.

Public interest in the case has soared, and with it, public pressure. Across social media, thousands of Canadians have posted photos of Lilly and Jack, urging anyone with information to come forward. Community groups in both Ontario and New Brunswick have started organizing awareness campaigns, distributing flyers, and checking in on remote properties and vacation cabins. The children’s faces are now etched into the national consciousness, symbols of a story that feels too painful and too familiar.

The emotional toll on the community has been immense. Teachers and classmates have expressed their sorrow and confusion, struggling to process the absence of two bright and friendly children. Family members outside the immediate household have asked for privacy while also pleading for cooperation with the police investigation. For now, everyone shares one hope—that the children are still alive and can be safely recovered.

Experts in missing children cases say that cross-provincial movement can both complicate and help an investigation. On one hand, jurisdictional boundaries can slow communication, but on the other, the increased media attention and wider pool of law enforcement resources often bring in crucial tips. Canada’s National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains is also involved, providing centralized support and data analysis that may prove critical in tracing the children’s path.

The RCMP continues to stress the importance of public vigilance. Anyone who notices unfamiliar families, children appearing distressed, or adults displaying nervous or evasive behavior is urged to contact law enforcement. Small observations—like overhearing a conversation in a restaurant or seeing a child in the backseat of a vehicle who doesn’t seem to belong—can sometimes be the breakthrough investigators need.

As of now, neither the mother nor stepfather has been formally charged. However, legal analysts say charges could come swiftly if new evidence emerges, especially if there is proof of interference with custody, obstruction of justice, or endangering the welfare of a child. The investigation is also reportedly looking into whether a planned relocation or hidden safe house was arranged ahead of the disappearance.

Many in the public remain firm in their belief that the mother may have been complicit—or even directly involved—in the children’s disappearance. Her conduct has raised red flags for both investigators and child welfare advocates. If she is proven to have participated in any way, public opinion is clear: Lilly and Jack must never be returned to her care. Trust, once broken at that level, is nearly impossible to repair.

What lies ahead is a mixture of hope and determination. The RCMP, now working alongside their counterparts in multiple provinces, is mobilizing every tool at their disposal. For Lilly and Jack, time is critical. For the public, it’s a matter of moral duty. And for those responsible—whether through action or willful silence—the net is closing.