A shocking message from the mother of missing children Lilly and Jack Sullivan may have revealed the most crucial clue yet — one that points directly to the root of their disappearance: CPS (Child Protective Services). If you’re a parent, this article is a wake-up call.

I took a break from the dark world of true crime to attend a lighthearted event called Starlight World with over 500 attendees. It was a beautiful reminder of why we do this — to shine a light on the missing and protect children. But when I returned and reviewed some private messages involving Malaya — the mother of Lilly and Jack — it hit me like déjà vu. I’ve seen this pattern before. Harmony Montgomery. Summer Wells. Sebastian Rogers. And now, Lilly and Jack.

Let’s rewind.

Harmony Montgomery was last seen in fall 2019 but wasn’t reported missing until November 2021. She had been under state care before her father, a dangerous and abusive man, gained custody. CPS had been involved. The red flag? She had a black eye before vanishing.

Summer Wells went missing in June 2021 from Tennessee. A bubbly, verbal 5-year-old, Summer disappeared the day CPS was scheduled to visit her home. The family story kept changing. She was never found. Again — CPS was involved.

In 2024, Sebastian Rogers vanished from his home in Tennessee. CPS had been alerted about unsafe custody situations involving his stepsister. He simply disappeared one morning. Same pattern. CPS was knocking. The next day, he was gone.

Now let’s talk about Lilly and Jack.

Private messages allegedly from Malaya to the children’s grandmother reveal something chilling. When asked who she’s protecting her youngest child, Meadow, from — she doesn’t say a person. She doesn’t say a kidnapper. She says: CPS.

Let that sink in. She’s not showing concern about Lilly and Jack’s wellbeing. She isn’t crying out for help. Her focus is protecting Meadow from CPS. That’s the only time a child’s well-being is mentioned. It’s not about the two missing kids. It’s about shielding the baby from government intervention.

This matches the same pattern we’ve seen time and time again: CPS involvement triggers fear and desperation. Parents on the edge, trying to dodge government oversight, make devastating decisions — and children vanish.

From Malaya’s own alleged messages, she admits she didn’t want to stay at the house with Daniel, the stepfather. She calls him controlling but never directly accuses him of abuse. When confronted with the idea that she took the kids and left, she doesn’t deny it. She just says, “I can’t talk about it” and “Let Daniel think what he wants.”

There are whispers now that Lilly and Jack might have been smuggled away to avoid CPS. Some even suggest they may have been taken across the border into the U.S. with help from extended family. Think about that. In her mind, is keeping them hidden safer than facing CPS?

And what about Daniel? The stepfather said he woke up after Malaya had already left the bed. He claims she had time to take the kids before sunrise. His story points the finger at her, but no one has been arrested. No evidence has confirmed anything — yet.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. After Summer Wells went missing, all her siblings were taken by CPS. Harmony’s father tried to outrun CPS — and we know how that ended. Malaya allegedly went from having three kids to having none.

What’s worse? Every single case I’ve mentioned involves school-age kids — kids who can talk. Kids who might say something at school. And every time, that school involvement triggered a CPS visit. After that? The children vanish.

This is a pattern. And we, as a society, need to face it.

We must ask: is there a better way for authorities to intervene without triggering this kind of desperate response from parents? Can there be temporary protective custody during investigations? How can we prevent children from simply vanishing because parents are afraid?

We’re not talking about isolated incidents anymore. We’re talking about a potential systemic failure where intervention leads to disappearance — instead of protection.

If you’re a parent reading this: take this seriously. If you’re part of a community that suspects child neglect or abuse, report it — but understand the chain of events that may follow. We need reform, we need awareness, and we need to start talking about this openly.

Because children like Lilly, Jack, Harmony, Summer, and Sebastian — they deserve to be found. They deserve justice.