As the search for missing siblings Noah and Emily Harris enters its fourth harrowing week, the children’s stepfather has delivered an emotional and deeply personal plea to the public, urging anyone with information to come forward. Speaking through tears during a press conference held outside the family’s home in Glenridge, British Columbia, Matthew Greene addressed the nation with a mixture of anguish and hope, offering a raw glimpse into a family held together by love and desperation.

Noah, age 9, and Emily, age 5, vanished from their neighborhood on May 2nd while walking to a local park less than three blocks from their home. The children were last seen by a neighbor who reported seeing them laughing and running ahead of each other around 3:45 p.m. When they failed to return home within the hour, their mother, Rachel Harris, contacted police. What began as a missing persons report quickly escalated into a full-scale search operation involving local authorities, provincial agencies, and hundreds of volunteers.

Since their disappearance, the children’s parents have made limited public appearances, choosing to focus on assisting law enforcement and dealing with their grief in private. But on Friday afternoon, that changed. Standing in front of reporters, Matthew Greene, the children’s stepfather of four years, spoke directly to whoever may be responsible—and to the hearts of a nation.

“Please,” he said, voice cracking. “If you know where they are, if you’ve seen anything—anything at all—come forward. These are good kids. They don’t deserve this. Their mother cries herself to sleep every night. Our home is quiet now. Too quiet. We just want them back.”

Greene described the days since the children’s disappearance as a blur of sleepless nights and unanswered questions. He wore a worn sweatshirt that once belonged to Noah and clutched a toy car that Emily had received on her last birthday. “This was hers,” he said, holding it up. “She wouldn’t go anywhere without it. If someone has her, she’s scared. Please, bring them home.”

The emotional plea comes after a week of few new developments. Investigators have canvassed the neighborhood extensively, interviewing residents, reviewing surveillance footage, and conducting grid searches of nearby woods and waterways. Divers have been deployed to search retention ponds, and aerial drones have scanned local trails for signs of movement or abandoned belongings.

Police have confirmed the recovery of a shoe believed to belong to Emily, found near a wooded trail approximately two kilometers from the family home. DNA testing is ongoing, but the discovery has narrowed the focus of search efforts. Still, no other physical evidence has been confirmed, and no persons of interest have been publicly named.

Greene addressed the emotional toll the ordeal has taken on their blended family. “I came into their lives when Noah was five and Emily was just learning to walk,” he said. “They accepted me as their own. I may not be their biological father, but they are my children. I would give anything—anything—to bring them home safe.”

He described Emily as full of energy and imagination, always creating “magical stories” and drawing pictures of castles and cats. Noah, he said, is “a thinker,” interested in outer space and obsessed with model rockets. “He wanted to work for NASA,” Greene said with a bittersweet laugh. “He used to line up his toy astronauts on his windowsill and tell me their names.”

Behind Greene stood a display of posters with the children’s photos and a large banner that read “BRING NOAH AND EMILY HOME.” Volunteers handed out flyers and ribbons in blue and yellow, the children’s favorite colors. Community support has been unwavering, with daily search parties, school-led awareness events, and online efforts to spread information across the province.

Investigators have not ruled out abduction. The RCMP is working with the National Centre for Missing Persons and has issued alerts across provincial borders. Surveillance video from a gas station ten kilometers away showed a white SUV lingering in the area on the day of the disappearance, though its connection to the case remains unconfirmed. Authorities are asking the public to help identify the vehicle and its driver.

Public tips have been coming in steadily, and investigators emphasize that no detail is too small. The Harris family has established a tip line and a website with downloadable posters, as well as a GoFundMe campaign to support search operations and assist with legal and travel expenses. So far, more than $65,000 has been raised.

In his speech, Greene also spoke directly to the person or people who may be holding the children. “You don’t have to be afraid,” he said. “If you’ve made a mistake—let’s make it right. Drop them off somewhere safe. No questions. Just let them go. We don’t want justice—we want our babies.”

Family friends and neighbors described Greene as a devoted stepfather who embraced his role with love and humility. “He’s always been there for those kids,” said Marie Talbot, a neighbor. “He’s never treated them like anything less than his own. This is tearing him apart.”

Greene ended his plea with a message to Noah and Emily, in case they might hear it. “We love you. We’re looking for you. Don’t give up. We’re never going to stop searching. You are not forgotten, and you are not alone.”

The silence that followed his final words was broken only by the sound of camera shutters and quiet sobs from onlookers. Rachel Harris, standing just a few feet away, did not speak, but held tightly to Greene’s hand throughout, her eyes fixed on the crowd, as if scanning for a miracle.

While the investigation continues, the plea from the children’s stepfather has brought renewed attention and emotional depth to the case. Law enforcement officials hope the increased media coverage will lead to fresh leads. “Sometimes, all it takes is one person remembering one thing,” said Sgt. Lisa Godfrey, spokesperson for the RCMP. “We urge everyone to listen, to look, and to come forward with anything that could help.”

For now, the family waits—grieving, hoping, refusing to surrender. The days grow longer, but so too does the collective determination of a community that refuses to give up on two missing children. And in the words of a stepfather who stood before the world with a breaking heart, the message could not be clearer: “Bring them home.”