Mystery Deepens Around Disappearance of Lily and Jack Sullivan in Nova Scotia: “Something Isn’t Right,” Says Retired RCMP Dog Handler
Lanstown Station, Nova Scotia — More than two weeks have passed since six-year-old Lily Sullivan and her four-year-old brother Jack vanished from their rural Nova Scotia home, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Now, a retired RCMP dog handler has spoken out, calling the case “really strange” and suggesting there may be more to the story than meets the eye.

The two young siblings were last seen on Tuesday, April 30, 2025. They were absent from school on Wednesday and Thursday, reportedly due to illness. On Friday morning, May 2, their mother called 911 to report them missing. That call launched a large-scale search operation involving more than 160 ground personnel, search dogs, drones, and helicopters.

Extensive Search, No Results
Over the first six days, rescue teams scoured a 5.5 square kilometer area (3.4 square miles) around the family’s home. Despite their efforts, no trace of the children was found. An additional search conducted over the weekend with more than 100 searchers also ended with no discoveries.

“We don’t know why they decided to go back out searching,” said Michelle, a content creator who has been following the case closely. “Maybe it was a tip-off, or maybe it was just a planned follow-up search. The RCMP haven’t said.”

RCMP declined to answer specific questions about the renewed search effort or confirm whether new evidence had come to light.

Expert Weighs In: “Hard to Believe”
Glenn Brown, a retired RCMP operational dog handler with 26 years of experience, told CBC News that the children’s continued disappearance is highly unusual.

“I find it hard to believe that a six-year-old and a four-year-old would just disappear like that,” Brown said.

He noted that in most search cases, especially those involving trained dogs, some sign of the missing person is usually found — unless specific environmental or circumstantial factors are at play.

The Dog Track Dilemma
One of the most troubling aspects of this case is the lack of a clear scent trail for the dogs to follow. Early reports suggested that search dogs picked up a scent leading down to Glock Road — and then nothing.

This raised speculation that the children might have entered a vehicle, though it’s not a certainty. The issue is further complicated by the fact that Lily and Jack regularly walked that path to meet their school bus, leaving residual scent in the area.

“The fact the dogs didn’t get a track is deeply concerning,” said Michelle. “Wooded areas usually hold scent well. Grass, trees — they trap scent for days, even after rain. The scent should have been there.”

Michelle further explained that depending on the type of dogs used — air-scenting versus scent-specific — the presence of residual scent from the children’s daily routine could have confused their ability to follow a fresh trail.

Criminal Possibility?
While it’s possible that the children simply wandered off and haven’t been found, Michelle — like many observers — is not convinced this is just a missing persons case.

“There are just too many red flags for me to ignore the possibility of foul play,” she said. “I don’t think this was a stranger abduction either. There are things about the parents that make me uncomfortable, but we don’t know enough yet.”

RCMP have said they have not ruled out the case as suspicious, and the major crimes unit has been involved since May 3. While they say this is standard procedure, it raises questions about what investigators might know but aren’t disclosing.

The 5% That Are Never Found
Robert Croster, a search mission coordinator from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, says only about 5% of search and rescue cases end without locating the missing person. The vast majority — especially children — are found quickly.

Croster compiled a global database of over 500,000 search-and-rescue cases and developed an app called Lost Person Behavior, which was reportedly used in the Sullivan case. According to Croster, there are several reasons why a person may not be found — the search area might have been too small, teams may have missed assigned zones, or terrain and weather might have obscured clues.

“Sometimes it just comes down to the smallest detail,” Croster said. “All it takes is looking to your left when you should have looked to your right.”

A Lingering Mystery
With no updates from RCMP and no solid leads publicly confirmed, the Sullivan case remains shrouded in mystery. Investigators continue their work behind the scenes, but for the public, the silence only deepens the uncertainty.

“We’re not expecting the RCMP to tell us everything, of course,” said Michelle. “But right now, we’re left wondering, waiting, and worrying. And it’s clear they know more than they’re saying.”