Jack and Lily Sullivan Remain Missing

Although the active search efforts have been scaled back, authorities confirm that a complex and ongoing investigation is still underway.

“There is an awful lot going on behind the scenes, around the clock while the police look for these two children or try to see if there was foul involved in any way,” said former homicide investigator Steve Ryan, offering his perspective on the case.

According to Ryan, “The story that the mom and the stepdad have provided to the police, was that they woke up and the kids were gone, Given that there is no witness to what happened, that leaves a very gaping hole in this investigation.”

Stepfather Daniel Martell recounted: “She had a pink shirt on. We could hear Jackie in the kitchen. A few minutes later we didn’t hear them, so I went out to check. The sliding door was closed. Their boots were gone.”

This raises troubling questions: How far could the children have gone in just a few minutes? Did Lily leave for the school bus and encounter someone along the way? And without any confirmed witnesses, can we even trust the timeline as it stands?

Inconsistencies in family members’ accounts, paired with a lack of clear evidence, have deepened public uncertainty. Yet one truth remains undeniable: Jack and Lily are still missing. And until they are found, we must not stop searching.

Jack and Lilly Sullivan remain missing, and their disappearance continues to perplex both investigators and the public. As the search passes the three-week mark, law enforcement has begun to scale back active ground operations, yet officials emphasize that the case remains open and that a comprehensive investigation is still ongoing behind the scenes.

The children, aged six and four, were reported missing from their home in the rural community of Landsdowne Station, Pictou County, Nova Scotia, on the morning of May 2, 2025. Initial reports indicated that the children were last seen by their parents around 8:00 a.m. Since then, there has been no confirmed sighting of either child, despite extensive search efforts and widespread media coverage.

According to former homicide investigator Steve Ryan, who has closely followed the case and provided commentary for multiple outlets, this disappearance bears several hallmarks of a case that may extend beyond a simple wandering-off scenario. “There is an awful lot going on behind the scenes, around the clock, while the police look for these two children or try to see if there was foul play involved in any way,” Ryan said in a recent interview. His analysis reflects a growing concern that the case may involve more than initially believed.

One of the primary factors driving suspicion is the account given by the children’s mother and stepfather. Ryan explained that the parents allegedly told police they awoke and found the children gone, offering little explanation beyond that. “The story that the mom and the stepdad have provided to the police was that they woke up and the kids were gone,” Ryan stated. “Given that there is no witness to what happened, that leaves a very gaping hole in this investigation.”

Stepfather Daniel Martell also gave a detailed account of that morning. “She had a pink shirt on,” he said of Lilly. “We could hear Jackie in the kitchen. A few minutes later, we didn’t hear them, so I went out to check. The sliding door was closed. Their boots were gone.”

This description, while emotionally charged and specific, raises a number of pressing questions. How far could two young children travel within such a short time? Could they have left the property undetected? Was there someone waiting nearby, either by coincidence or design? And perhaps most importantly, without any corroborating witness accounts, can the timeline as presented be accepted at face value?

The timeline, in fact, has become one of the most debated elements of the case. While the parents reportedly last saw the children at around 8:00 a.m., the official 911 call was not made until shortly after 10:30 a.m. That two-and-a-half-hour window has yet to be definitively accounted for and remains one of the key challenges investigators face as they try to reconstruct the children’s movements — or possible abduction — during that time.

Law enforcement officials have been cautious in their public statements, declining to speculate but affirming that they are leaving no stone unturned. RCMP spokespersons have confirmed that forensic teams have been involved since the earliest days, examining the home, property, and digital records of those closest to the children. Officers have also conducted interviews with extended family members, neighbors, and nearby landowners. So far, no charges have been laid, and no suspects have been named.

Search efforts in the first two weeks involved over 150 personnel, including police officers, search and rescue teams, and local volunteers. Helicopters, drones, ATVs, and canine units scoured over 50 square kilometers of dense forest, fields, and rural backroads. Despite the scale of the operation, no physical trace of the children — beyond a few early items believed to belong to them — has been found.

One theory that has surfaced in public discourse is that Lilly, the older sibling, may have left for the school bus as part of her normal routine. Some community members have speculated that she may have expected to see a bus or someone she knew, and that she could have been intercepted along the way. However, no known bus stop exists within direct walking distance of the Sullivan property, and officials have not confirmed any surveillance or witness accounts of the children walking along the road that morning.

The lack of concrete leads has left the community in a state of unease. Posters bearing the children’s faces line storefronts and telephone poles across Pictou County. Prayer vigils, fundraisers, and public meetings continue to be held in their honor. But as the days stretch on without answers, many locals say they are left feeling helpless, haunted by the sense that something simply does not add up.

Compounding public concern are the inconsistencies in statements made by members of the Sullivan family. Some reports suggest that versions of the events have changed in subtle but significant ways — such as the last known activity of the children, the timing of breakfast, or which parent last interacted with them. While none of these discrepancies amount to evidence of wrongdoing on their own, experts agree that such inconsistencies can complicate investigations and may signal deeper issues that warrant scrutiny.

Despite these challenges, investigators have reiterated their commitment to solving the case. An RCMP officer close to the investigation said that while public attention has shifted, their work has not. “Just because the helicopters are gone doesn’t mean the investigation is over,” he said. “We are analyzing every lead, and every piece of information is being tracked and followed up on.”

So far, no ransom note has surfaced, no demands have been made, and no credible sightings have been confirmed. Authorities have not ruled out abduction, accident, or foul play. While the initial ground search has been scaled back, police say digital and forensic components of the investigation are accelerating.

For the Sullivan family, the emotional toll is unimaginable. They have made multiple public appeals, appearing at vigils and in interviews to thank volunteers and urge the public not to give up hope. A reward fund established by community members and local businesses has grown steadily, now totaling more than $70,000.

As the case stretches into its fourth week, one truth remains undeniable: Jack and Lilly are still missing. Their photos continue to circulate across social media, shared by people in towns far beyond Nova Scotia. Their names are spoken in whispered prayers and angry debates. Their faces are etched into the collective memory of a community unwilling to forget.

The RCMP continues to urge anyone with information — no matter how minor it may seem — to come forward. Tips can be reported anonymously, and all leads are treated seriously.

Until Jack and Lilly are found, the questions will continue, and so must the search. In a case filled with uncertainty, the need for answers grows more urgent with every passing day.