Government of Nova Scotia
Jack Sullivan; Lilly Sullivan
NEED TO KNOW
- Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, disappeared from their home in May and are still missing eight months later
- New court documents reveal fresh information about the relationship between the kids’ mother and stepfather, as well as the investigation overall
- No suspects have been arrested or identified in connection with Lilly and Jack’s disappearances
As police continue to search for two young siblings who vanished from their home eight months ago, new details about their family have been revealed.
Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, were last seen on the morning of May 2 at their home in Nova Scotia, Canada, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The kids were living with their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, and stepfather, Daniel Martell, as well as the couple’s baby daughter at the time of their disappearance, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported at the time.
As of mid-January, the siblings have not been found, and new court documents reveal fresh details about their family, as well as the investigation overall.
Extensive efforts made in the months since Lilly and Jack went missing have included a grid search of the woods surrounding their home, plus the use of cadaver dogs and polygraph examinations, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Investigators have also conducted 75 interviews, sought at least 12 search warrants and reviewed over 1,000 different tips and 8,000 video files, the outlet reported.
RCMP
Lilly and Jack Sullivan
The interviews reveal new details about Lilly and Jack’s family, according to court documents obtained by the CBC.
In one, investigators asked Brooks-Murray if Martell had ever been physically abusive. In response, the CBC reported, citing the documents, that the mom said “he would try to block her, hold her down and once he pushed her.”
“She said he would also take her phone from her when she tried to call her mom, which would sometimes be physical and hurt,” the outlet added.
The documents also state that Martell told authorities he Brooks-Murray had a “good” relationship, though they had been fighting about money recently, according the CBC.
“He said they would yell at each other when they were fighting, but there was no physical violence in their relationship,” the documents reportedly state, per the outlet.
The exact nature of the relationship between Brooks-Murray and Martell at the time of the disappearance of Lilly and Jack is part of the investigation, RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon confirmed to the CBC.
“I’m not going to comment on … anything being a factor,” he told the outlet. “But I will say that any situation like that would be considered and followed up on by our people.”
Government of Nova Scotia
Lilly Sullivan
Along with the kids’ mother and stepfather, the court documents also detail new information about Lilly and Jack’s biological father, Cody Sullivan.
The documents claim that Sullivan had not seen Jack or Lilly in a few years, but had historically paid child support. However, that ceased when he lost his job nine months before the kids went missing in May, the CBC reported.
Speaking with the Canadian outlet, McCamon also said that he is currently unable to identify any suspects.
When asked if any of Jack or Lilly’s family members are being looked into, the police sergeant said, “I wouldn’t say anybody’s a suspect. Again, we continue to gather information, whatever evidence that we are able to find, and we’ll make our decisions based on that.”
Government of Nova Scotia
Jack Sullivan
The May disappearance of Lilly and Jack has not moved to a criminal investigation. As authorities continue, however, it “could become criminal, and persons of interest in the disappearance of the children might be identified,” authorities said in recently filed court submissions obtained by the CBC.
Martell previously said he suspects the two children got out of a sliding back door at the family’s Nova Scotia property, while he said he and Brooks-Murray were in their bedroom with their baby, the CBC reported in May.
There is a “Find Lilly and Jack Sullivan” Facebook page that has remained active amid the eight-month search for the missing kids.
Authorities are still offering a reward of up to $150,000 CAD (around $107,000 USD) for any information about the siblings’ disappearance, per a Nova Scotia government post.