CANADA Canada - Jack, 4 & Lily Sullivan, 6, Vulnerable, wandered from home 10am, Gairloch Rd, Landsdowne Station, Pictou County, NS, 2 May 2025

[TristanP]

the six year old took her backpack? That doesn't really sound like a wandering off scenario to me.

This is a neutral for me. Some kids take a bag with the things they hold dear everywhere they go. Seems to be a personality trait more than anything. I have a niece and nephew who are twins, and my niece carried a bag with her goodies everywhere for many years. Nephew just took whatever he was interested in at the moment they were leaving lol.

 

[wvmoonangel]

sorry I should clarify. I would find it normal if this were a planned by two littles adventure. But the two big theories seem to be "wandered off" which would seem more impromptu. Or abducted (I find this the least likely)

I agree,something just don't feel right with the story. I pray they are found safe but honestly feel it's not going to have a good ending. After 3 days of searching they should have found something. Kids that small will at least take their shirts or something off if they get too hot,and cry out when they are getting really hungry. There has been so many of these Cases that had fake stories behind them that didn't have a happy ending,LV is a prime example of that.

 

[iveyguy]

"Jack is in pre-primary and Lily is in primary. He (stepfather) said they were not at school on Friday because Lily had a cough." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova...ctou-county-missing-children-search-1.7526454

This has now been publicly reported - the children were not in school that day due to illness.

Further, there are few additional details from that article on the footprints found.

"Martell said two boot tracks were found near his home, as well as another nearby, and that is the only evidence authorities have uncovered so far.

 

[TMich6811]

"Jack is in pre-primary and Lily is in primary. He (stepfather) said they were not at school on Friday because Lily had a cough." https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova...ctou-county-missing-children-search-1.7526454

This has now been publicly reported - the children were not in school that day due to illness.

Further, there are few additional details from that article on the footprints found.

"Martell said two boot tracks were found near his home, as well as another nearby, and that is the only evidence authorities have uncovered so far.

so they stayed home the day they disappeared because they were sick but the only interaction with them was lily coming into their room? ETA and mom didn’t see her when she came in?

 

[tlcya]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/resizer/v2/H...494fa8eae94c80e5aa4c1af&width=1440&height=810

the alert says last seen around 10am

from this article Search for two missing children in rural Nova Scotia enters fourth day

but this article seems to clarify that they were reported missing around 10 am.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Carlie McCann said the children left a home and were reported missing at 10 a.m. They are believed to have wandered, she said. There's no evidence they were abducted, so no Amber Alert was issued.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/missing-children-pictou-county-1.7525009

Their stepfather Daniel Martell believes the youngsters went out a sliding back door of the family's home while he and the children's mother Malehya Brooks-Murray fed their baby.
Abduction fears as siblings aged four and six vanish from beauty spot

Has there been any mention of how old their baby is? I've not seen it take two to do that.

 

[TMich6811]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/resizer/v2/H...494fa8eae94c80e5aa4c1af&width=1440&height=810

the alert says last seen around 10am

from this article Search for two missing children in rural Nova Scotia enters fourth day

but this article seems to clarify that they were reported missing around 10 am.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Carlie McCann said the children left a home and were reported missing at 10 a.m. They are believed to have wandered, she said. There's no evidence they were abducted, so no Amber Alert was issued.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/missing-children-pictou-county-1.7525009

Their stepfather Daniel Martell believes the youngsters went out a sliding back door of the family's home while he and the children's mother Malehya Brooks-Murray fed their baby.
Abduction fears as siblings aged four and six vanish from beauty spot

Has there been any mention of how old their baby is? I've not seen it take two to do that.

Trying to find in msm

 

[dotr]

Stepfather of two children missing in rural N.S. worries they may have been abducted

LANSDOWNE STATION — As a search continued for a fourth day for two young children believed to have wandered from their rural home in northeastern Nova Scotia, the children’s stepfather said Monday he is worried they may have been abducted. Daniel Martell said he was in his home in Lansdowne...

halifax.citynews.ca

'Parker said he spoke with the missing children’s mother a couple of days ago. “She has a little one, maybe less than a year old, in her arms. It’s tough. Something that could happen to anybody, and it happened to them,” he said of the disappearances.'

 

[Snoop Sister]

There’s a jump in time here that is concerning. Mentioning that the sun was up when Lily came in their room comes across as “it was very early, but the sun was up so it was at least (whatever time the sun is up there).”

Then he says a few minutes later he didn’t hear them and went searching. RCMP is saying the search started at 10 am.

It seems like if she had been in their room merely minutes before they stopped hearing them, it wouldn’t have been noteable that “sun was up”.

I haven’t had a chance to read all the posts here so far - were the kids in preschool/school? Was Friday a school day?

The sun is up around 6 ish in Canada, at this time of year.

 

[dotr]

https://www.ckdr.net/2025/05/05/116769/#

''The children wandered from a home on Gairlock Road around 10 a.m., Friday, according to RCMP, and Martell tells our newsroom, he is beside himself.

“Anyone with information, please come forward as fast as possible,” says Martell.

He adds, there is a dense forest and rough streams and he, himself searched 20 or 30 acres when they first went missing.

“I did all around the house in the four-wheeler, ATV. I did as much as a could on the first day and the second day,” says Martell.

The search has now expanded too far, he says, for him to be out.''

 

[callmehenry]

Could someone they know come to that SILENT back door and take them?

Just finished watching a doc about Jessica Lunsford and in that case someone she didn’t know came to the house without anyone hearing, took her and the poor frightened child didn’t say a word. So I see how someone could have taken these babies

 

[dotr]

Stepfather Daniel Martell and mother Malehya Brooks-Murray

Mom's haunting on-camera plea after two young children both vanished

Jack Sullivan, 4, and his sister Lily, 6, were last seen about 10am on Friday on a road close to their home in Nova Scotia, and their mother Malehya Brooks-Murray begged for their safe return.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'We always make sure that we're out there with them, watching them, and they happen to just get out that sliding door, and we can't hear it when it opens,' she said.

'They were outside playing, but we weren't aware of it at the time, and the next thing we knew it was quiet.

'We get up and look outside. We're looking everywhere, yelling for them, and I instantly just called 911. I just had the instinct I needed to call.'

Brooks-Murray said her children may have mild autism but were friendly, contrary to rumors online claiming they were non-verbal.

'They're both really happy-go-lucky children. They're so sweet. They talk to anyone. They'll talk your ear off. They will speak to anyone in a store, everyone. They're just extremely sweet kids,' she said. ''

 

[Hexe]

so they stayed home the day they disappeared because they were sick but the only interaction with them was lily coming into their room? ETA and mom didn’t see her when she came in?

As I said I do not like that story.

 

[TristanP]

https://www.ckdr.net/2025/05/05/116769/#

''The children wandered from a home on Gairlock Road around 10 a.m., Friday, according to RCMP, and Martell tells our newsroom, he is beside himself.

“Anyone with information, please come forward as fast as possible,” says Martell.

He adds, there is a dense forest and rough streams and he, himself searched 20 or 30 acres when they first went missing.

“I did all around the house in the four-wheeler, ATV. I did as much as a could on the first day and the second day,” says Martell.

The search has now expanded too far, he says, for him to be out.''

Why not search the first areas again? Presumably the children are mobile if they walked away. They could have walked back in to the area.

 

[TristanP]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/more-than-100-searchers-scour-pictou-county-for-missing-children-1.7525893

"It's a huge wooded area with lots of potential, so we're just keeping all avenues open and ensuring we're covering off the area with a very structured search," said RCMP Cpl. Sally Rice.

Most of the people looking for the children Saturday are search and rescue volunteers, said Rice.

Rice said it is likely the children haven't been alone in a wooded area before.

"So, there are going to be lots of challenges for those kids," she said. "I would say that obviously any children would have challenges, especially in this terrain, right? It's challenging enough for our people that we have on the ground here."

She said the children may be afraid of adults. They may not understand the noises related to the search, like helicopters flying overhead.''

View attachment 583855
Stepfather Daniel Martell and mother Malehya Brooks-Murray

Mom's haunting on-camera plea after two young children both vanished

Jack Sullivan, 4, and his sister Lily, 6, were last seen about 10am on Friday on a road close to their home in Nova Scotia, and their mother Malehya Brooks-Murray begged for their safe return.

www.dailymail.co.uk

'We always make sure that we're out there with them, watching them, and they happen to just get out that sliding door, and we can't hear it when it opens,' she said.

'They were outside playing, but we weren't aware of it at the time, and the next thing we knew it was quiet.

'We get up and look outside. We're looking everywhere, yelling for them, and I instantly just called 911. I just had the instinct I needed to call.'

Brooks-Murray said her children may have mild autism but were friendly, contrary to rumors online claiming they were non-verbal.

'They're both really happy-go-lucky children. They're so sweet. They talk to anyone. They'll talk your ear off. They will speak to anyone in a store, everyone. They're just extremely sweet kids,' she said. ''

The first quote says they children may be afraid of adults.

The second says they’ll talk to anyone.
<modsnip - off topic>

 

[Snoop Sister]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>
Here it is. Article states that stepfather has been in a relationship with the mother for the past three years.

https://www.ckdr.net/2025/05/05/116769/#

 

[viccity]

I can't believe we just went through this with the missing 7 year old girl in Chilliwack, BC and now we have missing kids in the woods again!

 

[Carovb5]

Yes, I found the backpack taken by the six year old odd as well.

As a teacher (6 to 12 year olds) i don’t find that odd.
There are all kinds of kids but:
-the younger they & their siblings are, the more they’re used to bringing a backpack everywhere they go (snacks, drinks, change of clothes, toys,…) and they often copy this from their parents (either for themselves or for younger siblings (copying the parents).
-new stuff/stuff they’re proud of are often taken everywhere
-the “collectors” like bringing bags for rocks, sticks, flowers,… whatever they like to collect.
-younger kids: mom brings a bag/purse, i copy acting like mom.

6yo can normally change their clothes pretty okay themselves & girls that age often like to be like a little mom and do what moms do, like helping younger kids get dressed,…

No idea if that’s the case here but doesn’t seem suspicious to me. MOO

 

[LoisLane47]

I would like to know who, aside from the parents, saw these children last, when and where. Has that been reported?

 

[Pseudonymph]

If something nefarious had happened and you were responsible, I think you’d tell a story much more favorable to yourself than “we were asleep and maybe not properly supervising.” That being said, when my kids were little, they got up before me and entertained themselves. One time my son made himself cereal…in the colander. But generally it was just fine. My bedroom was 10 feet away from them.

One thing I wonder…why did they put on their boots? Was it muddy? Were they expecting their feet to get wet? Are those the only shoes they could easily locate? I feel like they impulsively went outside because they saw someone or something that was interesting. (The backpack thing is unimportant. Lots of little girls do that. Of course, it’s also possible that she thought she was going to school.)

 

[Alice Ramnit]

I find it odd that the Step-Father is saying that he fears that they were abducted. Children aren't usually abducted in pairs, or dress themselves to go outside to be abducted or pack a knapsack beforehand. I hope that they did wander off on an 'adventure' and that it's not anything worse!
A couple of other questions...does he have other children of his own and where is Jack and Lily's biological Dad? You would think that he would be making an appeal as well, if he is in the picture!