In a development that has sent fresh shockwaves through the tight-knit communities of Nova Scotia and beyond, newly unsealed court documents have lifted the lid on the troubled relationship between the mother of missing children Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4 (now 5), and her then common-law partner — exposing allegations of controlling and physically abusive behaviour in the rural home from which the youngsters mysteriously disappeared.

The siblings, who vanished without a trace from their isolated property on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, on the morning of May 2, 2025, have now been missing for more than ten months — with no sign of the bright-eyed brother and sister despite one of the largest and most exhaustive searches in the province’s history.

According to the documents, obtained by media outlets after successful applications to unseal redacted sections, investigators directly questioned the children’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, about her relationship with Daniel Martell. She reportedly told police that Martell had, at times, been physically controlling — including blocking her path, holding her down, pushing her on one occasion, and even snatching her phone when she tried to call her own mother.

Martell has strongly denied any physical violence in the relationship, telling media there was none and that the claims have not been tested in court. He has not been charged with any offence directly related to the children’s disappearance.

The RCMP has stressed that the dynamics between the adults in the home form part of their ongoing investigation, but as of the latest updates, they still do not have reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence was committed in relation to Lilly and Jack’s vanishing. The case remains classified under Nova Scotia’s Missing Persons Act rather than a full criminal probe — though officers continue to evaluate every possible scenario, including criminality.

The Day Everything Changed: A 911 Call That Sparked a Provincial Nightmare

It was around 10 a.m. on Friday, May 2, 2025, when a frantic Malehya Brooks-Murray dialled 911 from the family’s rundown trailer on the remote Gairloch Road property. She told dispatchers that her two young children — Lilly, then 6, with light brown hair and hazel eyes, and little Jack, then 4 (now 5), with dark blonde hair and hazel eyes — had wandered away from the home while she and Martell were still in bed with their baby daughter.

The mother described the children as possibly autistic and known to roam. She noted their boots were missing. Jack was believed to be wearing a pull-up diaper, black Under Armour jogging pants and distinctive blue rubber boots with dinosaur prints. Lilly was last thought to be in a pink Barbie top, pink rubber boots with rainbow details, and carrying a cream-coloured backpack featuring strawberries.

What followed was an immediate and massive response. Ground search and rescue teams, police, volunteers, helicopters, drones, divers and specialist dogs scoured the heavily wooded, rural area surrounding the sparse community of Lansdowne Station — a hamlet of roughly 100 people in a cellular dead zone, about 65 kilometres from Brooks-Murray’s previous support network in Truro.

A potential child’s footprint was reported early on. A pink blanket believed to belong to Lilly was found hanging in a tree roughly a kilometre away by family members, though subsequent dog searches failed to pick up a scent. Other items like a child’s T-shirt and tricycle turned up during searches, but none have been definitively linked to the children’s fate.

Despite weeks of intensive efforts — including cadaver dog deployments in October 2025 — few concrete physical clues have emerged. The RCMP has conducted dozens of interviews, reviewed over a thousand tips and thousands of video files, and brought in resources from multiple provinces. Yet Jack and Lilly remain missing, their faces now etched into the public consciousness through countless shared photos showing two smiling, innocent children full of life.

Inside the Home: Allegations of Chaos, Control and a Fractured Household

The unsealed court documents, which supported early applications for search warrants between May and July 2025, paint a picture of a household that was far from idyllic even before the devastating disappearance.

Brooks-Murray and Martell had been in a common-law relationship for about a year and a half. The family had moved in August 2023 to Martell’s mother’s property in Lansdowne, relocating the children far from their mother’s previous support circle in Truro. Life inside the cluttered trailer was reportedly chaotic, with descriptions of holes in the floor of the front stoop and general disarray.

Police specifically probed the adult relationship. Brooks-Murray allegedly described instances where Martell would block her, hold her down, push her once, and take her phone during attempts to contact her mother — actions she said sometimes became physical and hurtful. These claims remain unproven in court and form part of the broader investigative picture rather than standalone charges related to the children.

Martell has pushed back firmly, insisting there was no physical violence. In media interviews, he has expressed doubt that the children simply wandered into the dense woods and not returned, while maintaining his focus on finding them. He has faced online speculation and criticism, which he has described as causing unnecessary stress and diverting attention from the search.

Friends of Brooks-Murray have come forward in recent months, describing her as a devoted mother who is now “taking it day by day.” They portray Lilly as outgoing and full of energy, while Jack was quieter. The couple also had a young baby daughter at the time, who remains with the family.

In a separate development unrelated to the children’s case, Martell was charged in January 2026 with assault, sexual assault and forcible confinement involving an adult complainant. He has appeared in court on those matters, but RCMP have emphasised they are distinct from the missing persons investigation.

A Community United in Heartache — and Growing Questions

Lansdowne Station and surrounding Pictou County have been gripped by the mystery. Volunteers have organised multiple searches, including last-ditch efforts before winter set in. Candlelight vigils have been held, including one marking what would have been Jack’s fifth birthday. A provincial reward of up to $150,000 has been offered for information leading to the children’s recovery or resolution of the case.

The isolation of the property — set back from the road in a wooded, rural spot with limited cell service — has only deepened the anguish. How could two small children simply disappear in broad daylight with so little trace?

Theories have swirled online and in local discussions: accidental wandering into the unforgiving Nova Scotia wilderness, possible foul play, or something more sinister tied to the household dynamics. Yet police have repeatedly urged caution against speculation, stressing that every tip is reviewed and that the investigation remains active and thorough.

RCMP have confirmed the children were seen with family members on the afternoon of May 1, 2025. The last public sightings place them at the home the evening before the 911 call.

Grandmother Cyndy Murray and other relatives have spoken of the children’s vibrant personalities prior to that fateful day, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. “Missing does not mean forgotten,” as one campaign puts it, urging the public to keep Lilly and Jack’s names visible.

The Exhaustive Investigation: Thousands of Hours, Still No Answers

The Nova Scotia RCMP’s Major Crime Unit has thrown significant resources at the case. By early 2026 updates, officers had completed more than 75 interviews, administered several polygraph examinations (including additional rounds reported in March 2026), and sifted through 1,079 tips and over 8,100 video files.

Searches have covered vast terrain, with specialised teams using technology-based techniques in hopes of uncovering leads. Cadaver dogs have been deployed multiple times, yet no remains or definitive evidence pointing to a grim outcome have surfaced.

A footprint, the blanket in the tree, and other scattered items raised brief hopes, only for them to fade. Police have scaled back ground searches at times but insist the file remains very much open.

Investigators continue to appeal for public help: anyone who may have been in the Lansdowne area on or around May 1-2, 2025, or who has seen the children since, or noticed anything unusual. Contact Pictou County RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

What the Future Holds: A Family’s Agony Without Closure

As the months stretch into a full year since that devastating morning, the Sullivan family — and particularly little Lilly and Jack’s loved ones — continue to live in limbo. Brooks-Murray has largely stayed out of the spotlight, with friends speaking on her behalf about the daily struggle to cope while caring for her surviving child.

Martell has given interviews, walking reporters through aspects of the property and expressing his own disbelief at the children’s disappearance.

The unsealed documents add another layer of complexity to an already baffling case, shining a light on alleged tensions behind closed doors without providing the breakthrough the province so desperately craves.

For now, the official stance is one of cautious persistence. No crime has been confirmed in relation to the children’s vanishing, but every scenario is on the table. The RCMP says they remain confident in the work done and continue leveraging all available tools.

In a province still scarred by other high-profile tragedies, the faces of Lilly — with her warm smile and light brown hair — and little Jack in his dinosaur boots have become symbols of unresolved loss. Their disappearance from a sleepy rural road has captured national attention, sparking debates about rural safety, family dynamics, search protocols and the limits of even the most determined investigations.

Friends and family hold onto hope that someone, somewhere knows something. Perhaps a passing motorist saw the children that morning. Perhaps a hunter or hiker stumbled across a clue in the vast woods. Or perhaps the truth lies closer to home in ways yet to be fully understood.

Until answers arrive, the calls continue: Keep sharing their photos. Keep their names alive. Help bring Lilly and Jack home — or at least bring their family the closure they need after more than 300 agonising days.

The children were full of life, energy and potential. Now, Nova Scotia — and Canada — waits with bated breath for the day when this heartbreaking mystery is finally solved.

If you have any information, no matter how small, contact Nova Scotia RCMP at 1-800-803-7267 or your local detachment. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers.