In a heartbreaking case that has gripped Canada and left a rural Nova Scotia community in despair, newly unsealed court documents have shed fresh and disturbing light on the volatile relationship between the mother and stepfather of little Lilly and Jack Sullivan – the two young siblings who vanished without a trace from their remote family trailer more than ten months ago.

Six-year-old Lilly and her four-year-old brother Jack were reported missing on the morning of May 2, 2025, from their home on Gairloch Road in the tiny hamlet of Lansdowne Station, Pictou County. Their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, called 911 around 10 a.m. claiming the children had wandered off while she and her common-law partner, Daniel Martell, were asleep inside with their infant daughter.

What followed was one of the largest search operations in Nova Scotia history – involving hundreds of volunteers, drones, dogs, ground teams and even lake searches – yet the two blond-haired, hazel-eyed youngsters have never been found. No bodies, no solid clues, and still no arrests in connection with their disappearance.

Now, court documents unsealed in mid-January 2026 following media applications have pulled back the curtain on the family dynamic in the months and years leading up to that fateful morning, painting a picture of alleged controlling behaviour, physical confrontations, financial struggles and a relationship that police were forced to scrutinise intensely.

The documents, filed in support of search warrant applications by the RCMP’s major crime unit, reveal that Malehya Brooks-Murray told investigators her partner Daniel Martell had been physically abusive towards her on multiple occasions. According to the affidavits, she described incidents where Martell would “try to block her, hold her down and once he pushed her.” She also alleged that he would sometimes take her phone – physically if necessary – when she tried to call her mother.

The allegations, made during one of her later police interviews (her fifth statement to officers), came after the couple had split up in the days following the children’s disappearance. None of the claims have been tested or proven in court, and Martell has strongly denied any physical violence, though he admitted to police that the couple argued frequently.

Friends and family members have spoken of a relationship that began around three years before the disappearance. Brooks-Murray moved in with Martell on his mother’s rural property in Lansdowne around August 2023, bringing Lilly and Jack into the household. The couple went on to have a baby daughter together, who was still an infant at the time the older children vanished.

Life in the modest trailer on the isolated property was far from picture-perfect. Court papers and earlier reporting detail financial pressures, admitted drug use by Martell, and at least one visit from child protection services after reports of possible neglect or abuse. Photos of the children showing multiple black eyes circulated in the media, though explanations varied and no charges resulted at the time.

One particularly poignant detail emerged in the documents: police seized a second piece of a pink blanket belonging to Lilly that had been found hanging in a tree near the property, raising haunting questions about how it got there. The blanket fragments became a focus of polygraph examinations given to family members.

RCMP conducted multiple polygraph tests in the weeks and months after the disappearance. Initial results suggested both Brooks-Murray and Martell were truthful when answering certain questions, though many of the specific queries remain heavily redacted in the released files. Later rounds of testing were carried out as recently as February and March 2026, with some focused specifically on the pink blanket evidence.

The documents also show police poring over bank records, phone data, GPS locations and social media in a bid to track the exact movements of the adults in the days and hours before and after May 2. Investigators wanted to know where Martell and Brooks-Murray were at every moment, what calls were made, and whether their stories aligned perfectly.

Despite the intense scrutiny, RCMP have repeatedly stated there is no evidence the children were abducted by a stranger, but they have never ruled out foul play or suspicious circumstances. The remote, wooded location – with its thick forests, nearby lakes and limited surveillance – has made the search incredibly challenging. Visibility in some areas was poor, and harsh weather in the months following the disappearance hampered efforts.

Daniel Martell, now 34, has maintained his innocence throughout. In March 2026 he appeared in Pictou provincial court facing unrelated charges of sexual assault, assault and forcible confinement in a separate case – charges that have added another layer of complexity and public suspicion to the already agonising saga. He has not been charged in connection with Lilly and Jack’s disappearance.

Brooks-Murray has largely remained out of the spotlight, grieving privately while cooperating with police. In the early days she and Martell appeared together in some media interviews, pleading for information and holding up photos of the smiling children. Lilly was described as outgoing and loving pink, while little Jack was a energetic boy who adored his dinosaur boots.

The biological father of Lilly and Jack, Cody Sullivan, has also been mentioned in the court documents. Details about his involvement or relationship with the children remain limited in the unsealed files, but sources close to the case say he has been interviewed and is not considered a suspect.

Neighbours in the quiet rural community have spoken of hearing arguments from the trailer at times, though many described the family as keeping largely to themselves. One local told reporters the property felt isolated even by Nova Scotia standards – the kind of place where children could wander into the woods and quickly become lost, or where something far more sinister could be concealed.

The RCMP have followed hundreds of tips, searched lakes, scoured forests and even used specialised technology to analyse possible burial sites or disturbed ground. A massive ground search in the first weeks turned up nothing conclusive. Rewards of up to $150,000 have been offered by the province for information leading to the children’s recovery or the resolution of the case.

As the months have dragged on with no sign of Lilly and Jack, the pain for extended family has only deepened. Grandparents and other relatives have made public appeals, describing the children as the light of their lives and begging anyone with knowledge to come forward.

One grandmother told media outlets she still sets places for the children at family gatherings, unable to accept they might never return. “They were our whole world,” she said in one emotional interview. “Every day without answers is torture.”

The unsealed documents have reignited public interest and debate. Some commentators have pointed to the alleged domestic issues as a possible red flag, while others caution against rushing to judgment, noting that relationship breakdowns and arguments are tragically common and do not automatically mean harm came to the children.

Police have emphasised that they continue to treat the case as a missing persons investigation with suspicious elements. In affidavits, officers wrote that they are “leveraging technology-based investigative techniques which may provide information to support criminality and uncover the whereabouts of the missing children.”

The trailer where the family lived has been repeatedly searched. Items seized include clothing, electronics and personal belongings. A second piece of Lilly’s pink blanket found in the trash or nearby area became a particular point of focus during polygraphs.

Martell has reportedly told police he woke up that morning to find the children gone and joined in the initial frantic search. Brooks-Murray’s 911 call described them as having wandered off, possibly through an open patio door. Yet as hours turned into days with no trace, the narrative shifted from a simple missing persons case to something far more ominous.

The rural setting – far from busy roads or CCTV cameras – has both helped and hindered the probe. While it reduces the chance of an opportunistic stranger abduction, it also means potential evidence could be swallowed by dense woodland or remote waterways.

Child protection records mentioned in reporting show at least one prior welfare check on the household. Explanations were given for the children’s black eyes (accidental falls or rough play), but the visits underscore that concerns existed before May 2025.

Financial struggles were also evident. Court documents reference bank records being examined, suggesting police looked for any unusual transactions or signs of stress that might have played a role in events.

As spring 2026 arrives – nearly a full year since the children vanished – the RCMP say the investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional polygraphs and interviews have been conducted. The case has drawn national attention, with true-crime podcasts, news specials and online forums dedicated to analysing every scrap of information.

For the people of Pictou County, the disappearance has left a permanent scar. Candlelight vigils, ribbon campaigns and community searches continue sporadically. Yellow ribbons still flutter from trees and fences in Lansdowne.

Lilly, with her light brown hair and bright smile, was remembered as a caring big sister. Jack, smaller and full of energy, loved his blue dinosaur boots and was rarely seen without a smile. Together they were described as inseparable.

The new court documents, while offering glimpses into the adults’ relationship, have not provided the breakthrough the family and public desperately crave. Instead, they have raised more questions than answers: Was the relationship more troubled than previously known? Did arguments escalate in the days before the disappearance? Could the children have witnessed something that put them in danger?

Malehya Brooks-Murray’s allegations of physical abuse and controlling behaviour – blocking her, holding her down, pushing her, taking her phone – paint a picture of coercive control that domestic violence experts say can sometimes escalate with tragic consequences. Yet Martell’s denial and the lack of charges related to the children keep the door open to other explanations, including the possibility of a tragic accident in the surrounding wilderness.

RCMP have been careful not to name suspects or point fingers publicly. In statements, they stress that every avenue is being pursued, from accidental wandering to criminal involvement.

The infant sister, now a toddler, remains with family. Her future, like that of the entire extended family, is clouded by the unresolved pain of not knowing what happened to Lilly and Jack.

As one neighbour told reporters: “This community is tight-knit. When two little ones disappear from their own backyard, it shakes everyone to the core. We all want answers. We all want them home.”

The unsealed documents represent just one more chapter in a saga that has no ending yet. Police continue to appeal for anyone with information – no matter how small – to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

For now, two small faces continue to stare out from missing posters across Nova Scotia and beyond: Lilly in her pink Barbie top and rainbow boots, Jack in his dinosaur-print rubber boots and black jogging pants. Their cream-coloured backpack with strawberries and pull-up diapers remain poignant reminders of how young and vulnerable they were.

The turbulent relationship detailed in the court files has added another layer of heartbreak to an already devastating story. Whether those tensions hold the key to the mystery or are simply a painful sidebar in a larger tragedy remains to be seen.

Until Lilly and Jack are found – alive or otherwise – the people who love them will keep searching, hoping and praying. The rural roads of Lansdowne Station remain quiet, but the questions echo loudly: Where are they? What really happened that May morning? And will the full truth ever emerge from the shadows of those court documents and the silent forests beyond?

The RCMP Major Crime Unit continues to lead the investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact them or Crime Stoppers. A provincial reward of up to $150,000 remains on offer.

For the Sullivan and Brooks-Murray families, every new detail brings a fresh wave of pain – and a renewed flicker of hope that one day soon, the nightmare will end and two precious children will finally be brought home.