Two individuals residing near the residence of Lilly and Jack Sullivan reported hearing a vehicle activity in the late hours of the night before the Nova Scotia children were declared missing, according to court documents. However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed on Monday that a comprehensive examination of surveillance footage in the Gairloch Road area of Pictou County revealed no signs of any vehicle movement during that period.
RCMP communications adviser Allison Gerrard stated in an email to CBC that although witnesses mentioned hearing a vehicle, no visual confirmation of its presence was made. These new revelations from witnesses were disclosed in redacted records released earlier in August, with additional details unveiled after redactions were contested by CBC News.
The documents included requests from investigators seeking permission to scrutinize phone records, financial records, and relevant video footage linked to the case. They also contained unverified statements from law enforcement personnel.
Lilly, aged 6, and Jack, aged 4, were reported missing on the morning of May 2 after their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, contacted the police via 911, stating that they had wandered away from their residence in Lansdowne Station, situated approximately 140 kilometers northeast of Halifax.
The siblings resided on the property with their mother, stepfather Daniel Martell, the couple’s one-year-old daughter, and Martell’s mother. A neighbor, Brad Wong, informed two constables on May 9 that he heard a loud vehicle moving back and forth from the area near Daniel’s residence during the early hours of May 2.
Wong indicated that he could observe the vehicle lights over the treetops from his elevated position. He reported that the vehicle departed multiple times past midnight, returning after brief stops in the distance, remaining within earshot throughout.
Another local resident, Justin Smith, shared his account with law enforcement on May 17, mentioning that around 1:30 a.m. on May 2, he heard a car near Highway 289 reversing near the railroad tracks close to the Gairloch Road and Lansdowne Station Road intersection, near the children’s home.
Martell provided details of his activities on the evening before the children went missing, mentioning that he retired to bed early and woke up the next morning at daylight. Brooks-Murray informed the police that she put the children to bed first, then their one-year-old daughter, and retired around 9 p.m., while Martell stayed up to tidy the house but failed to do so by morning.
Martell clarified that the only vehicle that left the property was the morning the children disappeared when he used Murray-Brooks’ SUV to search for them. He mentioned that the vehicle was not loud and emphasized that no one left the premises that night, nor were there any visitors.
Despite the ongoing investigations, Martell expressed confidence in the efforts of the investigators, acknowledging their diligence in pursuing all leads. Brooks-Murray has not responded to interview requests, and an investigator’s comment in the documents stated that as of July 16, the disappearance of the children was not being considered a criminal act.
Additional information from the records revealed police interviews with Brooks-Murray’s relative Darin Geddes, who had speculated on social media about the involvement of Malehya in the disappearance of the children. Geddes suggested he might know the children’s whereabouts but acknowledged the speculative nature of his statements.
The case of the missing children in Nova Scotia has attracted global attention due to the enigmatic circumstances and lack of conclusive information. The RCMP continues to investigate under the Missing Persons Act, with no criminal implications at present.
