820 tips received in the 5 months since Sullivan children were reported missing

Jack and Lilly Sullivan have been missing since last May.

It’s been exactly five months since two Nova Scotia children went missing.

Four-year-old Jack and six-year-old Lilly Sullivan were reported missing on May 2 from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station. Searches stretched on for weeks in the densely forested area near their home, but there has been no sign of the two.

“This remains a highly active and intensive missing persons investigation,” said an RCMP spokesperson Thursday in an email to CTV News Atlantic.

Last month, the RCMP announced cadaver dogs would begin searching for the two children.

As of Thursday, the spokesperson said police anticipate providing an update on the work of human remains detection dogs next week.

“We’re unable to confirm the dates, times, or locations of the searches,” said the spokesperson.

CTV Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis said there could be multiple reasons why cadaver dogs are being brought in.

“Either they’re acting on just another attempt to find the kids or they’re acting on some information they have,” he said.

Police previously stressed there was “nothing definitive to support the children are deceased.”

Lewis, who is the former commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, said this has been a serious and tragic investigation.

“I think the RCMP are throwing a lot of experts and a lot of resources at it,” he said. “In the meantime, it certainly doesn’t look good for these poor children, but at some point, I’m sure we’ll know what happened in some way or another.”

Lewis said he has been watching this case closely.

“Just because there’s no press conference, it doesn’t mean there’s not boots on the ground, and I know they brought in resources from other provinces. They’re doing everything they can, but they need tips, and they need the public’s help in some way because somebody out there knows something, and they’re not saying,” he said.

Investigation so far

To date, RCMP said investigators have received more than 820 tips, all of which are being “carefully assessed and followed up on.” Police also noted investigators have reviewed all viable video files collected during the canvass of Lansdowne Station and the surrounding areas, conducted 80 formal interviews, and continue to pursue forensic analysis.

“Our team remains fully committed to utilizing every available resource to move this investigation forward and determine the circumstances of Lilly and Jack’s disappearance,” said the spokesperson.

Police have already conducted multiple searches covering about 8.5 square kilometres in the heavily wooded areas near the children’s home, assisted by ground search teams and local volunteers.

Court documents

Court documents released in late August show the initial impressions by police of polygraphs given to the parents of Lilly and Jack, and suggest investigators did not think the children’s disappearances involved foul play. The information is contained in court applications filed by investigators for permission to conduct searches for phone records, banking records, and video related to the case.

The document said the last time the children were seen outside their home was on May 1, when they were captured by video surveillance at a local Dollarama store with their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, and their stepfather, Daniel Martell.

With files from The Canadian Press

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