Nova Scotia RCMP administers polygraph tests in missing children investigation

Nova Scotia police have administered several polygraphed tests and conducted dozens of interviews as part of the search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan.

The Nova Scotia RCMP has confirmed some of the 54 people interviewed about the mysterious disappearance of two children in rural Pictou County have taken a polygraph test.

“The truth verification unit is engaged,” RCMP Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

“There’s multiple facets to those investigations and those experts are examining every question and answer that those individuals are providing and it could guide the investigation.”

Police will not say how many tests were administered, who took the tests, or what the results were.

“We have to protect the anonymity of those people for the integrity of the investigation,” said Tremblay. “And for the same reasons, we can’t disclose how many people have or will be administered a polygraph test.”

Chris Lewis, CTV’s policing expert and a former polygraph examiner for the Ontario Provincial Police, says it’s significant the RCMP has administered polygraph tests.

“You don’t do polygraph tests and waste that resource on people that maybe just saw something or heard something or is a real remote suspect. That’s not the way it works,” Lewis told CTV News.

“If they are doing polygraph tests and examinations on people, those are people they suspect might be involved in some way or for whatever reason aren’t being honest.”

Police across Canada involved in investigation

Police say more than 11 Nova Scotia RCMP units are working on the case, along with the National Centre of Missing Persons, Canadian Centre for Child protection, and provincial and municipal police agencies across Nova Scotia and Canada.

“The investigation is being led by a tenacious, committed group of investigators who are gathering and assessing information daily to learn more about the circumstances of Lilly and Jack’s disappearance so we can find them,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon in a news release.

“All scenarios are being considered, and we’ve engaged every tool and resource at our disposal.”

It’s believed six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and four-year-old Jack Sullivan wandered away from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, N.S., the morning of May 2.

Police have confirmed the children were spotted in public with family members the afternoon of May 1.

Tremblay wouldn’t confirm whether anyone is considered a person of interest in their disappearance, saying it would compromise the investigation.

“Until proven otherwise, every missing persons investigation is considered suspicious,” he said. “Our goal is to find Lilly and Jack and our investigators are working very hard to do so.”

Close to 500 tips received

Since the children disappeared, police say they have collected hundreds of hours of video from the areas surrounding Lansdowne Station, including footage taken along Gairloch Rd. between 12 p.m. on April 28 and 12 p.m. on May 2, for which police had issued a public plea on May 28.

Police say they have received 488 tips about the case and “been granted numerous judicial authorizations to seize and examine materials and devices that may provide information useful to the investigation.”

“We’re accessing, evaluating and analyzing a significant volume of information from a variety of sources. We have a very coordinated and deliberate approach to make certain all information is meticulously scrutinized, prioritized and actioned to ensure nothing is missed,” said Cpl. Sandy Matharu, investigation lead with the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit.

“We’re committed to doing what is necessary to locate Lilly and Jack and advance the investigation, which may take longer than we all hoped.”

As for the search, the RCMP says investigators have extensively searched the Lansdowne Station property, including the following:

• home
• grounds
• outbuildings
• nearby septic system
• wells
• mineshafts
• culverts

Police say the information gathered during the investigation, including all ground search and rescue efforts, has not identified any new search areas at this time.

The RCMP first launched an extensive air and ground search for the siblings, which covered 5.5 square kilometres of heavily wooded and rural terrain, shortly after they were reported missing.

The search, which involved hundreds of people, dogs, drones, divers and helicopters, was scaled back five days later. Additional searches took place on May 8, 9, 17, 18, 31 and June 1.

In the latest search, 78 trained searchers from across the province focused on specific areas around Gairloch Road and a nearby pipeline where a boot print was previously found.

Anyone with information about the missing children is asked to call the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit at 902-896-5060. To remain anonymous, contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page