Cadaver dogs fail to find human remains in search for missing Nova Scotia children

Lilly and Jack Sullivan have been missing since May.

Police in Nova Scotia say no human remains have been found during recent searches for two young missing siblings in Pictou County.

Last month, the RCMP announced cadaver dogs would begin searching for four-year-old Jack and six-year-old Lilly Sullivan, who were reported missing from their home in Lansdowne Station on May 2.

Police say Insp. Luke Rettie and his police dog Narc, as well as Sgt. Dave Whalen and his police dog Kitt, conducted searches in the Lansdowne Station area, covering a total of 40 kilometres, in late September.

The teams, which are specially trained to detect human remains, searched the property on Gairloch Road where the children disappeared from on May 2.

They also searched along a pipeline and intersecting trails as well an area where a pink blanket belonging to Lilly was found the day the children were reported missing.

The areas were where there was the “highest probability” of finding the children, however, police previously stressed there was “nothing definitive to support the children are deceased.”

“The dogs are highly trained to detect and indicate the scent of human remains, therefore, if the dogs did not alert their handlers, it suggests the dogs were never in the presence of human remains odour,” said Staff Sgt. Stephen Pike with the RCMP Police Dog Services’ Training Centre.

“However, this doesn’t definitively rule out the presence of remains in the areas that were searched. It means either the odour is there and couldn’t be detected or the odour isn’t there.”

RCMP are still treating this as a missing persons case.

“They’ve got a lot of assets committed to conducting an investigation and they wouldn’t be doing that if they didn’t feel there are things or people to investigate,” said Chris Lewis, a former Ontario Provincial Police officer.

For now, there are no searches planned unless new information comes in.

8,060 video files reviewed

Police previously conducted multiple searches covering about 8.5 square kilometres in the heavily wooded areas near the children’s home in Lansdowne Station, assisted by ground search teams and local volunteers, with no sign of the children.

To date, police have conducted 80 formal interviews, investigated more than 860 tips and reviewed 8,060 video files connected to the case. The RCMP says forensic testing on the files continues.

“There are multiple aspects of this investigation ongoing simultaneously,” said Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon, officer in charge (acting) of Major Crime and Behavioural Sciences.

“Each piece of information, including the results from the search teams, helps inform our next steps. With support from agencies across Canada, the investigative team is working to validate or eliminate leads and follow the evidence wherever it takes us.”

Police say they continue to explore all possibilities in the search for the Sullivan children and continue to ask the public for more information.

Investigators say anyone with information about Lilly and Jack’s whereabouts should call the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit at 902-896-5060 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

“Sometimes, the smallest detail holds the biggest answers. One piece of information may help reveal a key piece in the investigation that leads to finding Lilly and Jack,” added McCamon.

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