Cash reward offered for information about missing Nova Scotia children

Nova Scotia is offering a cash reward in the search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan.

A cash reward is now being offered for information about the disappearance of two young children in Nova Scotia’s Pictou County.

The Nova Scotia Department of Justice said Thursday the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan has been added to its Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program, which offers up to $150,000 for information in certain cases.

Nova Scotia Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan told CTV News the RCMP requested that the case be added to the program.

“That program does include provision for missing persons cases, so we have gone ahead and done that, and we’re hopeful that it will lead to some information that will solve the case,” said Druhan.

“It is a faster inclusion than we typically see, but we want to do everything that we can to support the investigation.”

RCMP Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay told CTV News the case remains a missing persons investigation and police are using all available resources to find the missing children.

“The Nova Scotia Major Rewards Program is also one of those tools and we hope that it might bring more information to light,” said Tremblay. “Our investigators are working very hard to locate Jack and Lilly. Certainly, we want to find out what led to their disappearance.”

Lilly, 6, and Jack, 4, were reported missing on May 2 after their family said they couldn’t find the children in their home or on their property in Lansdowne Station, N.S.

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The children’s mother and stepfather told police they last saw Lilly inside the home and could hear Jack that morning. It is believed the children may have wandered into the woods, but there has been no sign of them since they were reported missing almost seven weeks ago.

Police have confirmed Lilly and Jack were with family members the afternoon of May 1.

“This kind of case is a real tragedy, and it impacts families and communities so, so deeply,” said Druhan. “Any time we have a missing person, any time we have missing children, it is heart-wrenching, and we want to do anything at all that we can to help support the investigation and bring this case to a conclusion.”

Typically, money is rewarded for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in cases included in the program.

In this case, the province said the reward amount will be based on the investigative value of the information provided.

“I can’t speculate as to the nature of information that may either lead to the solving of this case or to a reward, and I wouldn’t want to discourage anybody from reaching out,” said Druhan. “We want anybody who has any information, no matter how small they think it is, to reach out.”

Chris Lewis, CTV’s policing expert and former commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, says the rewards program is a risk-free step for police to take.

“What it tells me is, No. 1, that there’s a bit of stalemate somehow in their investigation in all likelihood, and they’re looking to get more conversation going,” said Lewis.

“This is two children, and this has captured the attention of the entire nation, so putting more emphasis on it and trying their best to get as much information as they can is vital to a conclusion in this case, whatever that might be.

“If getting money out of it inspires them to come forward, then that’s a good thing.”

The search and investigation

Tremblay told CTV News on Thursday that 56 people have now been formally interviewed and police have received a total of 508 tips.

“Everyone who has been interviewed has been cooperative with officers,” he said.

Police confirmed last week that some of the people they interviewed have undergone polygraph tests.

The children’s stepfather, Daniel Martell, previously told CTV News he took a polygraph test and was asked whether he was involved in their disappearance.

Police have not said how many tests were administered, who took the tests, or what the results were.

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.

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.

Lilly is described as four-feet-tall and 60 pounds. She has light brown hair and hazel eyes. It is believed she was wearing a pink Barbie top, pink rubber boots with a rainbow print, and carrying a cream-coloured backpack with a strawberry print.

Jack is described as three-foot-six and 40 pounds. He has dark blond hair and hazel eyes. It is believed he was wearing a pull-up diaper, black Under Armour jogging pants, and blue rubber boots with a dinosaur print.

Anyone with information about the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan is asked to call the Rewards for Major Unsolved Crimes Program at 1-888-710-9090. People who submit information through the program must provide their name and contact information. All calls are recorded and that person may be called to testify in court.

Anyone with information about the case who wishes to remain anonymous can contact Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page