Lilly and Jack Sullivan (Handouts)
Ground and air search efforts were conducted on May 18 in Pictou County as the missing persons investigation into the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan continues.
More than 115 volunteer searchers from Colchester, East Hants, Eastern Shore, Halifax, Musquodoboit Valley, Pictou County, Pugwash, Springhill, Strait Area, Valley, and West Hants ground search and rescue and the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association focused on specific areas around Gairloch Rd. in an effort to locate Lilly and Jack and advance the RCMP investigation. The search was supported by Nova Scotia Public Safety Field Communications and EHS Emergency Preparedness Special Operations.
This search follows a large-scale air and ground search that began on May 2 and was scaled back on May 7 in favour of more specific searches.
“We’re exploring all avenues in this missing persons investigation,” says Staff Sergeant Curtis MacKinnon, Pictou County District RCMP. “We have officers from multiple disciplines dedicated to finding Lilly and Jack, including highly trained RCMP major crime and forensic investigators.”
The search, which was scaled back to specific areas on May 7, has covered 5.5 square kilometres of heavily wooded, rural terrain in the Gairloch Rd. area. It has involved up to 160 trained volunteer searchers and many others, and tens of thousands of search hours. Efforts to locate Lilly and Jack also included two vulnerable missing persons alerts.
To date, more than 180 tips have been received from the public, and are being followed up on. Officers have so far identified 35 people for formal interviews as part of the investigation, including community members and those closest to the children. And on May 8 and 9, the RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team (URT) scoured bodies of water around Lansdowne Station; URT’s two-day operation didn’t uncover any evidence.
“We continue to work day and night on this file,” says S/Sgt. MacKinnon. “Like all Nova Scotians, we want answers, and we want to know what happened to these children.”
On May 2, at approximately 10 a.m., Pictou County District RCMP received a report that Lilly and Jack were missing. They were believed to have wandered away from their home on Gairloch Rd. A multi-agency search and missing persons investigation began immediately.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to the search and rescue volunteers who have selflessly given up over 10,000 hours of their time since this search began,” says S/Sgt. Curtis MacKinnon, Pictou County District RCMP. “Their tireless commitment in truly gruelling conditions is appreciated by both the RCMP and the greater community.”
This weekend’s search will be carefully reviewed and assessed by investigators and search managers to help in planning any further ground and air search efforts.
Daniel Martell, the stepdad of two missing kids has said he has asked police to give him a lie detector test as suspicions now mount against the parents.
