N.S. missing kids: Signs about Lilly and Jack Sullivan pop up around Pictou County

Global News

10 hours ago

Nearly four months ago, Lilly Sullivan, 6, and her brother Jack Sullivan, 4, went missing from their home in the tiny, rural community of Landsdowne Station, N.S.
In a statement to Global News Thursday, RCMP say 'intensive investigative work is ongoing in relation to the disappearance of Lilly and Jack Sullivan, and tips continue to be received — we now have over 700 — and are evaluated and prioritized by a dedicated team of investigators in the Northeast Nova Major Crime Unit, with the assistance of agencies from across Canada.
This is not the first time the remote area has seen the national spotlight shone upon it.
'We've had this in the past — a different disaster — the Westray disaster, and everybody descended on us there and that's not something we want,' Donald Parker, Pictou County District 7 councillor said. 'But in this case when two little ones go missing everybody's really keen on finding those children, so they get them home safe and sound.
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'It's incredibly hard on the community and even tougher on the family.'
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Kent Corbett's family has lived in Pictou County for generations.
As the search for the missing siblings continued, he felt he had to do something to keep the Sullivans' story atop people's minds.
'I approached Advocate Printing, and I said we wanted a deal on making some election-style signs, and we went from there,' Corbett explained.
Over the last week, he and a group of like-minded folks have been taking sign orders with the proceeds from each sale going toward search and rescue efforts and more awareness materials.
Family members of Lilly and Jack Sullivan have ordered signs for their lawns, as well.
'The more people that are thinking about these kids every day, will be a greater chance that we'll be able to bring them home,' Corbett said.
Lilly and Jack Sullivan's parents reported them missing on May 2, with initial reports indicating they had walked away from their home in the morning, which is situated in a remote, heavily-wooded area.
But Corbett said that the community is still holding out hope.
'They're Pictou County's children now,' he said. 'And people need to know what happened.'
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RCMP said they have reviewed about 5,000 video files that they received by canvassing Lansdowne Station and the surrounding areas. In May, police confirmed they had video evidence that showed the children with their family in public the day before they were reported missing.
RCMP also said they've formally interviewed more than 60 people and administered some polygraph tests. The children's stepfather, Daniel Martell, has told Global News that he has taken a test.
The children's disappearance was added to the province's Major Unsolved Crimes Program, which offers a reward of up to $150,000 for information in the case.
Anyone with information can call the Northeast Nova RCMP Major Crime Unit at 902-896-5060 or submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
— with files from Global News' Rebecca Lau