Stepfather of missing N.S. kids reportedly says mother's grief worsening due to online speculation

National Post

05-06-2025

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Daniel Martell, the stepfather of missing Nova Scotia children, four-year-old Jack and six-year-old Lilly Sullivan, says their mother's grief is worsening due to online speculation about the case, according to CTV News.
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Despite a methodical search over the last weekend, 'searchers haven't uncovered anything of significance to the investigation,' Corp. Guillaume Tremblay told National Post on Thursday.
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'Any future searches will be determined based on the course of the investigation. RCMP officers from various teams are fully engaged in finding out what happened to Lilly and Jack and we're using all tools and resources to determine the circumstances of their disappearance,' he said.
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The children were reported missing more than a month ago from their rural home in Pictou County, where they lived with Martell, their mother Malehya Brooks-Murray, and the couple's baby, Meadow. Even with ongoing searches and following up on 355 tips as of late May, authorities still have not found any concrete leads. The lack of evidence has led many people on social media to come up with conspiracy theories about how the children disappeared, which the stepfather says is making the situation worse.
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'It doesn't get any easier. One month has passed,' Martell told CTV News. 'Don't attack Maleyha because her mental health is going to be reflected on our daughter, so I don't want anyone attacking Maleyha anymore.'
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Martell, who attended a vigil for the children held on June 2, said Brooks-Murray's grief was overwhelming and was made worse by speculation.
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The vigil was held in Stellarton, a town in Pictou County. A video of the solemn event posted on Facebook showed Martell lighting two paper lanterns and letting them float off into the sky.
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Candlelight vigil for Lilly and Jack Sullivan ❤️💙
Posted by Kimberly Brown on Monday, June 2, 2025
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Meanwhile, volunteer organization Halifax Search and Rescue said that scammers may be impersonating the group on fundraising site, GoFundMe. The fake campaign said it has a goal of reaching $100,000 to buy a drone to help with the search for the Sullivan siblings.
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However, Halifax Search and Rescue director Paul Service said his group doesn't normally request donations through GoFundMe and doesn't base its campaigns on particular searches. Service says a representative from GoFundMe contacted him to say it was taking down the site and investigating after the campaign was reported on CBC.