Search for Missing Siblings Jack and Lilly Sullivan Continues as Volunteers Scour Wooded Areas

The search for missing Nova Scotia siblings Jack and Lilly Sullivan, aged six and four, has entered another exhaustive phase as volunteers and specialized search teams continue combing the Middle River of Pictou and the heavily wooded land surrounding the family’s home. Despite the recovery of several items—including a child’s T-shirt, a blanket, and a tricycle—Nova Scotia RCMP have confirmed that none of the items are connected to the children’s disappearance.

The clarification, delivered in an official statement, was disappointing to some following the case, but search organizer Nick Oldrieve says the absence of evidence is still an essential part of the process.

“Lack of evidence is evidence in itself,” Oldrieve explained.
“If you walk away from an area not finding anything, it’s still progress.”

Oldrieve leads Please Bring Me Home, an Ontario-based non-profit organization that assists in missing-person investigations across Canada. The group has contributed to locating fifty people nationwide and was approached to assist in the Sullivan search by Belynda Gray, the children’s paternal grandmother.

A Months-Long Search With Few Answers

Jack and Lilly were reported missing on May 2 by their mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, from their home in Lansdowne Station. The disappearance triggered extensive search operations involving RCMP officers, trained dog teams, community volunteers, and private search experts. The forested terrain surrounding the home has been searched multiple times, including with the assistance of cadaver dogs in October.

Court documents released in recent weeks show numerous items seized and analysed by investigators, though none have led to a breakthrough. Meanwhile, Jack and Lilly’s grandmother has publicly called for a public inquiry, expressing frustration with the pace and results of the investigation.

Volunteers Face Emotional and Physical Challenges

Over the weekend, Oldrieve coordinated a major volunteer operation, bringing together 32 searchers, many with experience in military service or ground search and rescue. The group focused on the Middle River of Pictou, an area Oldrieve considers significant based on elimination of other search zones.

The atmosphere, he said, was heavy.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Oldrieve noted.
Searching for children missing for months, he added, requires confronting difficult possibilities.
“It’s very possible we’re looking for human remains—and you can’t gloss over that.”

Despite the emotional toll, morale among volunteers remains strong, with many determined to do “whatever it takes” to support the family and aid RCMP investigators.

Meticulous Search Methods and Data Collection

To ensure accuracy, searchers worked in groups of six and recorded precise details of each area examined. Coordinates were logged for every item found, even those later deemed unrelated. Oldrieve says he is preparing a detailed report for investigators.

“We kept meticulous records of the grid, the terrain, everything.
Our job is to make sure no stone is left unturned.”

The Middle River search is the latest in a series of targeted efforts to narrow down where the children could be.

RCMP Acknowledge Volunteer Support

In a written statement, the Nova Scotia RCMP expressed gratitude to Oldrieve and his team:

“We extend sincere thanks to Please Bring Me Home volunteers for their support with the search efforts.”

Police continue to conduct interviews, review tips, and analyze findings, emphasizing that the investigation remains active.

RCMP officers are expected to return to the area as conditions and new information dictate.

A Growing Belief: Did the Children Enter the Water?

Oldrieve says the extensive tagging and ribbon-marking from previous searches has influenced his thinking. The forest behind the Sullivan home has been combed so thoroughly, he said, that it is increasingly unlikely the children simply wandered into the woods and vanished.

“I can’t think of where they could have been missed,” he explained.

Given the topography and proximity of waterways, he considers it more plausible that the children may have entered the Middle River.

This assessment has not yet been confirmed by RCMP.

A Race Against Weather and Time

With colder temperatures approaching, Oldrieve felt a final late-season search was necessary before winter conditions made the area inaccessible. Snow, ice, and rising water levels pose serious barriers to ground searches and underwater recovery efforts.

The urgency is shared by volunteers who have followed the case closely for months.

“Everyone wants Jack and Lilly found desperately,” Oldrieve said.
“Their family deserves answers.”**

Community Holding On to Hope

As the investigation continues, the Sullivan children’s disappearance has become one of the most talked-about missing-person cases in Atlantic Canada. Community members continue to offer support, share updates, and participate in searches when possible.

For now, RCMP have not announced new leads, but they reiterate that all options remain open.

Anyone with information about Jack and Lilly’s whereabouts is urged to contact Nova Scotia RCMP immediately.