Just a few hours before Jack and Lilly Sullivan vanished from their home more than five months ago in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, witnesses described hearing a car come and go, according to CBC.
The brother and sister, four and six years old, went missing around 10 a.m., May 2, after reportedly wandering away from their home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station.
A helicopter flies over Lansdowne Station in Pictou County, N.S., as part of the search and rescue operation to find Lilly and Jack Sullivan, two children who went missing on May 2. (Jacob Moore/Acadia Broadcasting)
Details on the case emerged in redacted records that were previously released to some media outlets over the summer.
More details of the case were released to CBC, Friday, in court documents containing applications filed by investigators that have first impressions by police.
The documents say that on May 9 a nearby resident told police he heard a “loud vehicle” in the early morning hours.
“He said his residence is at an elevated position from Daniel’s residence and he could see vehicle lights over the treetops,” said RCMP Cpl. Charlene Curl in her written request to the court.
He said the vehicle left three or four times and came back, always within earshot.
According to the neighbour, the vehicle belonged to Daniel Martell – Jack and Lilly’s stepfather.
Martell had told police he went to bed relatively early and didn’t wake up until morning.
Meanwhile, the documents say another man who lives nearby, told police May 17, he heard a car at an intersection around 1:30 a.m., close to the children’s home.
“It made noise then went quiet. The vehicle was quiet for about two minutes then drove towards Lairg Road,” the RCMP member wrote.
The records also show a relative of the children’s mother Malehya Brooks-Murray was interviewed after he put a theory on social media that she may have been involved in Jack and Lilly’s disappearance. He also made it clear that his theory could be speculation.
Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association/Facebook
The search for the children continued recently, with cadaver dogs that covered a 40 km radius, but did not find any human remains.
A non-profit organization has a new, independent search planned for the first weekend of November.
RCMP say they are not ruling anything out as they continue to ask for information, but the investigation remains a missing persons case.
