Family of missing Saint John woman say mental illness may play role in disappearance

The family of a missing Saint John woman believes mental illness is behind her mysterious disappearance more than four months ago.

Family members believe 39-year-old Shannon Sullivan went missing Feb. 13. She abandoned her condo and job in Toronto and turned up in Europe.

It wouldn’t be strange for the experienced world traveller to go to Europe, but her brother says the tipping point was when she rented a Land Rover in Amsterdam.

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“She abandoned the vehicle for fear that someone was in it and tampered with it,” Terence Sullivan said.

“She left all of her possessions in it and it had to be towed 10 days later. So that was really the final straw. It gave us a really strong indication that mental illness is at play here”.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "She left all of her possessions in it and it had to be towed 10 days later. So that was really the final straw. It gave us a really strong indication that mental illness is at play here".

Sullivan says Shannon has no history of mental illness but some clues may have emerged before she left Canada when she had dinner with a friend.

“We found out that even then Shannon seemed a little on edge,” he explained. “She seemed somewhat paranoid. She didn’t believe people were who they were saying they were.”

The Sullivan family has set up a Facebook page in an effort to locate her. The Toronto Police missing persons report was also re-posted on that Facebook page and has already garnered about 300,000 views. She is also on Interpol.

Sullivan said the family has been through every scenario that could explain a rational departure.

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Her last known contact with anyone was April 7 with police in the south of France looking to get a passport.

“Shannon would know that in order to get her passport renewed or any activity she would have to contact an embassy,” Sullivan said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Shannon would know that in order to get her passport renewed or any activity she would have to contact an embassy," Sullivan said.

Toronto Police tell Global News they continue to investigate leads as recently as last week but she remains a missing person.