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‘We need more answers’: Rally for N.S. missing kids 1 year after disappearance

Click to play video: 'Rally held to mark one year since Lilly and Jack Sullivan disappearance '
Rally held to mark one year since Lilly and Jack Sullivan disappearance 
N.S. missing kids: RCMP ‘want answers’ one year after Lilly and Jack’s disappearance

A Nova Scotia community gathered Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the disappearance of two young siblings in an effort to show that Lilly and Jack Sullivan are never far from their minds.

Lilly and Jack, aged six and four at the time, were reported missing from their home in Lansdowne Station in Pictou County, N.S., on May 2, 2025.

It was reported to police at the time that the children had wandered away from their family property.

Despite months of extensive searches and an ongoing police investigation involving multiple agencies, there has been no sign of the brother and sister.

A public gathering, which organizers called Rally for Justice, took place Saturday outside the RCMP detachment in Stellarton, N.S.

Click to play video: 'N.S. missing kids: RCMP ‘want answers’ 1 year after Lilly and Jack’s disappearance'
N.S. missing kids: RCMP ‘want answers’ 1 year after Lilly and Jack’s disappearance

Kent Corbett organized the event with Belynda Gray, the children’s paternal grandmother.
“We’re here to mark one year of not having answers,” said Gray. “There’s still so many questions.”

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The event was filled with speeches and a renewed call for answers.

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“Lilly and Jack are two beautiful children who should be running around right now, they should be playing right now,” Gray added.

Corbett emphasized the need for clearer direction in the investigation.

“The public is no further ahead today other than speculation of what we should be helping with,” Corbett said.

“We have no answers from the RCMP and so we wanted to make sure that the RCMP know that the public’s not going to forget about it and we need more answers as to what happened.”

For their part, RCMP say they want answers too.

Since Lilly and Jack’s disappearance, the RCMP said they’ve received, and are in the process of evaluating, nearly 1,200 tips.

“We continue to ask anyone with specific fact-based information to come forward,” said Staff Sgt. Curtis Mackinnon at the rally.

One rally attendee said she drove all the way from Toronto to N.S to show her support.

“I’ve driven through various parts of Ontario, mostly border cities, putting up fliers. On my way out here, obviously stopping at the truck stop, putting up posters. Any kind of advocacy, any kind of awareness. As a mom, you just want to make sure they’re found safe,” said Christine Inrig.

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Speaking to reporters Thursday, the officer in charge of major crimes stressed that investigators have not given up and that “we want answers as much as everybody else.”

“Ever since this began, the RCMP has been actively engaged in pursuing the answers as to what happened with Jack and Lilly. This is a critical question for our community when two young children go missing and we have no answers,” Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon said.

“We’ve not let up the steam and we won’t.”

Click to play video: 'Ontario-based charity leads latest effort to find 2 missing children in Nova Scotia'
Ontario-based charity leads latest effort to find 2 missing children in Nova Scotia

RCMP said investigators have formally interviewed 106 people, administered polygraphs, reviewed 8,132 video files and executed warrants for “materials and digital devices of those closest to the children.” That material has included phone and banking records.

This week, they made an appeal to the public for “fact-based tips” as they try to determine what happened to the children.

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Jim Hoskins, a retired Halifax Regional Police staff sergeant who has been watching the case unfold, says he’s not surprised it’s been a year and there are still few to no public answers as to what might have happened.

“That doesn’t mean [police] don’t have some hypothesis as to what has happened,” Hoskins said.

“If they don’t have one now, I’d be surprised they don’t have some ideas what happened.”

RCMP maintain there’s no evidence the Sullivan children were abducted. Currently, it’s still considered a missing persons case but McCamon admitted it’s unlikely they are alive.

“I think the chances that Jack and Lilly are alive are very slim,” he said.

– With files from Global News’ Mitchell Bailey

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