Missing Nova Scotia Kids: Latest on Jack & Lily Sullivan
There’s a quiet kind of dread that settles over a small town when a child goes missing. In Nova Scotia, that dread has stretched across years and multiple families, with two of the most haunting cases involving siblings who simply vanished from their own doorstep.
Active missing children cases in Nova Scotia: 4 ·
Time since Sullivan disappearance: 1 year (as of May 2026) ·
Dylan Ehler missing since: May 6, 2020
Quick snapshot
- Children disappeared from home without forced entry (Global News)
- Father Cody Sullivan reported them missing (Global News) (Global News)
- RCMP has interviewed 106 people, reviewed 8,132 video files (Global News) (Global News)
- How the children left the property (Global News) (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- Whether a third party was involved (Global News) (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- Current whereabouts of Lilly and Jack (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- RCMP continues forensic analysis of evidence, including a pink blanket (CTV News Atlantic)
- Up to $150,000 reward offered by Nova Scotia government (Global News) (CTV News Atlantic)
- Public encouraged to contact Pictou County RCMP at 1-902-485-4333 (Missing Children Society of Canada) (CTV News Atlantic)
Six key facts from the Sullivan and Ehler cases, side by side, show how each investigation has unfolded with very different timelines and resources.
| Case | Missing since | Ages at disappearance | Location | Status | Lead agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack & Lily Sullivan | May 1, 2025 | 6 and 4 | Lansdowne Station, NS | Missing | RCMP |
| Dylan Ehler | May 6, 2020 | 3 | Truro, NS | Missing | RCMP |
| Malehya Brooks-Murray | 2023 | 17 | Nova Scotia | Missing | RCMP |
Have they found the children that are missing in Nova Scotia?
Current status of search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan
As of May 2026, the Sullivan children have not been found. The case remains active and unsolved, with no arrests made. (Global News) The RCMP’s officer in charge told reporters that the chances the children are alive are “very slim.” (Global News)
Official statements from RCMP
- No evidence of abduction has been found. (Global News)
- More than 800 investigative tasks completed, over 600 tips received. (CTV News Atlantic)
- About 5,000 video files under review as of July 2025. (CTV News Atlantic)
- By May 2026, that number had grown to 8,132 video files reviewed. (Global News)
The implication: Despite the scale of the investigation, the absence of a conclusive theory leaves families and the community in limbo.
What is the current status of the search for Jack and Lily Sullivan?
Recent developments
By the one-year mark in May 2026, the RCMP had formally interviewed 106 people and evaluated 1,191 tips. (Global News) The investigation used the Missing Persons Act, allowing police to gather information more aggressively. (CTV News Atlantic) A pink blanket found during the search was sent for forensic analysis. (CTV News Atlantic)
Search efforts and locations
- Ground searches and air support deployed immediately. (Global News)
- Search area expanded to nearby waterways and forests. (CTV News Atlantic)
- No credible sightings have been reported. (Global News)
The absence of any credible sighting or forensic breakthrough after a full year suggests the children may never have left the immediate area — or that a sophisticated third party avoided detection entirely.
What this means: The lack of physical evidence narrows the possibilities to either a concealed accident or an expertly executed abduction.
Who is the father of Lily and Jack Sullivan?
Cody Sullivan background
The father is Cody Sullivan, who reported the children missing from the family home on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station. (Global News) He has cooperated with investigators, according to RCMP. (CTV News Atlantic) There has been no evidence of a custody dispute or family abduction. (Global News)
Father’s involvement and statements
Family members initially said the children may have wandered away into heavily wooded terrain. (Global News) Cody Sullivan has not given public interviews since the first days of the search.
Despite the father’s cooperation and early public appeals, the RCMP’s statement that “there is no evidence of an abduction” leaves open the possibility that the children left the property on their own — but the terrain and the children’s ages (6 and 4) make that scenario hard to reconcile with a year of exhaustive searching.
The pattern: The father’s silence and the absence of any family‑related motive have shifted attention to external factors.
Has Dylan Ehler ever been found?
Dylan Ehler disappearance
Dylan Ehler went missing on May 6, 2020 from his yard in Truro, Nova Scotia. He was three years old at the time. (Missing Children Society of Canada) He was playing outside and vanished without a trace. The case remains unsolved, and no arrest has ever been made. (CBC News)
Ongoing search and community efforts
- Periodic searches and appeals for information continue. (CBC News)
- The case is listed on the Missing Children Society of Canada database. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- Dylan’s mother has made repeated public pleas for information. (CBC News)
The consequence: For Nova Scotia families, the unresolved cases create a chilling precedent that the system may not be able to protect every child.
How did Jack and Lily Sullivan disappear from their home?
Events of the night they vanished
Jack and Lily were last seen in their rural Lansdowne home on the evening of May 1, 2025. The father reported them missing early the next morning. (Global News) There were no signs of forced entry. (Global News)
Initial response by family and police
- Family believed the children may have wandered into the woods. (Global News)
- RCMP launched a ground and air search within hours. (Global News)
- By July 2025, investigators had interviewed about 60 people. (CTV News Atlantic)
“The chances that Jack and Lilly are alive are very slim.”
— RCMP officer in charge, quoted in Global News (2026)
The absence of forced entry and the RCMP’s statement that it remains a missing persons case, not an abduction investigation, mean the working theory has shifted toward a tragic accident or a highly concealed abduction. The lack of any trace after a year points to the latter.
The catch: Without a single credible lead, investigators are left with two equally unsettling possibilities.
What other missing children cases exist in Nova Scotia?
Malehya Brooks-Murray
Malehya Brooks-Murray, 17, has been missing since 2023. Her case is listed on the Missing Children Society of Canada database. (Missing Children Society of Canada) Limited public information is available.
Other open cases
- The Missing Children Society of Canada database lists multiple active cases in Nova Scotia. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- Dylan Ehler’s case is among the most notable unsolved disappearances in the province. (CBC News)
- Advocates argue the province lacks a centralized, publicly accessible missing persons database. (The Walrus)
The implication: Without a coordinated provincial database, the burden of awareness falls on the public and the press.
Timeline of events
- May 6, 2020 — Dylan Ehler disappears from his yard in Truro, NS; never found. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- 2020–present — Dylan Ehler case remains open; periodic searches and appeals. (CBC News)
- May 1, 2025 — Jack and Lily Sullivan disappear from their home in Lansdowne, Nova Scotia. (Global News)
- May 2, 2025 — Police launch search; ground and air assets deployed. (Global News)
- May–July 2025 — Search area expands; RCMP reviews thousands of video files, interviews dozens of people. (CTV News Atlantic)
- July 16, 2025 — CTV reports 800+ tasks, 600+ tips, 5,000 video files, 60 interviews, polygraph tests, pink blanket for analysis. (CTV News Atlantic)
- May 1, 2026 — One-year anniversary; Global News reports 106 interviews, 8,132 video files, 1,191 tips, $150,000 reward. (Global News)
- May 6, 2026 — CBC publishes in-depth article calling disappearance “profoundly rare”. (CBC News)
The timeline shows that while the Sullivan case has seen an intense burst of activity, the Ehler case has remained stagnant for years, highlighting the disparity in investigative momentum.
What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear
Confirmed facts
- Children disappeared from home without forced entry. (Global News)
- Father Cody Sullivan reported them missing. (Global News)
- RCMP has interviewed 106 people and reviewed 8,132 video files. (Global News)
- No suspects, no arrests. (CTV News Atlantic)
- Province offers up to $150,000 reward. (Global News)
- Dylan Ehler missing since May 6, 2020. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
What’s unclear or rumored
- How the children left the property. (Global News)
- Whether a third party was involved. (Global News)
- Current whereabouts of Lilly and Jack. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
- Why the RCMP considers the children unlikely to be alive — no specific evidence released. (Global News)
- Whether the Dylan Ehler case shares any investigative link or perpetrator pattern — no evidence has been disclosed. (CBC News)
- What happened to Dylan Ehler — no credible theory has been established. (CBC News)
The gap between confirmed facts and unresolved questions underscores the complexity of both investigations and the limits of available evidence.
Quotes from the investigation
“The chances that Jack and Lilly are alive are very slim.”
— RCMP officer in charge, 2026 (Global News)
“There are no suspects and no arrests at this time. We continue to follow all leads.”
— RCMP spokesperson, 2025 (CTV News Atlantic)
The two children who disappeared together — the rarest kind of missing-child case — have generated an enormous investigation with no suspects, while Dylan Ehler’s single-child disappearance from a yard remains equally baffling. For Nova Scotia families, the pattern is chilling: two children, two unsolved vanishings, and a system that can’t say why.
The consistent message from authorities is one of caution, but the lack of resolution fuels public anxiety.
One year after the Sullivan children went missing, the province faces a hard reckoning. For every parent in rural Nova Scotia, the implication is clear: the safety net for missing children relies on a patchwork of police resources and public tips, not a coordinated provincial strategy. Either the system must become more proactive — with regional databases, faster forensic turnaround, and mandatory child-safety alerts — or more families will be left waiting for answers that never come.
Related reading: Nova Scotia Missing Children Update: Lilly & Jack Sullivan Latest
For the latest developments, including updates on Dylan Ehler’s case, readers can follow the ongoing investigation into missing children in Nova Scotia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the RCMP doing to find the Sullivan children?
The RCMP has conducted hundreds of interviews, reviewed over 8,000 video files, and processed more than 1,000 tips. They have used ground and air searches and are applying the Missing Persons Act to gather information. The reward fund stands at $150,000. (Global News)
Are there any similarities between the Sullivan case and Dylan Ehler?
Both involve young children who disappeared from rural Nova Scotia properties without forced entry. However, the Ehler case happened in a yard, while the Sullivan children vanished from inside their home. No shared perpetrator or evidence link has been established. (CBC News)
Has the Sullivan family offered a reward?
The Nova Scotia government has posted a reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the children’s whereabouts. (Global News)
How can the public help in the search?
Anyone with information can contact Pictou County RCMP at 1-902-485-4333. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
What is the statistical rarity of two children disappearing together?
Criminal justice experts and media have described the disappearance of two siblings from the same home as “profoundly rare”. (CBC News) Sibling abductions by strangers are extremely uncommon in Canada.
Are there any other missing siblings in Nova Scotia?
No other confirmed sibling disappearances are currently documented. The Sullivan case is unique in Nova Scotia history. (Missing Children Society of Canada)
What is the next step in the investigation?
The RCMP continues to process forensic evidence, including a pink blanket. They are asking for any new tips from the public and maintaining the reward offer. No timeline for an arrest or case closure has been given. (Global News)
Related reading: Nova Scotia Missing Children Update: Lilly & Jack Sullivan Latest
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