More than 16 months after her young children vanished from a rural property in Nova Scotia, Malehya Brooks-Murray has broken a long public silence. In her first extensive interview since the early days of the search, the mother of Lilly and Jack Sullivan said she firmly believes her children are alive and that someone may have taken them from their home.

Lilly Sullivan, then six years old, and her brother Jack, then four, were reported missing on the morning of May 2, 2025, from a trailer on Gairloch Road in Lansdowne Station, a remote area of Pictou County. Brooks-Murray, now 28, told The Globe and Mail and CBC that she still holds out hope they will return. She said the only explanation that makes sense to her is that the children were removed from the property by another person, though she does not know why.

She explained that she stayed quiet for so long because investigators advised her that speaking publicly could interfere with the case. As the months pᴀssed without clear answers, she decided she could no longer remain silent. “As time goes on, it just feels too long, and we still don’t have any answers. So, I just want to scream their names to the world,” she said.

Brooks-Murray stated that she has cooperated fully with the RCMP. She said she has taken two polygraph examinations and was told she pᴀssed both. Investigators have informed her that neither she nor members of her family are considered suspects. Despite this, she expressed growing frustration with the limited information she receives and the slow pace of communication from police.

According to her account of the morning the children disappeared, she last saw and heard them around 8:20 a.m. She and her then-partner later realized the children were no longer in the home and began searching. She called emergency services shortly after 10 a.m. Large-scale searches involving volunteers, police, dogs, and aircraft followed in the dense surrounding woods and waterways. Only limited physical items, including a strip of fabric later identified as part of a blanket ᴀssociated with Lilly, were located.

Police have repeatedly said there is no evidence of an abduction. In earlier public comments, an RCMP officer in charge of major crime stated that the chances the children are still alive are very slim, while also confirming that all possibilities remain under consideration. The force continues to describe the investigation as active, with specialized teams still engaged, though many operational details cannot be shared.

Brooks-Murray left the Lansdowne property the day after the children were reported missing and has not returned. She now lives elsewhere with her youngest daughter. She has kept many of Lilly and Jack’s belongings and continues to buy gifts for them, saying it helps her cope with the uncertainty. She has also taken part in public efforts to keep their names visible, including walking in a local parade while holding a sign asking for help bringing them home.

The case has drawn intense public attention and widespread online speculation. Brooks-Murray said she tries not to engage with the accusations and theories directed at her. She maintains that her only focus is the safe return of her children.

As of early September 2026, Lilly and Jack Sullivan have been missing for approximately 16 months. Their mother continues to express the belief that they are still alive and that answers will eventually come.

Sources : The Globe and Mail