All scenarios being considered, RCMP say 5 weeks after N.S. children disappeared

A fellow member of the RCMP's john major criminal offence building block says it's taking "longer than we hoped" to advance the investigation into two missing Nova Scotia children who vanished from a rural community more than five weeks ago.

In a news release Wednesday, RCMP provided an update into the case, detailing the investigative tools that have been employed, the areas that have been searched and the various units and agencies now involved in the case.

Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, were reported missing from their home in Lansdowne Station on May 2, sparking an extensive six-day search through dense woods that included up to 160 search and rescue officials, dogs, helicopters and drones.

The Mounties say more than 11 units are working on the investigation, including the major crime unit, digital forensic services, police dog services and its behavioural sciences group, criminal analysis service and truth verification section, which works with polygraph tests.

It's also working with the National Centre for Missing Persons, Canadian Centre for Child Protection, and provincial and municipal police agencies from Nova Scotia and other parts of Canada.

"We're committed to doing what is necessary to locate Lilly and Jack and advance the investigation, which may take longer than we all hoped," said Cpl. Sandy Matharu, the investigation lead with the Northeast Nova RCMP major crime unit. 

"We're accessing, evaluating and analyzing a significant volume of information from a variety of sources. We have a very co-ordinated and deliberate approach to make certain all information is meticulously scrutinized, prioritized and actioned to ensure nothing is missed."

The RCMP said they have extensively searched the Pictou County property where the children went missing, including the home, grounds, outbuildings and nearby septic systems, wells, mine shafts and culverts.

In a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay was asked whether abduction is being considered, since police initially said there was no evidence the siblings had been taken when they were first reported missing.  

Tremblay responded that "every missing persons case is considered suspicious," and he did not address the possibility of an abduction.

The Mounties say they have been following up on 488 tips they've received from the public and have been granted numerous judicial authorizations to seize and examine materials and devices that may provide information useful to the investigation.

"The investigation is being led by a tenacious, committed group of investigators who are gathering and assessing information daily to learn more about the circumstances of Lilly and Jack's disappearance so we can find them," said Staff Sgt. Rob McCamon, officer in charge of major crime and behavioural sciences.

Investigators have collected hundreds of hours of video from areas surrounding Lansdowne Station, including footage taken along Gairloch Road — where the children's home is located — between April 28 and May 2.

They have formally interviewed 54 people, and in some cases polygraph tests were administered.

Pictou County woman asked to share trail cam video in Sullivan kids' search

Tremblay said gathering as much information as possible is crucial in developing a timeline of the events on the days leading up to the kids' disappearance, although he would not comment on the specifics of this investigation.

He said this is standard protocol in all missing persons cases. 

"You can get tips and information from the days prior oftentimes, and it can lead to other investigative avenues," he said.

The wide-scale ground search was rolled back on May 7, but subsequent searches have taken place, including ground searches around the children's home on Gairloch Road, underwater searches of bodies of water in the region, and a pipeline trail, where a boot print was previously located.

RCMP said the information gathered so far in the investigation, including the ground search and rescue efforts, has not identified new search areas.

Reporter/Editor

Aly Thomson is an award-winning journalist based in Halifax who loves helping the people of her home province tell their stories. She is particularly interested in issues surrounding women's health, justice, education and the entertainment industry. You can email her with tips and feedback at aly.thomson@cbc.ca.

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