A member of the main crime unit of the RCMP says that it is taking “more than we expected to” advance in the investigation into two missing children of Nueva Scotia who disappeared from a rural community more than five weeks ago.
In a press release on Wednesday, RCMP provided an update on the case, which details the research tools that have been used, the areas that have been sought and the various units and agencies now involved in the case.
Lilly Sullivan, 6, and Jack Sullivan, 4, were reported as disappeared at her home at Lansdowne station on May 2, causing an extensive search for six days through dense forests that included up to 160 search and rescue officials, dogs, helicopters and drones.
The Mounties say that more than 11 units are working on the investigation, including the main crime unit, digital forensic services, police services and their behavior sciences group, the criminal analysis service and the truth verification section, which works with polygraph tests.
He is also working with the National Center for Missing Persons, the Canadian Child Protection Center and Provincial and Municipal Police Agencies of Nueva Scotia and other parts of Canada.
“We are committed to doing what is necessary to locate Lilly and Jack and advance in the investigation, which can take more time than we all expected,” CPL said. Sandy Matharu, the leader of the investigation with the Unit of Major Crimes of RCMP of NOVA northeast.
“We are accessing, evaluating and analyzing a significant volume of information from a variety of sources. We have a very coordinated and deliberate approach to ensure that all the information is meticulously scrutinized, prioritized and action to ensure that nothing is lost.”
The RCMP said that they have widely registered the property of Pictou County where the children disappeared, including the house, the land, the dependencies and the nearby septic systems, the wells, the axes of the mines and the sewers.
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, CPL. Guillaume Tremblay was asked if the kidnapping is being considered, since the police initially said there was no evidence that the brothers had taken when they were first reported that they disappeared.
Tremblay replied that “all cases of missing persons are considered suspicious,” and did not address the possibility of a kidnapping.
The Mounties say they have been following 488 tips they have received from the public and have been granted numerous judicial authorizations to confiscate and examine materials and devices that can provide useful information for research.
“The research is being directed by a tenacious and committed group of researchers who are collecting and evaluating information daily to learn more about the circumstances of Lilly and Jack’s disappearance so we can find them,” said the sergeant. Rob McCamon, an officer in charge of the main crimes and behavior sciences.
The researchers have collected hundreds of video hours from the areas surrounding the Lansdowne station, including the images taken along Gairloch Road, where the children’s house is located, between April 28 and May 2.
They have formally interviewed 54 people, and in some cases polygraph tests were administered.
As RCMP remains with tight lips on their research on the disappearance of two young children of Nueva Scotia, a Lansdowne woman who lives near them says that researchers have asked for the images of their camera of trails that cover days before the missing brothers are reported. Nicola Seguin has the story.
Tremblay said that gathering as much information as possible is crucial to develop a timeline of events in the days before the disappearance of children, although he would not comment on the details of this research.
He said this is a standard protocol in all cases of missing persons.
“You can obtain advice and information from the previous days, and can lead to other research paths,” he said.
The search on the large -scale soil went back on May 7, but subsequent searches have been made, including searches on the ground around the children’s house in Gairloch Road, underwater searches of water bodies in the region and a pipe path, where a starting impression was previously.
RCMP said the information collected so far in the investigation, including the search and rescue efforts of land, has not identified new search areas.
