The Sullivan Kids: Why the Police Files Tell a Different Story Than the Rumors

Dismantle the Media

It’s been almost a year since Nova Scotia woke up to the Amber Alert for Lilly and Jack Sullivan. By now, everyone has an opinion. If you read the comments section on any news article, it seems like the public has already decided who is guilty: the parents.

But recently, a judge unsealed the actual police documents—the warrants investigators used to search the family’s digital life and home. I read through the files, and they paint a picture that is much more complicated, and honestly more frustrating, than what you see on the evening news.

Here is what the facts actually show, stripped of the rumors.

The “Leaked” Emails Aren’t What You Think

First, let’s clear up the biggest rumor. You keep hearing about “leaked emails.” These aren’t secret emails leaked by a whistleblower. They are Information to Obtain (ITO) documents. Basically, it’s the paperwork police had to file to get permission to search phones and records.

These papers reveal that the police didn’t just take the parents’ word for it. They were suspicious almost immediately.

The Missing App

The biggest red flag in the files is technical. Malehya Brooks-Murray, the children’s mother, was using a Wi-Fi calling app called TextPlus to talk to family.

According to the documents, she deleted that app right after Lilly and Jack went missing.

Why delete a communication app when your kids are gone and you need every line of communication open? That’s the question police were asking. They spent weeks trying to recover those chat logs to see if there was a confession or a plan hidden in there. The public files don’t tell us what those messages said, but the fact that the app was wiped is a massive puzzle piece.

The House of Cards

For months, the parents—Malehya and stepfather Daniel Martell—presented a united front. They held hands at press conferences and pleaded for their kids’ return.

The police files shatter that image. Behind closed doors, Malehya told investigators that Daniel was controlling and physically abusive. She described him holding her down and taking her phone away. Daniel denied this, claiming they were happy.

This matters because it destroys the “happy family” alibi. If the home was volatile and abusive, the safety of those kids was already at risk before they vanished.

The Car in the Night

Here is the part that keeps me up at night. The parents claim they were asleep the whole night of May 1–2. They say they woke up and the kids were just gone.

But a neighbor told police something very different. They reported hearing a loud vehicle leaving the family’s property multiple times in the middle of the night.

If the parents were asleep, who was driving the car? And if one of them was driving, why lie about it? This witness statement creates a huge hole in their story.

The Confusion About the Charges

In January, Daniel Martell was arrested. The internet exploded, thinking, “Finally, justice for the kids.”

But that’s not what happened. He was charged with sexual assault and confinement involving an adult woman in a completely different incident months prior.

It shows a pattern of violence, yes. It makes him look bad, yes. But legally? It is not proof he hurt Lilly and Jack. It’s important not to mix these two things up, or we risk missing the truth about what actually happened to the children.

The Bottom Line

Here is the hardest pill to swallow: The parents passed their polygraphs.

The police files confirm that early on, both Daniel and Malehya took lie detector tests and the results indicated they were being truthful. While polygraphs aren’t perfect, this is likely why police haven’t been able to just arrest them and close the case.

So, where are Lilly and Jack?

We have a deleted app, a witness hearing a car, and a history of domestic trouble. We have suspicion, but we don’t have the children. And until there is physical evidence—more than just a boot print in the woods—this case remains a heartbreaking mystery.