Seven weeks later, two N.S. children are still missing. Why wasn’t an Amber Alert issued?
Seven weeks after Lilly and Jack Sullivan went missing from their rural Nova Scotia community, family members are still questioning why an Amber Alert wasn’t issued for the young siblings. The children disappeared on May 2 from their home in Lansdowne Station, sparking a massive search effort by the RCMP.
The police received a 911 call reporting that Lilly and Jack had wandered away from their home, but the case did not initially meet the criteria for an Amber Alert. The criteria for issuing an Amber Alert requires specific information such as a suspect, person of interest, or vehicle to direct the public’s attention towards. Without this crucial information, the authorities opted to issue two “vulnerable persons” alerts instead.
Cpl. Guillaume Tremblay, who reviewed the policy on Amber Alerts, explained that the risk manager ultimately decides whether an alert should be sent out. In this case, two alerts were issued on the day of the disappearance and the following day, covering a large area of northeastern Nova Scotia. Despite the efforts of the RCMP, family members like Daniel Martell, the children’s stepfather, believe that an Amber Alert should have been issued from the beginning.
Martell urged the police to issue an Amber Alert and position officers at key locations, but his requests were denied due to the lack of concrete evidence suggesting abduction. Lilly and Jack’s mother, Malehya Brooks-Murray, also pleaded for an Amber Alert on social media, highlighting the vulnerability of her children.
The children’s paternal grandmother, Belynda Gray, echoed these concerns, emphasizing the vulnerability of Lilly and Jack due to their undiagnosed learning disabilities. She expressed disappointment in the rigid criteria for issuing an Amber Alert, which focuses on specific individuals or vehicles.
Despite the ongoing search efforts and investigation by the RCMP, there has been no breakthrough in locating Lilly and Jack. The authorities have conducted extensive searches, interviews, and collected video footage from the surrounding area. The Nova Scotia government has offered a substantial reward for any information leading to the children’s whereabouts.
Justice Minister Becky Druhan reiterated that the criteria for issuing an Amber Alert are standardized across Canada and are beyond her department’s control. She emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the investigation and expressed hope that the reward program would yield valuable information.
As the community continues to search for Lilly and Jack Sullivan, the unresolved case underscores the importance of timely and effective communication in missing children cases. The family’s plea for an Amber Alert serves as a reminder of the need for flexibility in the criteria to ensure the safety of vulnerable individuals.
