Experts point to anomalies in 'unprecedented' case of missing N.S. children

Two weeks aft 2 young siblings vanished without a hint successful agrarian Nova Scotia, experts are pointing to anomalies successful what they accidental is an unprecedented lawsuit that deviates from a emblematic missing children investigation.

Lilly Sullivan, 6, and brother Jack Sullivan, 4, person been missing since May 2. That's erstwhile constabulary received a 911 telephone reporting that they had wandered distant from their location successful Lansdowne Station, a sparsely populated country astir 140 kilometres northeast of Halifax.

Nova Scotia RCMP past launched a hunt that included crushed hunt and rescue officials, canine teams, drones and helicopters. But aft six days of scouring the heavy wooded areas surrounding the home, determination was nary motion of the children and the hunt was called off.

Police person said they bash not judge the children were abducted, but person not ruled retired that the lawsuit is suspicious.

Michelle Jeanis, an subordinate prof successful the transgression justness section astatine University of Louisiana astatine Lafayette, said the facts of the lawsuit and evident deficiency of grounds makes it an "anomaly."

"It doesn't conscionable a batch of the mean criteria for what we would spot for these types of cases," said Jeanis, whose probe areas include missing persons and juvenile justice.

"Usually determination is grounds successful immoderate mode that would suggest thing nefarious has happened. It mirrors … those big missing persons cases wherever we telephone it 'quiet disappearances.' There's nary evidence."

A fewer details basal retired to Jeanis as unusual, including the children's lack from schoolhouse that week.

The children's stepfather, Daniel Martell, told CBC News the children were not successful schoolhouse connected Thursday oregon Friday — the greeting of the disappearance — owed to illness. They besides were not astatine schoolhouse connected Wednesday owed to a nonrecreational improvement day.

"It could conscionable beryllium incredibly atrocious timing that they had 48 hours unaccounted for earlier the disappearance. But that's conscionable 1 of the things that stands retired successful my head," she said. 

Police volition not accidental if anyone other had interaction oregon saw the children successful the days starring up to the time they went missing.

Jeanis said she believes constabulary should beryllium considering whether a idiosyncratic played a part.

In a stereotypical kidnapping by a stranger, the offender doesn't usually people a circumstantial kid oregon children, they create a program and whoever is successful the situation astatine the clip falls victim, said Jeanis.

"It doesn't look similar that would beryllium the lawsuit present due to the fact that ... what we cognize is they were successful their backyard successful a agrarian community, truthful it's not similar they were walking to schoolhouse oregon to the state presumption oregon thing wherever it tin beryllium an casual snatch situation," she said.

"So, if it was a stereotypical alien kidnapping, it would person had to person been idiosyncratic who said, 'I privation those kids successful particular."

Nova Scotia RCMP said connected Tuesday they were pursuing up connected much than 180 tips from members of the nationalist and exploring each avenues successful the investigation. 

WATCH | 2 weeks later, RCMP accidental their probe continues:

The Mounties said 35 radical were identified for ceremonial interviews, including assemblage members and those closest to the children.

Michael Arntfield, a criminologist astatine Western University successful London, Ont., called the lawsuit "unprecedented," saying it's highly improbable for 2 siblings who unrecorded unneurotic to vanish erstwhile a genitor is not involved.

"And there's nary grounds of that. If that had been the case, I deliberation we would person heard astir that precise quickly," helium said.

"This case, erstwhile you overlay it connected a 100 different missing children cases, it just doesn't adhd up astatine galore levels."

Arntfield said helium thinks constabulary could beryllium much forthcoming with accusation astir the case, fixed the nationalist is being solicited for information. He said pursuing up connected 180 tips requires a large woody of resources.

"Police can't beryllium everywhere, truthful they trust successful cases similar this connected the eyes and ears of the public. And that needs to beryllium a two-way thoroughfare successful presumption of information," helium said. 

"Otherwise they're conscionable going to get tips that truly conscionable bogged down the probe and aren't needfully of immoderate substantive value."

He besides said constabulary should person said publically successful the aboriginal days of the search whether the lawsuit was considered suspicious.

"I'm giving them the payment of the uncertainty that determination is immoderate progressive pb being worked and they don't privation to upset the equilibrium that they're in," said Arntfield.

"But based connected appearances, this went successful the incorrect absorption aboriginal connected and cardinal momentum and leads were mislaid erstwhile they were retired successful the fields looking for kids that possibly were ne'er there."

Martell did not instrumentality a petition for remark Friday.

The children's maternal grandmother, Cyndy Murray, has said constabulary person advised the household against speaking to the media. 

Nova Scotia RCMP declined an interrogation petition and would not reply circumstantial questions astir the case.

In a statement, spokesperson Cpl. Carlie McCann said constabulary person spoken to the bulk of people identified arsenic perchance having accusation to enactment the investigation, and different interviews are scheduled to instrumentality spot successful the coming days and weeks

"Officers progressive are besides continuing to travel up connected each caller tips that travel in," said McCann, adding that to ensure the integrity of the investigation, nary further details volition beryllium released.

McCann declined to supply much accusation astir wherefore constabulary judge the children were not abducted.