The stepfather of two younger Nova Scotia siblings who disappeared eight months in the past denies he’s ever been bodily abusive to the kids’s mom, as alleged in recently-unsealed court docket paperwork.
“I’ve at all times been very open and sincere this entire method by and I don’t see no purpose to cease now,” mentioned Daniel Martell in an interview with World Information on Friday.
Lilly and Jack Sullivan — aged six and 4 on the time — have been reported lacking on Could 2, 2025, from their house in Lansdowne Station, N.S., in Pictou County.
They have been dwelling with Martell and their mom, Malehya Brooks-Murray, on the time.
The youngsters’s household had referred to as 911 and mentioned the siblings wandered away that morning from the house, which is located in a heavily-wooded space.
Regardless of repeated and intensive searches involving police, volunteers and cadaver canines, the kids haven’t been discovered.
Lilly Sullivan, 6 and her brother Jack Sullivan, 4, have been reported lacking Could 2 from their house in Lansdowne Station, N.S. in Pictou County.
Offered/Province of Nova Scotia
Among the many paperwork unsealed this week is an interview with police in Could 2025 the place Brooks-Murray mentioned her relationship with Martell.
The paperwork have been filed to assist purposes for search warrants, and not one of the allegations have been examined in court docket.
“When requested if Daniel was bodily abusive, Malehya mentioned he would attempt to block her, maintain her down and as soon as he pushed her,” the doc learn.
“She mentioned he would additionally take her cellphone from her when she tried to name her mother, which might generally be bodily and harm.”
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In response, Martell mentioned the allegations have been a part of a “narrative” that’s meant to color him as “evil and a monster.”
“It was at all times, ‘Daniel’s evil, Daniel’s a monster,’ and with that painted narrative, the general public robotically will simply soar to the idea of responsible,” he mentioned.
World Information reached out to Brooks-Murray, who declined an interview.
Martell mentioned he was supportive of unredacting the court docket paperwork and has nothing to cover.
“I by no means bodily abused Malehya,” he mentioned.
“(Our fights have been about) simply typical issues, you already know, ups and downs that occur in relationships. All people has them, however it by no means turned to bodily in any method.”
He mentioned he’s been candid and open with police and the media and willingly submitted blood samples for DNA evaluation.
In keeping with Martell, the blood testing was regarding the piece of pink blanket that officers seized and have confirmed belonged to Lilly.
“They usually didn’t want a warrant to have my DNA, so I used to be prepared to do it,” he mentioned.
Martell says places ‘full belief’ in RCMP
In a year-end interview with World Information, Chief Supt. Dan Morrow with Nova Scotia RCMP’s legal operations division referred to as the case “extraordinarily uncommon.”
He mentioned police have acquired about 1,030 suggestions, carried out 86 formal interviews, reviewed 8,100 video recordsdata, and carried out seven polygraph exams.
“So there’s been loads of work carried out behind the scenes,” Morrow mentioned.
In June 2025, the kids’s disappearance was added to the province’s Main Unsolved Crimes Program, which gives a reward of as much as $150,000 for data within the case.
In the meantime, Martell mentioned he doesn’t need to “throw any theories on the market or accusations” and he’s restricted his exercise on social media. He mentioned he places his “full belief” within the RCMP and their main crimes unit.
“I’m going to imagine what the RCMP imagine and no matter they imagine or no matter proof that they’ve,” mentioned Martell.
“I can solely go based mostly on what they’ve as a result of they’re the educated professionals. They’ve the sources for the case they usually’re ones working the case.”
— with a file from Ella MacDonald
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