RCMP say cadaver dogs brought in to search the area surrounding the Lansdowne Station home of Jack and Lilly Sullivan in Nova Scotia failed to detect any human remains.
RCMP in Nova Scotia issued the update today in a case that has captivated the entire country.
Six-year-old Lilly, and 4-year-old Jack Sullivan were reported to have wandered away from their home on May 2nd.
Missing persons’ sign in Nova Scotia for Jack and Lilly Sullivan (VOCM News)
The RCMP brought in cadaver dogs, trained to pick up the scent of human remains, in late September and searched an area covering 40 kms.
RCMP say the dogs searched the property from which the children went missing, and checked the pipeline and intersecting trails, as well as the area where a pink blanket was previously found.
They also checked any locations where there was the highest probability of finding the children, but no remains were located.
“The dogs are highly trained to detect and indicate the scent of human remains, therefore, if the dogs did not alert their handlers, it suggests the dogs were never in the presence of human remains odour,” says Staff Sergeant Stephen Pike of the RCMP Police Dog Services Training Centre.
He cautioned it does not definitively rule out the presence of remains in the areas that were searched. “It means either the odour is there, and couldn’t be detected or the odour isn’t there.”
RCMP are continuing to validate or eliminate leads and follow the evidence wherever it takes them and they are “considering all possibilities.”
A memorial to Jack and Lilly Sullivan outside the RCMP detachment in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia (VOCM News)
