Stepfather of Missing Nova Scotia Children Charged With Assault, Sexual Assault and Forcible Confinement

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have charged Daniel Robert Martell, the stepfather of two young children missing from rural Nova Scotia, with assault, sexual assault and forcible confinement in connection with an unrelated adult victim, authorities confirmed Thursday. Martell, 34, of Lansdowne Station, Pictou County, was arrested by the Pictou County detachment on Monday and later released from custody with conditions ahead of a scheduled court appearance on March 2 in Pictou provincial court.

Martell is the common-law partner of Malehya Brooks-Murray, the mother of six-year-old Lilly Sullivan and five-year-old Jack Sullivan, who were reported missing on May 2, 2025, after Brooks-Murray called 911 saying the children had wandered away from their home. Despite extensive RCMP ground and air searches — including the use of cadaver dogs — investigators have found no definitive evidence about the children’s whereabouts, and there is no indication that the recent charges are directly linked to their disappearance.

RCMP issued a brief statement confirming the charges involve an adult victim, but they provided few further details about the alleged incident, and said Martell’s case has yet to be tested in court. The charges include assault, sexual assault and forcible confinement — serious offences under the Criminal Code of Canada — reflecting allegations that remain unproven as the legal process unfolds.

Court documents partially unsealed earlier this month offer some insight into the family’s complex dynamics in the months leading up to the children’s disappearance. In interviews cited by police, Brooks-Murray said Martell had been physically abusive at times during their three-year relationship, including blocking her movement, holding her down and taking her phone in heated exchanges. Martell has publicly denied those allegations, describing them as part of a “narrative” aimed at portraying him negatively.

Both Martell and Brooks-Murray underwent polygraph tests during the investigation, and police have said those tests indicated both individuals were truthful, though such tests are not definitive evidence in court. The children’s biological father, Cody Sullivan, also took a polygraph in June 2025 and was deemed truthful; police have said he had not been involved in the children’s lives for several years.

RCMP continue to sift through tips from the public and thousands of hours of video footage — including motion-activated trail camera and dashcam recordings — in the ongoing search for Jack and Lilly. At last October’s update, investigators said the case was not believed to be criminal in nature, though the disappearance remains a high-profile and deeply troubling mystery for the community and the children’s extended family.

Martell’s upcoming court appearance in March will mark the next step in the legal process on the unrelated charges, and police stress that the allegations have not been adjudicated. Meanwhile, the search for the missing children continues without a clear lead.