The grandmother of two missing Nova Scotia children says she’s disappointed by how little information about their case has been shared by RCMP, saying more transparency could lead to better-quality tips from the public.
Six-year-old Lilly and four-year-old Jack Sullivan were reported missing on May 2 from their home in Lansdowne Station, N.S., a rural community in the province’s northeast.
Belynda Gray, Jack and Lilly’s paternal grandmother, said in an interview Friday that if the RCMP want more help from the public they should be more forthcoming with details from the investigation.
“If they shared more, the general public that wants to help them can be of service … (police are) wanting help and tips, but they’re leaving everything up to guesswork,” Gray said.
The lack of information about the investigation has meant that “people are out there coming up with their own stories. It’s making everything go sideways, all these little stories,” she said.
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The grandmother said she felt let down and confused by redactions in case documents released by the Crown and police to The Canadian Press and other media outlets.
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The redacted documents made public in August include court applications filed by investigators for permission to conduct searches for phone records, banking records, and video related to the case. The RCMP agreed to remove some redactions this week, revealing that video surveillance was retrieved from the children’s school bus and that the bus driver joined the search for the children.
When asked why some redactions were removed while others remain in the documents, a spokesperson with the RCMP said those decisions lie with a judge. “Any questions in this regard are best directed to Nova Scotia courts.”
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However, David Coles, a lawyer representing The Canadian Press and other media outlets, said that ultimately it’s the RCMP, in conjunction with the Crown attorney, who decide what should be released or withheld.
“The judge still retains authority, but my understanding was … that the police and the Crown decided together that this was material that could now be released,” Coles said Friday.
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He said he is waiting for a written summary from the Crown explaining the reasons behind the redactions.
Gray, meanwhile, said police have told her that they are limiting the information they share to preserve the integrity of the investigation, but she feels they are being “overly cautious.”
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The grandmother said she’s well aware of the flurry of true-crime content creators on the internet who have been sharing theories about the missing children and the investigation. She thinks police could debunk some of the fictitious claims by releasing more details about the case.
“They (RCMP) themselves are complaining about all the crazy stories out there. They could knock off some things so that people know that’s not a story any longer,” Gray said.
Gray said that while she recognizes that some of the theories shared on social media about her missing grandchildren are harmful and or false, she said she’s grateful that Lilly and Jack’s names are still garnering attention.
“The negative does bother me, because sometimes it is really negative. But you can’t really pick and choose when it comes to the true-crime content, so for me, I would rather have it out there than have it shut down.”
“As long as they’re still saying Lilly and Jack’s names and their pictures are being shared.”
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