Shock in Australia as body found in search for missing five-year-old Indigenous girl
Australian police have confirmed the discovery of a body believed to be that of a missing five-year-old Indigenous girl, sparking a manhunt for her alleged murderer.
The young girl, referred to by her family as Kumanjayi Little Baby in line with Indigenous customs, was reported missing from her remote central Australian home late on Saturday.
Authorities located the body, believed to be hers, shortly before midday on Thursday, approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles) south of the original crime scene.
Her disappearance had made national headlines, with hundreds involved in extensive land and air searches across the harsh desert terrain of the Alice Springs region.
“Our hearts are broken that the case of the little girl missing in Alice Springs has had such a tragic ending,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement on X.
“No words can measure up to the immensity of the grief her family is going through. In their time of terrible loss, all Australians hold them in our hearts.”
Police said the prime suspect was 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, who had been recently released from prison and was in the area at the time of her disappearance.
“The focus right now is to locate Jefferson Lewis. It is our sole job in this investigation right now,” Northern Territory Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said at a news conference.
“I say to the family of Jefferson Lewis that we believe he’s murdered this child. Do not assist him. Get him to the police station and we’ll look after him.”
“And I say to Jefferson Lewis, we’re coming for you.”
Malley said police had seized items from the crime scene, including a pair of child’s underwear. Forensic testing of the underwear detected DNA profiles belonging to Kumanjayi Little Baby and Lewis.
After the body was found police released a statement from Kumanjayi Little Baby’s mother:
“To Kumanjayi Little Baby,
Me and Ramsiah miss and love you.
