Australian police believe they found missing 5-year-old girl’s body
Northern Territory Police believe they found the body of missing 5-year-old Sharon Granites, as officers continue searching for the 47-year-old man accused of abduction and murder.
Australian police believe they have found the body of a missing 5-year-old girl in central Australia, as the search continues for the man authorities say abducted and killed her.
The Northern Territory Police Force said officers discovered the body shortly before midday around 3 miles south of Old Timers Camp, an Aboriginal town camp in the Alice Springs area. Police said the child, Sharon Granites, has now been referred to by her family as Kumanjai Little Baby.
Police said the girl was reported missing from her Old Timers Camp home at about 1:35 a.m.. local time Sunday, only hours after she was last seen.. Authorities believe she was taken after a 47-year-old man, Jefferson Lewis, was in and around the home on Saturday.. On Thursday, Northern Territory Police Force Commissioner Martin Dole described the development as “incredibly distressing.”
Investigators have been working around a developing crime-scene effort near the camp.. On Wednesday, police said they established a crime scene and seized items including a yellow adult T-shirt, a quilted comforter, and children’s underwear.. Acting Commander Mark Grieve said Thursday that two DNA profiles were found on the underwear—one expected to belong to Kumanjai Little Baby and the other matching Lewis.
A key part of the response now remains the same, according to police: locating Lewis. Grieve said the “sole job” in the investigation is to find him, warning the suspect to come to the police station rather than assist himself or anyone else. Police also told Lewis they were coming for him.
Police said they have not yet provided a cause of death or how long the child may have been deceased. A formal autopsy was expected to be conducted on Friday, which will be used to determine medical facts in the case.
The accused man, recently released from prison, has a criminal history that includes physical assault and domestic violence, authorities said.. Police noted there were no offenses in his record related to child endangerment.. Still, detectives say the evidence gathered so far points toward an abduction and murder.
For the family and community, the shift from search to recovery is expected to deepen grief.. Kumanjai Little Baby’s mother said in a statement provided through police that she believes the child is “in heaven” with family members, and that life will be unimaginably hard without her.. Her mother also described the relationship between her daughter and her son, including a message that Ramsiah would one day meet her and give her a “biggest hug.”
Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said attention has now turned to “a grieving family, a grieving town and a grieving Northern Territory.” She said dark days like this “rock everyone,” underscoring the broader community impact of a child’s disappearance and the violent circumstances surrounding it.
Beyond the immediate case, the investigation highlights how quickly public searches can intensify when authorities believe a child has been taken, and how DNA evidence and seized items can become central to narrowing responsibility.. With the autopsy pending and detectives still focused on locating Lewis, the coming days are likely to determine more details about what happened and how authorities will proceed with charges and next steps.