A five-year-old girl has been missing for three days in the Australian outback, with police suspecting she may have been abducted from her bed by a man released from prison just six days earlier.
Disappearance Near Alice Springs
National Territory (NT) Police in Australia believe Sharon Granites may have been taken by 46-year-old Jefferson Lewis while she slept. Lewis had been released from jail six days prior and was staying with the family at Old Timers Camp near Alice Springs. An eyewitness reported seeing the girl and Lewis "holding hands" at around 11 p.m. on Saturday, shortly before her disappearance. Neither has been seen since.
Mother Raises Alarm
Sharon's mother discovered her daughter missing after checking on her in bed. Despite being missing for over 48 hours, police believe the girl is still alive. Local volunteers and officers continue searching through shoulder-high grasses near the camp.
Police have sent clothing believed to belong to Lewis for forensic testing. NT Police assistant commissioner Peter Malley stated there was a "bit of a party" at the camp when Sharon vanished. She was in bed while her mother did laundry nearby. An eyewitness reported seeing Lewis "holding hands" with the girl at about 11 p.m., leading her away from home.
Search Efforts Intensify
Speaking on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Malley emphasized that finding Sharon safe is the top priority, though chances diminish over time. "Sharon's mum was over there to do some washing, and she knew people there. So she was quite welcome in that area," he said. Sharon was last seen wearing a dark blue short-sleeved T-shirt with a white ring stripe around the neck and sleeves, and black boxer-style underwear.
Police have not determined a motive but admit Lewis may have been intoxicated, as alcohol was consumed at the camp. An NT Police spokesman said about 60 people are involved in the ground search, using helicopters, drones, dog units, horses, motorcycles, and ATVs to cover all terrain.
Challenging Environment
NT Police sergeant Matt Hall described the search as slow due to the challenging environment. "It is a vast search area that we are looking at and going through methodically. The area's heavily overgrown with buffel grass, so in some areas it's shoulder-to-shoulder search pattern through that area. So, it's slow-going, but we will continue to push through," he told ABC Radio Darwin.
Police, emergency crews, and volunteers have searched about 46 square kilometers by helicopter and an additional 20 square kilometers on foot. Indigenous trackers have also been deployed to assist, along with volunteers and land councils, according to NT Police executive director of cultural reform Leanne Liddle.
