The Australian police have probably found her body during the search for missing Sharon (5) near Alice Springs. The girl had been missing since Saturday night. Police suspect she was kidnapped and murdered by a man (47) who had recently been released from prison. The search for the suspect is still ongoing.
Tessa Van den Bosch
Journalist at HLN
Source: The Guardian, Belga, News.com.au, BBC
During the large-scale search, investigators found the body of a child today. Forensic research has yet to confirm that it is actually Sharon.
Sharon disappeared from a house in Old Timers Town Camp, an Aboriginal settlement in the Australian city of Alice Springs. According to police, several adults were present in the home who were drinking alcohol. Among them was 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis. According to investigators, he was last seen holding the girl’s hand on Saturday evening.
The police suspect that Lewis then kidnapped her and killed her. The man had only been released from prison a few days earlier, where he was serving an 18-month prison sentence for serious violence. Police said he had a “casual relationship” with Sharon’s family.
Remote area
In recent days, hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers have searched the remote area around Alice Springs. They did this on foot, but also with horses, drones and helicopters. Experienced indigenous trackers also took part in the large-scale search.
This was necessary because the operation took place in difficult circumstances. The terrain is confusing, the grass is high in some places and the temperatures fluctuate sharply between cold nights and hot days.
Alice Springs is located in the so-called Red Center of Australia, almost in the geographical center, in the Northern Territory. The city is very isolated, surrounded by several deserts. It is not the first time a child has gone missing in the outback. On September 27, 4-year-old Gus Lamont also disappeared. There is no trace of him to this day.
