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Police Name Ex‑Prisoner in Hunt for 5‑Year‑Old Sharon Granites

A sweeping search across remote bushland strains resources in Australia’s Red Centre.

Overview

  • The child vanished from her home at Old Timers Town Camp overnight Saturday to Sunday in Alice Springs, and detectives say the case is an abduction.
  • Police identified 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis as a person of interest after his recent release from prison for serious violent offenses that did not involve children.
  • Investigators say Lewis was seen holding Sharon’s hand late Saturday, and both remain missing as the manhunt continues with no motive disclosed.
  • Hundreds of police and volunteers are combing rugged country on foot and by air with drones, helicopters, dogs, and Indigenous trackers, with a nearby dry riverbed a key focus.
  • The Territory Response Group has joined the operation, the family is receiving crisis support, and police are urging tips as hot days and cold nights raise risks for a young child.