Search continues for Sharon: A timeline of events
The search for a missing five-year-old girl in the Northern Territory continues into a fifth day as new findings come through.
Sharon Granites has been missing since Saturday night, with police in the region launching one of their largest operations in decades to try and find her.
Police are working on the theory she may have been abducted by a man who was recently released from prison, as her family released a heartfelt plea for her safe return.
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Sharon Granites has been missing for five days. Supplied
Warning: This story contains details and content that some readers may find distressing.
What happened to Sharon Granites
Sharon Granites disappeared sometime after being put to bed on Saturday night before 11pm.
Sharon and her mother were visiting a house in Old Timers Camp in Alice Springs.
She was last seen at around 11.30pm, with a man called Jefferson Lewis who was holding her hand, with police working under the belief the man had led her away from the camp.
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Police scour the house where Sharon Granites was staying in Old Timers camp just outside of Alice Springs when she was allegedly abducted by Jefferson Lewis. 9News
She was reported missing at around 1.30am on Sunday.
Police found materials and items of clothing on the river bank near Old Timers Camp on Sunday, but only revealed them publicly yesterday.
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Police are searching for Jefferson Lewis in connection with the incident. NT Police
These items included a pair of children's believed to belong to Sharon, as well as a shirt worn by Lewis. A doona cover was also found alongside these items of clothing.
Northern Territory Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Malley said that her family was being supported after the findings.
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Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price confirmed she is the aunt of Sharon. Alex Ellinghausen
"She is a very affectionate little girl loved by her family, so it's just a horrible thing that they are going through at the moment," he said.
Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price confirmed she is the aunt of Sharon, saying she was shattered by the news.
"That's incredibly frightening and very disturbing for the family as well," she told Sky News.
"I'm holding on to hope that she is still alive and I'm very grateful for the volunteers, the police, the Aboriginal trackers, everyone that's been involved in the search for Sharon."
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, members of Sharon's family pleaded for her to be returned safely.
"There was nothing I could do – just cry," grandfather Robin said.
"She was a really nice, little, good, quiet girl."
Who is Jefferson Lewis
Jefferson Lewis is the man who police want to talk to about the disappearance.
Lewis had been released from prison six days before Sharon went missing, after being charged with violent offences, including assault and domestic violence.
Dole confirmed Lewis was not on bail or subject to any conditions that would have required monitoring.
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The shirt Lewis is wearing in this bodycam footage is the same one that was found on the riverbank behind Old Timers Camp. NT Police
Police previously said Lewis only had a "loose connection" to the Granites family.
Lewis is seen wearing a distinctive yellow shirt in bodycam footage released by police from earlier on Saturday when they were responding to an unrelated mental health callout.
The shirt is the same one found near Old Timers Camp on Sunday.
Where is Old Timers Town Camp
Old Timers Camp is an Aboriginal community just to the south of Alice Springs.
Its local Indigenous name is Ilyperenye, and according to the Tangentyere Council website, 40 people live in nine households in the camp.
Local MP and Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Speaker Robyn Lambley told Today the camp was "a notoriously hard place to live".
It is not known if Sharon's home address was located here or elsewhere.
There are 43 town camps like this across the Northern Territory, and these area areas set aside where Aboriginal people can live in and around towns and cities.
Sharon Granites search updates
The search is now stretching interstate.
Western Australian Police have contacted Lewis' wife and children in Bolga, who are cooperating with authorities.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole also revealed Sharon was non verbal, and that she often communicates with her hands.
He admitted this "complicates" search efforts.
"She's unable to communicate needs," he said.
Dole conceded the window for finding Sharon alive was beginning to close.
"We do consult people for survivability and that's what gauges our search areas," he said.
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Around 100 community members were assisting authorities in the massive search operation for missing five-year-old Sharon Granites, who was last seen at Old Timers camp just out of Alice Springs late on Saturday night. 9News
"So we're getting to the end of that timeframe of survivability unfortunately, but that doesn't mean our search efforts are going to reduce significantly because like I said anything is possible in these scenarios."
Given neither have been spotted since Saturday night, something police believe is unusual, it is believed Lewis may be receiving help from someone.
Commissioner Dole urged Lewis or people with information to come forward.
"There's people out there who are assisting, and that do know something, and that aren't feeding that information into the authorities," he said.
"Our hope is that piece of information comes through, that someone in the community knows something and that they let us know."
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"You might be fearful that there's some retribution if you give that information to police. Please have the confidence that we will treat that sensitively, because our number one priority is finding Sharon."
Assistant Commissioner Malley said yesterday Lewis did not have a phone, car, or bank account, which makes the search "difficult."
"Hence the amount of resources we have on the ground, we're knocking on doors, we're going through houses," he said to media.
"It's going back to 1930s policing without that digital footprint."
Lambley told Today the whole community had been mobilised in the search.
"We have all been out there looking for her ... the whole town is all about finding her," she said.
Northern Territory Police confirmed they would be updating the public on the search later today.
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