Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole has pleaded with the community for information as the search for missing five-year-old Sharon Granites nears the end of its fourth day.
Addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, 29 April, Commissioner Dole said NT Police believed Sharon’s suspected abductor, Jefferson Lewis, 47, is receiving assistance to avoid being located.
Mr Lewis was at a gathering at the young girl’s address in the Old Timers Town Camp when she went missing.
“Let me be clear about one thing in relation to that,” Commissioner Dole said.
“We believe that there are members of the community that absolutely know where Jefferson Lewis is.
“What I want to say to you is tell is: Tell us what you know, tell us where he is. tell us how to contact him.
“If you’re withholding information because you are frightened, please have confidence that we will treat that information sensitively,” he said.
“Our priority, and immediate focus is to find Sharon,” he said.
“To that end, we are imploring the entire community – anybody who may have information, no matter how small, that could help us locate Sharon, to contact police…”
Commissioner Dole said interpreters were available and information could be provided anonymously.
“We will follow up every single piece of information received,” he said.
“The smallest detail could be the one that unlocks this investigation.”
The investigation, now known as Operation Chelsfield, has extended interstate, with Mr Lewis’s family members in Western Australia contacted.
The officer leading the investigation, Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley revealed significant items of interest had been located and seized on 26 April.
He also confirmed Sharon was seen holding Mr Lewis’s hand about 11pm on the night she disappeared.
“We have seized a number of items from that crime scene, being a doona, doona cover, the shirt that Jefferson Lewis was wearing – a distinct yellow one – and a pair of child’s underwear from that location,” Assistant Commissioner Malley said.
He said the items had been sent to Darwin for testing and forensic analysis.
“I expect to have that back tomorrow (Thursday).”
Assistant Commissioner Malley said it was possible Sharon had been sexually assaulted.
“That’s certainly on the table for us,” he said.
“That’s under investigation.
“Those items are being forensically examined, and we should have those results back tomorrow to maybe confirm or deny that,” he said.
Assistant Commissioner Malley said the family was aware the items had been located and were “distressed”, adding it was a parent’s worst nightmare.
He said police believe Mr Lewis remains in the local area and it was frustrating for police that people were suspected to be withholding significant details.
Responding to a question, Commissioner Dole said: “It is very unusual that we have absolutely no contact, no trace and no location of Mr Lewis, so we absolutely firmly believe that there’s members of the community that know where he is, where he went and how to contact him…”
Further adding to the difficulty of the search, the lack of a digital footprint was making the hunt for Mr Lewis harder.
Assistant Commissioner Malley likened the investigation to those conducted in the 1930s and said officers had resorted to old-style policing.
“This man doesn’t have a telephone, he doesn’t have a bank account, he doesn’t have a car – so some of the usual practices that we do in 2026 aren’t applicable, hence the amount of resources we have on the ground.
“We are knocking on doors, we’re going through houses.
“It’s old-style policing. It’s a hard slog.”
Assistant Commissioner Malley told reporters police held the belief Sharon was still alive, but the timelines were becoming critical, with her having been missing for almost 96 hours.
“But once again, we’re considering everything, and she may have come to harm, but we still think she is alive and our number one mission is to find her safe and well.”
Assistant Commissioner Malley said police were yet to find evidence to indicate whether or not Sharon was alive and that time was of the essence as the fourth day of the search drew to a close.
“I think we’re right on the threshold of that, if she’s wandered away,” he said
“Hence the urgency, but like I said, yesterday, as time goes on, the chances of finding little Sharon alive are well reduced.”
