The family of a five-year-old girl allegedly murdered by an ex-convict have abandoned the home from which she was snatched, stating they will never return to the place where she was last seen alive.
Details of the Incident
Jefferson Lewis, who has a lengthy criminal record and was sentenced in 2024 for attacking a woman with a meat cleaver, is suspected of abducting and killing the young girl just days after his release from prison. It is alleged that the 47-year-old crept into the room where Kumanjayi Little Baby had been put to bed on a mattress on Anzac Day before sneaking her out through a side door.
The family requested that the girl be referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby. Kumanjayi is a substitute name used by Warlpiri people for a deceased person, to avoid the taboo of speaking their name after death.
Family's Decision to Leave
The humble two-bedroom house in Old Timers camp, just outside Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, had been the family home for more than seven years. However, Kumanjayi Little Baby's mother Jacinta and grandmother Karen White have packed their bags, unable to bear another moment within the walls where such horror unfolded.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, a devastated Ms White said she is haunted by the events of that night, with the images still playing over in her mind. 'It's too much. I cannot go back there. I never can again. She was just so beautiful and such a good girl and I miss her,' she said.
While Jacinta has moved into a 'safe house,' Karen opted to take her grandson to stay with friends before they permanently relocate back to their hometown of Yuendumu.
Mourning and Memories
Loved ones who had travelled to offer support have gathered with Ms White in a nearby camp as they enter deep mourning, known as 'sorry business,' which can last for around two weeks. Kumanjayi Little Baby's family said they wish her to be remembered as a happy little girl who loved cartoons and spending time with her cousins.
Peggy Granites, the grandmother on her father Raphael's side, said she was 'shy and always by someone's side.' This added to the heartbreak when it was alleged that Lewis had been seen speaking with the girl earlier in the evening before later being spotted holding her hand.
While Ms Granites was not there that night, she has known Lewis for years and said she never believed he posed a danger to her family. 'Never, never, never,' she said. 'No one thought that at all. No one thinks anyone can do that.'
Ms Granites said her son received the heartbreaking news that his little girl had been found dead while he was in jail. 'He is just devastated. He is so upset and just wants to be here with his family,' she said.
Investigation and Discovery
Kumanjayi Little Baby's body was found just before midday on Thursday in bush about 5km south of the Old Timers camp. The discovery came after police found her underwear at a crime scene near the camp, along with the yellow top Lewis had been wearing on the night she vanished. Forensic testing results revealed that the underwear had traces of two DNA profiles which matched both hers and Lewis's.
Ms Granites didn't know why he was at the house that night but confirmed it is not unusual for people from the same area or families to stay at camps while traveling between places.
Abandoned Home and Community Impact
The family home, just one of nine in the small street, is now abandoned, with doors and windows left open. Little remains aside from a handful of personal belongings, scattered clothes and sparse furniture. Ms White, who is in a wheelchair with a bandaged knee, said she is in constant pain and has no mattress to sleep on in the temporary accommodation at her friend's house. But she remains steadfast that she won't return home or let a family member collect the mattress that little Kumanjayi Little Baby last slept on.
A makeshift memorial has been created at the gates, now draped in vibrant bouquets of flowers and colourful cuddly toys left in memory of the little girl. Despite the burst of colour, the mood in Old Timers township is sombre. Next door, neighbours sat quietly in their garden on a double mattress with their dogs, still visibly shaken. Seven people live in the home, and most were there on the night in question. With a young toddler of their own, the events have left them rattled. 'Just can't believe it happened so close,' one man said.
Across the road, another neighbour said the family's sudden departure would be deeply felt. 'They have been great neighbours for me for years,' he said. 'But I understand why they want to leave.' No one who the Daily Mail spoke to on the street knew Lewis or had ever come across him before that night.
Lewis's Criminal History and Aftermath
Lewis had previously served a sentence of 64 months in prison, between 2016 and 2025, for offences including aggravated assaults, breaching domestic violence orders and bail, and resisting police. Court documents seen by NT News show that in October 2024 Lewis pleaded guilty to hitting a 45-year-old woman, his former partner, on the head with a meat cleaver. Their teenage son tried to step in, the court heard.
Tensions boiled over in Alice Springs on Thursday night after vigilantes found the suspected killer at Charles Creek town camp, where he was bashed unconscious before cops arrived. Commissioner Martin Dole said paramedics trying to revive Lewis after he was found by the mob also came under attack and had to be rescued by police. Lewis was taken to Alice Springs Hospital by police where he was treated for a head wound before the furious mob then descended on the medical facility. Police had to use tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets against the crowd who also set a police vehicle ablaze.
The 47-year-old was flown from Alice Springs to Darwin in the early hours of Friday morning in an attempt to calm the violence. He has been released from hospital into police custody and is expected to be charged. There have been calls for calm from Traditional Owners, Northern Territory politicians and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Authorities also announced a strict takeaway alcohol ban and restrictions for Alice Springs in an attempt to lower tensions.
