Northern Territory Police have launched a major investigation into the suspected abduction of five-year-old Sharon Granites, who vanished from her family home in Alice Springs late on Saturday night. The little girl was last seen around 11:30pm on April 25, 2026, when she was put to bed at her residence on Marshall Court in the Old Timers Aboriginal town camp, also known as Ilyperenye Camp, south of the town. When her mother checked on her shortly after 1:30am on Sunday, April 26, Sharon was no longer in her bed, prompting an immediate and frantic search by family members and authorities.

Police have expressed deep concern for Sharon’s welfare and now firmly believe she was abducted. The case has been declared a major crime, with the Major Crime Unit, local Alice Springs officers, and the Fugitive Task Force all mobilised in what senior officers describe as one of the largest and most urgent investigations currently underway in the Northern Territory.

The focus of the investigation has narrowed on 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, who was staying at the same address as Sharon’s family on the night she disappeared. Lewis, who has a long history of violent offending and had reportedly been released from prison only days earlier, has not been seen since Saturday night. Police are actively seeking him in connection with the suspected abduction and consider him a person of significant interest. Detectives have revealed that Lewis was captured on body-worn camera footage during a police call-out to the town camp earlier that same evening.

Witness accounts and police inquiries suggest that Lewis may have been seen holding hands with the young girl around 11pm on Saturday. Officers believe he may have led Sharon away from the home under suspicious circumstances. A party was reportedly taking place at the residence that night, adding to the complexity of piecing together the exact sequence of events in the crowded town camp environment.

Large-scale search operations began almost immediately. Foot searches, police dogs, drones, and helicopters have been deployed across the Alice Springs region, including the dry Todd River bed and surrounding bushland. Community volunteers, including around 100 local residents, have joined police in the effort. Searches resumed at first light each day, continuing into the third day as of Tuesday, April 28, with no confirmed sightings of either Sharon or Lewis.

Acting Commissioner Peter Malley and other senior officers have stressed that police believe Sharon is still alive, but they are racing against time. The vast and remote terrain around Alice Springs, combined with the harsh outback conditions, makes the search particularly challenging. Authorities have appealed directly to the public for any information, no matter how small, that could help locate the missing girl or the wanted man.

Sharon Granites is described as an Aboriginal child, five years old, with a small build. Police have not released a detailed physical description beyond standard missing person protocols, but images circulated by authorities show a young girl with dark hair. Her family is said to be devastated and cooperating fully with investigators.

The Old Timers town camp is one of several Aboriginal communities on the outskirts of Alice Springs. These camps often face complex social challenges, including overcrowding, alcohol-related issues, and occasional violence — factors that have placed Alice Springs in the national spotlight in recent years regarding crime and community safety. The disappearance of a young child from her own bed has sent shockwaves through both the local Indigenous community and the wider Australian public.

Northern Territory Police have urged anyone who may have seen Sharon, Jefferson Lewis, or any suspicious activity in or around the Old Timers Camp on Saturday night or early Sunday morning to come forward immediately. They have also asked members of the public to check any properties, vehicles, or outbuildings where the pair might be sheltering. Lewis is considered potentially dangerous due to his criminal history, and police have warned the public not to approach him if sighted.

As the search enters its third day, emotional strain is evident among investigators and the community. Assistant Commissioner Malley described the operation as a top priority for the entire police force. The involvement of the Fugitive Task Force signals the seriousness with which authorities are treating Lewis’s disappearance alongside Sharon’s.

The case has drawn national attention, highlighting ongoing concerns about child safety in remote communities and the challenges of policing in the vast Australian outback. Many locals have expressed heartbreak and anger that a five-year-old could vanish from her home in the middle of the night. Community leaders in Alice Springs have called for unity in supporting the search and protecting vulnerable children.

For Sharon’s family, the hours since her disappearance have been filled with unimaginable fear and anguish. The sight of police and volunteers combing the red dirt and dry riverbeds around their home has become a constant, painful reminder of the little girl who is no longer there. Her mother reported her missing within hours of realising she was gone, leaving little time for the child to have wandered far on her own — a key factor that quickly led police to treat the case as an abduction rather than a simple missing person incident.

Medical and support services have been offered to the family, while counsellors and community workers are on standby for residents of the town camp affected by the trauma. The broader Aboriginal community in Alice Springs has rallied, with many expressing both sorrow and determination to bring Sharon home safely.

As of Tuesday morning, April 28, 2026, no arrests have been made and no confirmed sightings reported. Police continue to conduct extensive door-to-door inquiries, review any available CCTV or mobile phone footage from the area, and analyse forensic evidence from the family home. The possibility that Lewis may have had assistance from others is also being actively investigated.

The disappearance of Sharon Granites has once again placed a national focus on safety issues in the Northern Territory, particularly in and around Alice Springs. While authorities work around the clock, the public has been reminded that even small pieces of information — a vehicle description, a sighting in the bush, or unusual activity — could prove vital.

For now, the search continues with urgency and hope that five-year-old Sharon will be found safe and returned to her family. Police have reiterated their belief that she is alive but have made clear that every passing hour increases the risk. The entire Northern Territory Police Force, supported by the local community, remains committed to bringing this little girl home.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers or Northern Territory Police immediately. In a vast and unforgiving landscape, the race to find Sharon Granites before it is too late has become the most pressing operation for law enforcement in the region.