Police say they believe abducted child was murdered as body…

The girl, who is identified only as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons, was last seen on Saturday when she was put to bed at an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs just before midnight. Northern Territory Police say the body of a child was located on Thursday, and forensic testing to confirm the young girl's identity and cause of death is underway. They have been combing nearby bush and desert for 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, who was released from prison just six days before Kumanjayi Little Baby disappeared and vanished around the same time.

A pair of children's underwear was located nearby the camp, and forensic testing has since confirmed they contained the DNA of both the little girl – who is non-verbal – and Lewis, he added. Lewis – who local media have reported is a distant relative – had been in and out of prison for domestic and family violence-related offences, and was released less than a week before he was seen holding hands with the little girl late on the night she disappeared. Dozens of people have been searching the area around Old Timers Camp – an area set aside by the government for Aboriginal people to stay in when in Alice Springs – with the dog squad, drone unit and a helicopter also assisting.

Source: BBC World