Cleo Smith remains missing and police are convinced ‘someone knows something’


More than a week since Cleo Smith vanished from her family’s tent at a remote campsite in Western Australia, authorities are not ruling out the prospect of the four-year-old having been abducted and taken interstate.

The family were staying at the coastal Blowholes Campground in Macleod, near Carnarvon in WA’s north, when she was reported missing about 6am last Saturday.

After a week of searching the rugged terrain for the young girl, police confirmed it was likely she had been abducted from the tent.

Supplied
A $1m reward has been offered to anyone who can help solve the mystery. WA Police Credit: Supplied

The tent zip had been opened higher than Cleo could have reached and her sleeping bag was also missing.

While the search at the campsite is over, locals and holiday-makers have been urged to remain on the lookout.

Detectives have also revealed there are still witnesses from the crime scene who are yet to come forward.

Police believe there are people who were staying at the campsite who have not identified themselves.

They are urging the mystery campers to make contact.

Cleo Smith’s mother Ellie Smith and her partner Jake Gliddon are distraught. Supplied by ABC News/James Carmody
Cleo Smith’s mother Ellie Smith and her partner Jake Gliddon are distraught. Supplied by ABC News/James Carmody Credit: Supplied

A $1m reward has been offered for any information that helps solve the mystery and police have asked for any dashcam, security footage or photos that could help the investigation.

“Someone does know something about this,” WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told reporters on Sunday.

“Cleo just can’t simply disappear from that tent without a third party, another person or persons knowing.

“If you know, or you suspect someone, you think that their behaviour has changed since that weekend, then bring that information forward.

Missing girl Cleo Smith pictured with mum Ellie Smith. Source: Facebook.
Missing girl Cleo Smith pictured with mum Ellie Smith. Source: Facebook. Credit: Supplied

“That’s the sort of information that might crack open this case.”

He said there was no information pointing to Cleo having been taken out of WA but police were not ruling anything out.

“We’re doing everything we can,” he said.

“WA is the largest police jurisdiction by landmass in the world, so it’s a very, very large geographic area but at the same time we’ve had very strict border controls in place for now over 18 months.

“So I’m confident that we’ve got the main thoroughfares thoroughly controlled and that’s what’s kept Covid out.

The coastal campground where Cleo went missing. WA Police
The coastal campground where Cleo went missing. WA Police Credit: Supplied

“But at the same time, it’s a very large area and that’s why we want the community’s assistance.”

On Saturday, police scoured the exterior of the family’s Carnarvon house, including dusting window sills for fingerprints, in a bid to find any evidence of possible suspects lurking in the area in the days leading up to Cleo’s disappearance.



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