Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole says he is still adamant there are people who have knowledge of the whereabouts of Jefferson Lewis, the man at the centre of a search for missing Alice Springs five-year-old Sharon Granites.
Speaking with ABC Radio Alice Springs this morning as the search entered its fifth day, Commissioner Dole urged anyone in the community who might have information on Sharon’s whereabouts to come forward.
NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole provided an update to ABC Radio Alice Springs on the search for five-year-old Sharon Granites.
17m agoWed 29 Apr 2026 at 11:14pm
More updates expected later today
That brings us to the end of the NT police commissioner’s update on the search for missing five-year-old Alice Springs girl Sharon Granites.
We are, however, expecting NT police to provide another update later today.
As always, we’ll keep you updated with any further developments.
20m agoWed 29 Apr 2026 at 11:11pm
Commissioner ends by issuing message to Jefferson Lewis
Commissioner Dole ends his update to ABC Radio Alice Springs by issuing a message to Jefferson Lewis if he is listening.
“Jefferson, give us a call and we’ll come and pick you up. You’re not going to be able to avoid us forever,” he said.
“We know that you’re involved in this.
“My plea to Jefferson is to reach out to police.”
23m agoWed 29 Apr 2026 at 11:08pm
‘Getting to the end of that timeframe of survivability’
Commissioner Dole has said NT police have consulted bush survival experts during this investigation.
He said that based on that advice, Sharon’s chances of survival are now “starting to become quite concerning for people”.
“We do consult people for survivablity and that’s what gauges our search areas,” he said.
“So we’re getting to the end of that timeframe of survivability unfortunately, but that doesn’t mean our search efforts are going to reduce significantly because like I said anything is possible in these scenarios.”
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“You might be fearful that there’s some retribution if you give that information to police. Please have the confidence that we will treat that sensitively, because our number one priority is finding Sharon,” he said.
Commissioner Dole also noted that “severe penalties” can apply to those who help a person during or after a crime.
Sharon Granites was last seen on Saturday night. (Supplied: Rob Roy)
He said the resources being poured into the investigation were on par with those utilised in the search for Peter Falconio, who went missing in the Northern Territory in 2001.
“We’ve got specialist sections here, we’ve got assistance from interstate, we’ve had offers from interstate all over the other jurisdictions, we’ve got inquiries happening in other jurisdictions, and we’re pouring every available resources down here to assist,” he said
“And overwhelming support from the community as well.”
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NT Police suspect 47-year-old Mr Lewis, a recently released prisoner, abducted the five-year-old from a house at the Old Timers town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs late on Saturday night.
Commissioner Dole said Mr Lewis had been released from prison six days prior to Sharon’s disappearance and had served his full sentence so was not on bail or subject to any conditions.
Police have said Mr Lewis was staying at the house where Sharon disappeared, sparking a frantic search that is now entering its fifth day.
Police believe people in the community “absolutely know” where Mr Lewis is, and have urged anyone who may be helping him or know where he is to come forward.
“We believe that there are members of the community that absolutely know where Jefferson Lewis is,” Commissioner Dole said.
“What I want to say to you is, tell us.
“Tell us what you know. Tell us where he is. Tell us how to contact him.”
Martin Dole and Peter Malley have provided an update on the search for the missing five-year-old. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)
Police are looking for Mr Lewis in Alice Springs, Central and Western Australia and have alerted other interstate police forces.
Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said the search for Mr Lewis had been challenging, largely due to his lack of a digital footprint.
“”This man doesn’t have a telephone, doesn’t have a bank account, he doesn’t have a car, so some of the usual practices we do in 2026 aren’t applicable,” he said.
“Hence the amount of resources we have on the ground — we’re knocking on doors, we’re going through houses.
“It’s going back to 1930s policing without that digital footprint.”
Police found several personal items at a crime scene at the town camp, which have been sent for forensic testing in Darwin.
Five-year-old Sharon went missing from Alice Springs’ Old Timers town camp. (Supplied: NT Police Force )
Alice Springs community bands together in search for little girl
Local residents have continued to turn out in their dozens to help the increasingly desperate search for Sharon.
Parts of the foot search area are overgrown with buffel grass, making the search slow going.
‘Only a little baby’: Family of missing 5yo Sharon Granites speaks
Police have been joined by Defence personnel, Aboriginal corporations, organisations, politicians, community volunteers and everyday residents.
On Wednesday, police said search teams had covered around five square kilometres on foot looking for Sharon.
Sharon’s grandfather Robin Granites said his family was devastated, but that police were doing all they could.
He said he was grateful for the community for banding together.
Robin Granites says Sharon is “only a little baby” and her family has been “crying, crying” since she went missing. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
“The only thing we can do is being on the sorry business and crying, and that’s not what we want, we want to be going out and searching for her, she’s only a little baby,” he told the ABC.
Police have urged anyone with information to call them on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
What we know about the night Sharon went missing
Sharon and her mother were visiting a home at the Old Timers / Ilyperenye Aboriginal camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs.
The house in the Old Timers Aboriginal town camp where five-year-old Sharon Granites was last seen. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
The town camp is a small community, with only nine households and about 40 residents, which is maintained by the local Aboriginal corporation Tangentyere Council.
Police have said Sharon and her mother were visiting the home of some people they knew well, to do some Saturday laundry.
As the evening went on, police say a party was held at the house for a “social occasion”, with several people in attendance.
History of man police are searching for over 5yo missing girl
One of those people was Jefferson Lewis, a 47-year-old man who was staying at the home at Old Timers after having been released from prison six days prior.
Police said at 11pm that night Mr Lewis was seen by those in the area for the last time, and he was with a little girl believed to be Sharon.
“He was last seen with the little girl holding hands,” police said on Tuesday.