Politics
Chilling map shows four key places ‘Aussie Maddie’ Cleo Smith could have been taken as cops probe 20 sex offenders
THIS chilling map shows four key places “Aussie Maddie” Cleo Smith could have been taken as cops probe 20 sex offenders in the area where she went missing.
Cleo may have been driven eight hours away from the campsite where she was last seen, cops suggested as they piece together the four-year-old’s whereabouts.
Police say Cleo may have been driven eight hours away from the Blowholes campsite
AFPCleo vanished from her family’s tent in Western Australia on Saturday morning[/caption]
The map shows young Cleo could have reached Tom Price – just eight hours north-east of the Blowholes camping ground in Western Australia where she was staying with her family before she vanished in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Another suggestion is that Cleo was taken to the town of Kalbarri – some five hours away – and may have passed through the suburb of Meekatharra, which is 670km south-east.
Cops are scouring through hours of CCTV footage from a roadhouse 165km north of the campsite as it’s the only northbound road and records every vehicle that passes through.
Western Australian cops have probed 20 sex offenders known to be living in the area around the Blowholes campsite as the search for Cleo enters its sixth day.
Cops are also exploring reports from fellow campers who say they heard the sound of screeching tyres in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Seven News.
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It comes as cops revealed they may be searching for Cleo’s dead body.
Cops said they believed she “was taken” from her tent as her parents slept.
But on Thursday, deputy police commissioner Col Blanch revealed that investigators were now searching for the child’s remains.
He said: “Cleo disappeared from her family’s tent, despite an extensive land, sea and air search, we have not yet located her body.”
The law enforcement chief said that if the little girl had left her tent by herself then she would have been found by now
“That leads us to believe she was taken,” Blanch added.
He later said police are keeping an open mind and would not comment further on whether it was likely the girl has been “buried in the area”.
Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde said police “hold great fears for her safety”.
He added: “The information we have received, we have not been able to locate her, we imagine we would locate her given the amount of resources and the detailed search that is taking place, that leads us to believe that she was taken from [the campsite].”
Blanch added that “the likelihood of [Cleo] being taken and removed from the area” was now higher, reports News.com.au.
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan said cops were searching “around the clock” for the little girl while announcing the $1m reward.
He said: “It is a sad situation and very difficult situation.
“We have ensured that we have delivered all the resources that police have requested in relation to this case. Police are looking around the clock to try and find Cleo right now.
“We’re going to offer a $1 million reward to anyone who provides information that leads us to finding Cleo.”
The family’s camp where Cleo was last seen is located 47 miles from Carnarvon and 544 miles from Perth.
Cleo’s mum Ellie says her daughter woke up at 1.30am on Saturday morning asking for a drink of water – and that was the last time she spoke to her.
Ellie and partner Jake woke up again at around 6am to find Cleo had gone, reports say.
The child along with her pinks pyjamas and red sleeping bag were nowhere to be found.
Four key clues
POLICE searching for missing Cleo Smith are faced with four crucial lines of enquiry that suggest she may have been snatched.
Missing sleeping bag: Not only was there no sign of Cleo when her parents woke, but her red and black sleeping bag was also gone. Experts question whether she would have taken it with her if she had simply wandered off on her own. Police released a photo of a similar bag, along with Cleo’s distinctive pink pyjamas. They urged local residents to check their bins in case evidence had been dumped inside.
Tent zip “too high”: The door flap on the family tent was had been zipped so high it would have been impossible for a four-year-old to reach, said Inspector Jon Munday. He added: “The positioning of that zipper for the flap is one of the circumstances that has caused us to have grave concerns for Cleo’s safety. That tent has been thoroughly examined by our forensic team.”
“Screeching car tyres”: Deputy Police Commissioner Darryl Gaunt confirmed cops were looking into a camper’s report of a car heard screeching about 3am – 90 minutes after Cleo’s mum last saw her in the tent. “It’s a little bit unsubstantiated but we’re not ruling it out,” he said, adding it was just one of several reports from people who noticed odd activities and noises overnight.
Usual suspects: Police said between ten and 20 sex offenders were known to be in the area around the Blowholes campsite, near Carnarvon, Western Australia. Detectives said they have spoken to them all to check their movements, and none are suspects at this stage. They also conceded said any kidnapper could have left the area before police set up roadblocks.
WA PoliceAn aerial view of the remote camp site where Cleo was last seen. Police now believe the child was snatched from her tent[/caption]
NSW Police ForcePolice released a picture of a sleeping bag like the one Cleo was using[/caption]
NSW Police ForceThe child was wearing distinctive pink pyjamas[/caption]
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