Top cop says he believes missing girl Cleo Smith is still in Western Australia
Why top cop on Cleo case believes missing girl, 4, is still in WA – amid fears she could have been abducted and taken interstate
Top detective says he believes missing girl Cleo Smith is still in Western AustraliaHe said it was unlikely the little girl’s potential abductor has travelled interstate
Cleo vanished from tent she was sharing with family at Blowholes CampgroundOn Saturday, police were seen at family home as taskforce cover ‘all avenues’
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle–.js”, document, “script”));
<!–
DM.loadCSS(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle–.css”);
<!–
The top cop investigating the mysterious disappearance of missing girl Cleo Smith has said he believes the little girl is still somewhere in Western Australia.
Cleo vanished from a tent at a camping site near Carnarvon on the northwest coast of Western Australia on October 16 with police believing the youngster was abducted – rather than wandering away by herself.
Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde, who is leading the case, revealed he thinks it unlikely the person who snatched the four-year-old has crossed the border into another state.
While police are exploring ‘all avenues’ on the understanding the little girl could be ‘anywhere’ by now, the top cop said it’s more likely Cleo is still on home soil.
The top cop investigating the mysterious disappearance of missing girl Cleo Smith (pictured) has said he believes the little girl is still somewhere in her home state
Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde (pictured) revealed he thinks it unlikely the person who snatched the four-year-old has crossed the border into another state
‘It’s always possible but it’s more likely that if someone has taken Cleo that they would still be within Western Australia,’ he told the West Australian.
‘If they had crossed the border, it would imply that someone from the Eastern States had committed the offence, when it’s more likely that — if that is what’s happened – the offender would be from here.’
Supt Wilde said West Australian police were in contact with jurisdictions across the country to ensure the little girl doesn’t slip through the cracks.
‘Photos, posters and descriptions of Cleo have been publicised nationwide, but there are no leads or credible sightings to indicate she has been taken interstate,’ he said.
The detective said that if Cleo had been abducted the person behind the act would be ‘bold and brazen’ to take her while she lay beside her sleeping family.
He said it would have been ‘opportunistic’ for the abductor to take Cleo from the tent just hours after her family had arrived at the campsite.
While police are still exploring ‘all avenues’ with the belief the little girl could be ‘anywhere’ by now, a top cop said it’s more likely Cleo (pictured) is still on home soil
Cleo (pictured with her mother Ellie Smith) vanished from a tent at a camping site near Carnarvon on the northwest coast of Western Australia on October 16
A veteran detective has said that if Cleo (pictured) had been abducted the person behind the act would be ‘bold and brazen’ to take her while she lay beside her sleeping family
Cleo was reported missing by her frantic parents around 6am last Saturday when they woke to find her and her sleeping bag missing.
She was sharing the tent with her mother, stepdad and baby sister Isla, who was still in her cot. Cleo’s red and grey sleeping bag is also still missing.
Police are still unsure whether the little girl was taken by a lone offender or one with an accomplice, as extra detectives travel from Perth to join search efforts.
Supt Wilde said the family didn’t see anything suspicious when they arrived at the campsite and said there was no evidence Cleo had been inside the beach shacks a short distance from the campground.
He urged anyone that has information on the four-year-old’s baffling disappearance to come forward and claim the $1million reward.
‘If not just for the fact that this is a small child missing, then for the monetary reward available,’ he said.
It comes after police were spotted at the family home on Saturday, stating they are exploring ‘all possible avenues’ as part of their ongoing investigation.
She was sharing the tent with her mother, stepdad and baby sister Isla, (pictured) who was still in her cot when she disappeared
Supt Wilde has urged anyone that has information on the four-year-old’s baffling disappearance to come forward and claim the $1million reward
They are exploring the idea what whoever took Cleo from the tent may have visited the home beforehand, meaning the abduction was premeditated.
A green spray used to detect fingerprints was spotted on the fence line but police haven’t entered the house.
At the same time Cleo’s mother shared on her Instagram page: ‘Please come home to me. Any information big or small. Find my little girl.’
Detectives have confirmed known sex offenders were in the area at the time Cleo vanished but there are currently no suspects.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
