The man charged with the murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby has been excused from appearing before court, just minutes before her heartbroken family turned up to attend the matter.
Jefferson Lewis, 47, was due to appear before Alice Springs Local Court on Tuesday morning via an audio-visual link however was excused from the hearing.
The court was only open to the public for around 20 minutes before it was wrapped up, with Judge Anthony Hopkins adjourning the matter to July 30.
It’s believed lawyers representing Lewis, who remains in custody, asked for him to be excused from the July hearing.
There were emotional scenes outside court after Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family turned up to witness the hearing, only to realise they had missed it.
An Elder women could be seen sobbing as they walked up the court steps, with Kumanjayi Little Baby’s brother flanked by Aunties.
They had white ochre on their faces which is worn by Indigenous people during sorry business.
The Daily Mail understands the family were taken to a private room where the court proceedings were explained.
There were emotional scenes outside court after Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family turned up to witness the hearing, only to realise they had missed it
The family were taken to a private room where the court proceedings were explained
Kumanjayi Little Baby, five, is believed to have been snatched from a house at Old Timers Camp, 6km south of Alice Springs, on April 25
Around 15 minutes later, the family left the courthouse and were seen gathered in a park across the road.
It marks the first time since they have been seen in public since Kumanjayi Little Baby went missing.
Lewis is suspected of taking Kumanjayi Little Baby from a house at Old Timers Camp, 6km south of Alice Springs, where he was staying last month.
Police allege Lewis crept into the room on Anzac Day where the five-year-old girl had been put to bed on a mattress, before sneaking her out via the side door sparking a massive manhunt for the pair.
After an extensive five-day search, her body was found near the riverbed about 5km away on Thursday, April 30.
‘This is a horrific event and a horrific set of circumstances and our thoughts remain strongly with the family and the community as everyone processes the impact of these horrific events,’ NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole told reporters on Sunday morning.
‘This has been an extensive and detailed investigation. Our detectives have been working around the clock to come up with this outcome.’
Jefferson Lewis, 47, has been charged with her murder and remains in custody
