The man accused of murdering five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby was excused from his court appearance, just moments before the grieving family arrived to attend the session.
Jefferson Lewis, aged 47, was scheduled to appear through video link at the Alice Springs Local Court on Tuesday morning, but he was granted permission to miss the hearing.
The court session was brief, lasting about 20 minutes, before Judge Anthony Hopkins adjourned the proceedings until July 30.
Reports indicate that Lewis’s legal representatives, with him still in custody, requested his absence for the July hearing.
Outside the courtroom, emotions ran high as Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family arrived, only to find out they had missed the hearing.
One Elder woman was seen crying as she approached the courthouse, accompanied by Kumanjayi Little Baby’s brother and their 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.
Lewis allegedly 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.
The alleged killing has horrified the tight‑knit community, which spent anxious days scouring creek beds and scrub for the missing girl before her body was found in bushland outside the town five days after she disappeared.
‘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
Lewis was arrested at another Alice Springs town camp after being beaten unconscious by locals.
He was placed under guard at Alice Springs Hospital, where a large, angry crowd gathered demanding he face traditional justice, before Lewis was evacuated to Darwin by the NT Police air wing for his own protection.
The alleged murder gained nationwide attention and fuelled days of tension, including looting and attacks on emergency services.
Five emergency workers were injured, police vehicles and ambulances were damaged and local businesses were ransacked.
More than a dozen people have since been arrested over the unrest, while police are also searching for people who they believe sheltered Lewis during the days‑long search.
The case has reignited debate over conditions in town camps and the safety of Aboriginal children with opposition calls for inquiries while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese points to billions of dollars in federal spending on remote housing.
Candlelight vigils for Kumanjayi are planned for Thursday and mourners have been asked to wear pink, her favourite colour, as the community comes together to grieve and remember her short life.
