Northern Territory Police have charged Jefferson Lewis with the murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby.
NT Police are holding a press conference in Alice Springs.
1m agoSun 3 May 2026 at 12:05am
Police still investigating whether Jefferson Lewis received help to evade capture
Asked whether police have identified anyone suspected of helping Jefferson Lewis evade capture for five days, Commissioner Dole says the investigation is ongoing.
Police have been working around the clock on this case, he says, and that doesn’t simply stop now charges have been laid.
4m agoSun 3 May 2026 at 12:01am
Lewis to appear in Darwin Local Court later this week
Commissioner Dole says Jefferson Lewis will be appearing in Darwin Local Court sometime this week, but he doesn’t have the exact date yet.
He’s asked several more questions about the nature of the charges — including whether Lewis will be charged in relation to Kumanjayi’s abduction — but refuses to be drawn on details, reiterating that the matter is now before the court.
He does, however, confirm that Kumanjayi’s family were informed of the charges before this morning’s press conference.
11m agoSat 2 May 2026 at 11:55pm
Eleven arrested over alleged role in rioting and looting, police say
Detective Acting Superintendent Michael Ordelman is up next, to provide more information about the ongoing investigations into Thursday night’s rioting.
He echoes the commissioner’s comments on the footage that is about to be released, saying it depicts “outright looting”.
Several people have already been identified in the footage, he says, and two people handed themselves in to police as a result.
In total, five people were arrested yesterday and a further six have been arrested this morning, he says.
The principal charges expected to be laid against the alleged rioters are aggravated burglary and stealing, he adds, with stock losses on the part of local businesses totalling about $200,000.
23m agoSat 2 May 2026 at 11:43pm
NT Police to release footage of ‘abhorrent’ behaviour during Alice Springs riots
NT Police are about to release footage of rioting in Alice Springs on Thursday night after Lewis’s arrest, Commissioner Dole says.
But before they do, he says he wants to speak about what people will see.
“What you will see in this footage is not people processing grief in relation to the death of baby Kumanjayi,” he says.
“What you will see is not people trying to practise traditional law.
“What you will see is criminal behaviour, plain and simple.
“It’s abhorrent, it’s disgusting, and it will not be tolerated or accepted by the Northern Territory Police.”
He adds that anyone who recognises people in the footage — or was personally involved in the rioting — should either contact NT Police, or “come and hand yourself in, before we come for you”.
26m agoSat 2 May 2026 at 11:40pm
Police carried out ‘extensive and complex’ investigation, commissioner says
Commissioner Dole thanks all of the NT Police officers involved in the case for showing professionalism and dedication, throughout what he says was an “extensive and complex” investigation.
He then calls for restraint from community members as the case proceeds, and says police are unlikely to comment further on details of the investigation.
“This matter is now before the courts, and as a result, it would be inappropriate for the police to provide further comment, or discuss in detail the events,” he says.
“I would ask that the community respect the judicial process, and I would also ask that the community continue to respect the family, as they continue to process their grief and sorrow.”
32m agoSat 2 May 2026 at 11:34pm
Jefferson Lewis also charged with two counts of sexual assault
Commissioner Dole says in addition to the murder charge, Mr Lewis has also been charged with two counts of sexual assault.
“This remains a deeply distressing matter, and our thoughts are firmly with Kumanjayi’s family, loved ones, and the wider community that have been deeply impacted by these events,” he says.
35m agoSat 2 May 2026 at 11:31pm
Jefferson Lewis charged with murder
Commissioner Dole says police have charged Jefferson Lewis, 47, with the murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, who went missing from Alice Springs last weekend.
Lewis has been in police custody since his arrest on Thursday, the result of a five-day search aided by hundreds of volunteers.
He was transported to Darwin on Friday morning for his own safety, after his presence in Alice Springs Hospital sparked rioting among members of the community who wanted him handed over to face traditional justice.
Jefferson Lewis’s police mugshot. (Supplied: NT Police)
38m agoSat 2 May 2026 at 11:27pm
Stand by for a press conference from NT Police
Good morning. We’re standing by for a press conference in Alice Springs, where police are expected to announce charges related to the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole is set to address the media shortly.
The girl, referred to since her death as Kumanjayi Little Baby for cultural reasons, disappeared from the Old Timers / Ilyperenye town camp in Alice Springs last weekend, sparking a large-scale search and rescue operation.
Her body was found about 5 kilometres south of the town camp on Thursday.
Mr Lewis, 47, had also not been seen since Kumanjayi disappeared until he was arrested near the Charles Creek town camp on Thursday night.
He has also been charged with two counts of rape.
Martin Dole says police were working “around the clock” ahead of charges being laid late yesterday. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
In announcing the charges at a press conference in Alice Springs this morning, NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said detectives had been working “around the clock” since Mr Lewis’s arrest.
“This remains a deeply distressing matter, and our thoughts are firmly with Kumanjayi’s family, loved ones and the wider community that have been deeply impacted by these events,” he said.
Commissioner Dole said police had conducted “an extensive and detailed investigation” into what was a “horrific set of circumstances”.
He said investigations into whether anyone helped Mr Lewis while he was on the run remained ongoing.
“Mr Lewis is before the court and our job doesn’t stop now,” he said.
Kumanjayi went missing from a town camp in Alice Springs last weekend. (Supplied: NT Police Force)
Commissioner Dole said detectives had “formally interviewed Mr Lewis” yesterday.
A group of about 400 people rioted outside the Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday night after news broke of Mr Lewis’s arrest.
Community leaders including Kumanjayi’s kinship grandfather, Robin Granites, called for calm.
“It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering,” Mr Granites said.
Speaking to media this morning, Commissioner Dole said there had been no “significant incidents of distress across the community” since then.
“We’ve got a number of police here and we’re obviously prepared to act swiftly should there be any uprising or any kind of events like we saw on Thursday night,” he said.
Mr Lewis was flown to Darwin in the early hours of Friday morning for safety reasons and is expected to face the Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.
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