Kumanjayi Little Baby

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A Cop Was Acquitted Over Kumanjayi Walker’s Death. Then A Coroner Read His Texts

Released: 11 Nov 2026 Duration: 1:04:05

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this episode names a person who has died and includes descriptions of violence. In line with Warlpiri custom, he is referred to as Kumanjayi Walker.

In November 2019, 19-year-old Warlpiri and Luritja man Kumanjayi Walker was shot thre… more

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Case Details

Crime: Murder (Child abduction and murder)
Location: Alice Springs (Old Timers town camp), Northern Territory, Australia
Date: 2026-04-25
Victim(s): Kumanjayi Little Baby (Sharon Granites)
Perpetrator(s): Jefferson Lewis (arrested — formal charges pending)
Motive: Unknown — Lewis was a distant relative of the victim who had been staying at the same residence, was reportedly under the influence of alcohol
Verdict: Jefferson Lewis arrested 30 April 2026 after being located at Charles Creek town camp in Alice Springs. Formal charges pending — police treating the death as homicide. Post-mortem examination to determine cause and timing of death.
Evidence: Body-worn camera footage placing Lewis at Old Timers camp on the evening of the abduction, child's underwear found in Todd River bed with DNA matching both Lewis and the victim, Lewis's yellow shirt recovered at same location, doona cover seized, forensic testing linking Lewis to the crime scene
Episodes: 1
Podcasts: 1

On the night of 25 April 2026 (Anzac Day), five-year-old Warlpiri girl Kumanjayi Little Baby (Sharon Granites) was last seen at approximately 11pm at the Old Timers town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs, holding hands with Jefferson Lewis, a 47-year-old distant relative who had been staying at the same residence. Lewis had been released from prison just six days earlier after serving 18 months for aggravated assault and domestic violence offences. He had been directed to go to the remote community of Lajamanu but went to Alice Springs instead after being refused at Yuendumu over concerns about his offending. Her mother reported her missing at 1:30am. A massive search involving NT Police, defence force personnel, Aboriginal trackers and up to 300 volunteers covered 80 square kilometres by air and vehicle. On 30 April, a search party discovered a body approximately 5km south of the camp, believed to be the child. Hours later, Lewis was located at Charles Creek town camp in Alice Springs, where a group of residents beat him unconscious before police could arrest him. Lewis was transferred to Darwin Hospital for his own safety. Violent riots erupted outside Alice Springs Hospital — a police car was set alight, four of five ambulances were rendered inoperable, and riot police used tear gas to disperse crowds. The family appealed for calm the following day. DNA from child's underwear found in the Todd River bed matched both Lewis and the victim. A coronial process and criminal investigation are under way.

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A Cop Was Acquitted Over Kumanjayi Walker’s Death. Then A Coroner Read His Texts