Inside Jefferson Lewis’ squalid hideout and the chilling message scrawled on the wall – as he’s charged with murdering five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby

This is the derelict former factory where Jefferson Lewis, the man charged with murdering five-year-old Aboriginal girl Kumanjayi Little Baby, is believed to have been hiding out in the days before his arrest on Thursday.
The abandoned building, just a short walk from where Lewis was found at Charles Creek camp, may have provided the suspect with shelter until he was ultimately caught attempting to slip away under the cover of darkness.
Well known in the area, the building in Alice Springs contains several vandalised rooms strewn with old mattresses, rubbish and empty bottles of alcohol.
The victim, Kumanjayi Little Baby – the name used after her death at her family’s request in line with cultural protocols – had been put to bed by her mother at about 11pm on Saturday, April 25, after which it is alleged Lewis snatched her from her bed, then disappeared into nearby bushland.
After an extensive five-day search, her body was found near the riverbed about 5km away on Thursday, April 30, but Lewis remained at large.
Later that night, a group of young boys saw Lewis walking through their camp and recognised him from media coverage, sparking a violent vigilante response.
Eyewitnesses told the Daily Mail that Lewis emerged suddenly from long grass on the edge of the camp, and that they believed he was attempting to pass through unnoticed en route to his hometown of Lajamanu.
While the two locations are 1,300km apart – a journey that would take more than a month on foot – locals say that such distances are routinely travelled in remote Australia and are not considered unusual.

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Jefferson Lewis is in police custody in Darwin after being airlifted from Alice Springs

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Kumanjayi Little Baby’s body was found south of Alice Springs on Thursday, April 30

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This is the squalid factory where Lewis, the man charged with murdering five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, is believed to have been hiding out in the days before his arrest
‘He was using the darkness to get through here,’ a witness said. ‘Probably to go back to Lajamanu, where he is from. You’d pass through this way to get there.
‘We think he came from that empty place next to Hungry Jack’s. It’s been empty a long time and everyone knows that.’
While police held concerns that somebody had been harbouring Lewis during the days he was at large, those in the close-knit community say that scenario is unlikely.
‘No one will help that fella,’ one local told the Mail. ‘No one wants to help. She was a young girl. No one. Not here. Not anywhere [would help Lewis].’
‘He wouldn’t even ask for help because he knows no one is going to.’
The building where Lewis is believed to have been hiding – riddled with holes and covered in graffiti – sits just a few hundred metres from the camp where he was eventually discovered.
In a particularly chilling detail, photos taken by the Mail show the words ‘LIKE TO… HURT KIDZ’ scrawled on a surface beside the entryway, presumably by a vandal who entered the premises after Lewis’ arrest.
There’s another message below it, in what appears to be different handwriting.

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Photos taken by the Mail show the words ‘LIKE TO… HURT KIDZ’ scrawled on a surface beside the entryway, presumably by a vandal who entered the premises after Lewis’ arrest

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In what was once the bathroom, a mattress lies on the floor with a blanket placed over it. The blanket looks cleaner and in better condition than the surrounding debris

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Inside, the floor is littered with empty food packaging and discarded clothing

The Mail cannot publish the full message because it may prejudice legal proceedings.
Inside, the floor is littered with empty food packaging and discarded clothing.
In what was once the bathroom, a mattress lies on the floor with a blanket placed over it. The blanket looks cleaner and in better condition than the surrounding debris.
The room itself has no windows and is not visible from the outside.
The building is close to the riverbed. Traversing dry beds is common practice among Aboriginal people who move along natural landscape features to connect different areas of Country.
Kumanjayi Little Baby’s body was found just before midday on Thursday in bushland about 5km south of the Old Timers camp.
The discovery came after police found her underwear nearby, along with the yellow top Lewis had been wearing on the night she vanished.
Both crime scenes were located alongside the Todd River, which also serves as a well-trodden path to Charles Creek camp, reachable in less than two hours on foot.

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The building is close to the riverbed. Traversing dry beds is common practice for Aboriginal people who move along natural landscape features to connect different areas of Country

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While police held concerns that somebody had been harbouring Lewis during the days he was at large, those in the close-knit community say that scenario is unlikely

The Mail can also reveal that NT Police attended the abandoned building yesterday, making enquiries and showing Lewis’ photograph to people in the vicinity.
Lewis is expected to appear in court via video link on Tuesday. He remains in custody.
Meanwhile, Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family has renewed calls for peace and respect.
‘It is time now for sorry business,’ a senior Warlpiri elder said.
‘Everyone is feeling very upset and emotions are very high. Our children are precious, of course we are feeling angry and hurt at what has happened.’
A community vigil will be held at Anzac Oval in Alice Springs this Thursday night from 5.30pm.
Mourners are urged to bring electric candles and wear pink in honour of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
‘There is this sense of collective grieving and respect being paid to the family and kin who are in sorry business right now,’ Alice Springs mayor Asta Hill told ABC Radio National on Monday.

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Vigilantes stumbled across Lewis lying in long grass behind a shipping container on the outskirts of a camp

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Within seconds of finding Lewis, locals began raining down blows on the 47-year-old

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Lewis, 47, was arrested after he was hunted down by an angry crowd of vigilantes

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Kumanjayi Little Baby was found here in the long grass

‘There is also a really palpable determination to support one another, particularly the family.’
There will also be a tribute at the Bangtail Muster parade, an annual parade through the main street of Alice Springs, which will go ahead as planned on Monday as per the wishes of Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family.
Food drops have been organised to support the town camp where the little girl lived.
READ MORE: Grim details emerge about ‘payback’ attack on Jefferson Lewis as he is charged with murdering five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby 

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