"No hesitation": WA Premier announces huge reward in Cleo Smith search
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A $1 million reward for information about missing four-year-old Cleo Smith has been offered by The Western Australian government.
The decision comes as the search enters its sixth day. The focus has now been switched to the prospect the little girl was abducted.
The ground search around the campsite north of Carnarvon in WA’s Midwest was back in full swing on Thursday.
It’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Cleo will be found alive around there.
Acknowledging someone must know something about her disappearance, the WA government is now offering a $1 million reward.
“All Western Australians’ thoughts are with Cleo’s family during what is an unimaginably difficult time,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said.
“We’re all praying for a positive outcome.”
“We want to ensure police have everything they need to solve this case and that’s why my government has no hesitation in supporting police with this reward offer.”
The reward is for $1 million for information resulting in finding Cleo or leading to arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in her suspicious disappearance.
It is the equal largest reward offered in WA history.
A number of other high profile disappearances and murders have also attracted a $1 million reward, including for information about the murder of 11-year-old Gerard Ross in 1997, the disappearance of 12-year-old Lisa Mott in 1980 and the disappearance of Lisa Govan in 1999.
Evidence is mounting in the Cleo Smith case that a third party was involved.
Police say there is crucial evidence that includes the tent were Cleo, her mother Ellie, stepfather Jake, and baby sister Isla were sleeping. The zipper on the front of the tent had been opened to a height that made it impossible for Cleo to have opened it herself.
Added to that, the little girl’s sleeping bag was missing and has not been found.
Cleo was last seen inside the tent around 1:30 am on Saturday when her mum gave her a drink of water.
At 6 am they awoke to give the younger child a bottle, Cleo was gone.
A massive land and sea search was mounted in rough country with a treacherous coastline.
Twenty registered sex offenders are currently living in and around the town of Carnarvon and have all been questioned.
The state government have offered million-dollar rewards before but never this soon after a suspected crime was committed, signalling the urgency to find Cleo quickly.
“I urge anyone who knows what happened to little Cleo to come forward with the information police need to find her.”