Northern Territory police are seeking the public's help to locate Jefferson Lewis, a suspect in the abduction of five-year-old Sharon Granites.
The urgency of the search has escalated after investigators uncovered critical evidence believed to belong to the suspect. Because the child remains missing, officials believe locating Lewis is the most direct path to finding Granites.
Granites was allegedly snatched from her home in Alice Springs over the preceding weekend [1]. As of April 30, 2026, the search for the child has entered its fifth day [1, 4]. Police have identified the suspect as 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis [2].
Authorities have increased their efforts to track Lewis, who is believed to have abducted the child [1, 2]. The investigation is now focusing on a public appeal to find the man's current whereabouts to ensure the safe recovery of the five-year-old.
"We are adamant someone has knowledge of the whereabouts of the suspect," the NT Police Commissioner said [1].
The search continues across Alice Springs and surrounding areas. Police have not released further details regarding the nature of the evidence found, but they have emphasized that any information regarding Lewis could be vital to the case.
“"We are adamant someone has knowledge of the whereabouts of the suspect."”
The transition from a missing person search to a targeted manhunt for a specific suspect indicates that police have shifted their operational focus. By publicly naming Jefferson Lewis and citing critical evidence, authorities are attempting to leverage community intelligence to narrow the search area in the Northern Territory's vast geography.
