The court process for the alleged murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby has been delayed for months, as a 'significant volume' of forensic evidence remains unprocessed. The Warlpiri girl was found dead in April after a five-day search following her disappearance from an Alice Springs town camp. Jefferson Lewis, 47, has been charged with murder.
Court hearing reveals extent of evidence backlog
On Thursday, the Alice Springs local court heard that 100 different forensic requests and 20 police witness statements are still outstanding. The court was told that a 'very substantial brief' of evidence has already been served, including 76 witness statements, 48 pieces of police body-worn footage, drone footage, CCTV footage, and a preliminary postmortem report. A full autopsy report is expected soon.
The case has been adjourned to 3 December to allow for the completion of forensic analysis and witness statements.
