Leslie Massey
Cleo Smith, a four-year-old girl who went missing in mid-October 2021, was found by Western Australia Police officers 18 days after her disappearance. Cleo was found in a locked house in Carnarvon, a town in the northwest coastal region of Western Australia, roughly 46 miles from where she was last seen camping with her family. The discovery of Cleo was attributed to a key clue about a car spotted driving from the campsite in the early hours of 16 October, as well as other forensic leads. The rescue of Cleo brought an end to a case that had gripped the nation, with a Western Australia Police officer describing the search as looking for a needle in a haystack.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age of Cleo Smith | 4 |
| Date of disappearance | 16 October 2021 |
| Time of disappearance | Between 01:30 and 06:00 |
| Days missing | 18-19 |
| Date of rescue | 3 November 2021 |
| Time of rescue | Around 12:46 a.m. |
| Location of rescue | Carnarvon, Western Australia |
| Distance from campsite | 46-60 miles |
| Location of campsite | Quobba Blowholes, Macleod |
| Distance from Carnarvon | 900km (560 miles) north |
| Police officers involved | Over 100 |
| Military surveillance planes | Yes |
| Reward money | A$1m |
| Suspect | Terence Darrell Kelly |
| Age of suspect | 36 |
| Charges | Child stealing |
| Maximum sentence | 20 years in prison |
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What You'll Learn
The role of forensic leads
Forensic leads played a crucial role in the search for Cleo Smith, a four-year-old girl who went missing in Western Australia in October 2021. The Western Australian Police Force, assisted by the Australian Federal Police, led a massive search operation involving over 100 officers and military surveillance planes. The search covered land, sea, and air, with officers on horseback, drones, and reconnaissance planes combing the sparsely populated area.
One of the key forensic leads was information about a car spotted driving away from the campsite in the early hours of 16 October, the day Cleo disappeared. Police made a public plea for information about the vehicle, and this ultimately helped direct them to the house where Cleo was found.
Another important lead came from phone records. Local media reported that police traced a mobile phone number to a phone tower near the campsite around the time of Cleo's abduction, which focused their attention on the suspect, Terence Darrell Kelly. Kelly, a 36-year-old man with no known connection to Cleo's family, was arrested hours before Cleo was rescued.
The Western Australia Police Commissioner, Chris Dawson, described the police work as "methodical" and "dogged," and he credited the community for holding onto hope and assisting in the search. The discovery of Cleo alive and well in a locked house, just minutes from her family home, was the result of a combination of forensic leads, police work, and community support.
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The search operation
The Western Australian government offered a reward of A$1 million for information on Cleo's whereabouts. However, this did not produce much, according to the police.
Commissioner Dawson stated that information about a car helped direct the police to the house where Cleo was found. He added that things had become clearer the day before, on Tuesday afternoon, which led them to make an arrest. Local media reported that Mr. Kelly was removed from his vehicle and arrested hours before the police rescued Cleo.
The breakthrough came when the police traced a mobile phone number to a phone tower near the campsite around the time of Cleo's abduction. This led them to focus their attention on Mr. Kelly.
Cleo was found in a locked house in Carnarvon, a town situated on the northwest coast of Western Australia, roughly 46 miles from where she and her family had been camping. She was found in the early hours of November 3, 2021, 18 or 19 days after she went missing.
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The breakthrough
Cleo Smith, a four-year-old girl who went missing in mid-October 2021, was found by Western Australia Police officers 18 days after her disappearance. Cleo was rescued from a locked house in an early-morning raid that left some officers "openly crying with relief." The house was located in Carnarvon, a short drive from the Smith family home.
The Western Australian Police Force, with assistance from the Australian Federal Police, had launched a massive search operation involving more than 100 officers. The search covered land, sea, and air, with reconnaissance planes and drones used to comb the sparsely populated areas.
After Cleo was found, she was taken to a hospital for a medical examination and reunited with her parents. The Western Australia Police Commissioner called the day of her discovery "one of the most remarkable days in policing in Western Australia."
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The suspect
Terence Darrell Kelly, a 36-year-old man, was identified as the suspect in the abduction of Cleo Smith. Kelly was born to Indigenous Australian parents in Wickham, Western Australia, and had a turbulent childhood. His parents, who were alcoholics, were violent towards each other and their children, leading to child protection intervention. At the age of two, Kelly was placed in the care of his aunt, Penny Walker, whom he referred to as his grandmother.
Kelly exhibited behavioural issues from a young age, resulting in a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. His behavioural problems persisted, and he was eventually expelled from school due to violent, antisocial, and inappropriate behaviour. Kelly's mental health struggles continued into adulthood, with a medical assessment prior to his sentencing describing him as "severely fragile, disturbed, and fragmented identity". He was also characterised as "detached, anti-social, depressive, and narcissistic with a severe personality disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, moderate depressive disorder, and anxiety".
Kelly had a prior criminal record, including prison sentences for burglary and aggravated burglary offences, as well as a fine for methamphetamine possession. He had been released from prison in 2017 and was residing in Walker's public housing property in South Carnarvon until her death in 2020. Notably, Kelly had no known connection to Cleo's family, and his neighbours described him as very quiet and an "oddball". However, he had visited the campground previously, which was a factor in his inclusion on the police's list of suspects.
The breakthrough in the case came when police traced a mobile phone number to a phone tower near the campsite around the time of Cleo's abduction, leading them to focus their attention on Kelly. He was arrested hours before Cleo was rescued, and he later admitted to her abduction during a video court appearance while being held in a maximum-security prison.
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Cleo's rescue and reunion
On 3 November 2021, four-year-old Cleo Smith was found by Western Australia Police officers, 18 days after she went missing. Cleo was rescued from a locked house in an early-morning raid in Carnarvon, a town in the northwest coastal region of Western Australia. The house was located just minutes from the Smith family home and about 46 miles from the campsite where she had disappeared.
The rescue operation was initiated based on forensic leads and clues obtained by the police. A key piece of information involved a car spotted driving away from the campsite in the early hours of 16 October, which led to the identification and arrest of the suspect, 36-year-old Terence Darrell Kelly.
During the raid, police broke into the house and found Cleo alone in one of the rooms. An officer picked her up and asked for her name, to which she responded, "My name is Cleo." This moment left the officers overjoyed and emotional, marking the end of an extensive search operation that had gripped the nation.
Following her rescue, Cleo was taken to a hospital for a medical examination. She appeared to be in good physical condition and was later discharged into the care of her parents. Cleo's mother expressed their gratitude, stating, "We are so thankful that our little girl is back within our arms and our family is whole again." The Western Australia Police Commissioner, Chris Dawson, described the day of Cleo's discovery as "one of the most remarkable days in policing in Western Australia."
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Frequently asked questions
Cleo Smith was found by police officers who broke into a locked house in Carnarvon, a town in Western Australia.
Police have not revealed the exact details of what led them to the house. However, they have said that information about a car helped direct them to the house.
Cleo was taken to a hospital for a medical examination. She was then discharged and reunited with her parents.
A 36-year-old man named Terence Darrell Kelly was taken into custody and charged with multiple offences related to Cleo's kidnapping. He pleaded guilty to a charge of child stealing.
Cleo went missing on 16 October 2021 and was found by police on 3 November 2021, 18 or 19 days later.
