Jefferson Lewis, the 47-year-old man accused of murdering five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby near a town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs, has been excused from his first court appearance because his lawyer asked the judge if he could skip it. Apparently, that works.
Lewis was expected to appear via video-link in Alice Springs Local Court on Tuesday morning, facing murder charges plus two additional charges that cannot be published for legal reasons - because Australia's legal system loves a good mystery. Instead, his lawyer Mitchell Donaldson from Legal Aid NT requested he be excused, and Judge Anthony Hopkins said sure, why not.
Donaldson didn't bother applying for bail, which is probably wise given the circumstances. Judge Hopkins began proceedings by acknowledging the family's loss, saying: "I will just begin by acknowledging the deep loss of Kumanjayi Little Baby, and of the family's call for justice to take its course in this time of deep sorry."
Lewis was arrested last Thursday night after a five-day manhunt following the alleged murder of the Warlpiri girl, whose body was found 5km from the Old Timers town camp where she was taken. Prosecutor Patrick Williams requested an adjournment to compile what he diplomatically described as "a very large amount of material" including civilian statements, forensic evidence, and other evidence - which is legalese for "we have a lot of stuff to sort through."
Kumanjayi Little Baby - the name used at her family's request in line with cultural protocols - went missing on Saturday 25 April from a bed at the town camp, 5km south of Alice Springs. Hundreds of volunteers searched for five days through kilometres of buffel grass before her body was found just before noon on Thursday.
Later that night, police found Lewis unconscious and badly beaten at Charles Creek camp near Alice Springs town centre, the victim of what police called a "sustained attack" by a group. He was taken to hospital in Alice Springs, where an angry crowd clashed with police. He was then transported to Darwin for safety concerns and further treatment before being formally charged on Saturday.
The case returns to court on 30 July, assuming everyone shows up.