Mystery car in the spotlight as WA Police continue search for Cleo Smith

Western Australia Police are yet to locate the driver of a vehicle identified near the campsite where four-year-old girl Cleo Smith vanished.

Police suspect the child was taken from the family tent at the blowholes Campground in Macleod on October 16.

The vehicle was seen leaving the area by two people between 3am and 3.30 am.

CCTV and dashcam footage has been collected in a bid to find the perpetrator.

Investigators say there are no suspects at this stage.

[melissaterare]

show us the car... we might have seen it !!!

[amyduncan]

I’m a parent and I’ll honestly tell you there is no way I would put my child in another tent ? And where was her sibling and Why wasn’t the sibling kidnapped as she was much younger then Cleo and easier to kidnap
We’re they soo cheap to rent an apartment with two bedrooms instead ? How negligent and suspicious this whole case

[deddyjack]

Let us all pray, Oh Jehovah our heavenly father, May your right hand come against the evildoer in our midst and may innocent little Cleo be lifted high and out of the darkness by your righteous right hand. We ask that through your holy spirit send angels to guide the detectives In this case, we thankyou for your undeserved kindness, In Jesus name, amen.

[kathylarson]

How can she be taken with parents in tent, don't understand

[Nikola_Novakovic]

Someone at the campsite planned this very well… it was not opportunistic…
They either planned to take Cleo, which means the abductor stalked the family, the abductor knows the family…
Or
Some stranger at the campsite knows the area very well, knows that children come to camp with parents, knows the peak and quiet times of the area. The stranger has been planning on taking a child from the area and was on the prowl. This person is patient and well planned and can seem very innocent, not your normal stereotypical abductor.
I doubt this person was actually camping in the area, it seems more likely that the abductor was hiding in a nearby shack as he/she didn’t have the time to pack up his campsite, especially at night, which would be suspicious… the abductor didn’t have to pack up anything as he wasn’t camping there, but hiding and stalking the area from a distance or in a nearby shack. He/she had to be nearby to see the family setting up the tent, to see the two girls, to see the sleeping arrangements because the suspect was very confident that when the tent was opened that the children were sleeping in a separate partition of the tent. The abductor knew that he could pull the child out of the tent and the parents wouldn’t know…
100% planned, days or months in advance…

[donm]

What vehicle? Why is the first time its been mentioned. Where is the video?
How many times have mysterious "perps" abducted children from tents in a remote camp site with parents nearby? Is this a regular occurrence ?

[johnwallace]

So sad to see!! They need to catch this person!!

[NallDave]

Cleo and her parents are in my prayers.

[EL-FUKKO]

Something is off here.
Reminds me of the Jayden Leskie disappearance

[thisisbeyondajoke]

But if you don't conform the cops know where you are

[followingtheword]

Prayers for the little one but there is evil in the world.

[micktre]

She doesn't look old enough to drive. Are the police aware of this

[JustFourFun]

The best chance of solving this is to see what the AFP can uncover with their technology. It may be a remote location but there is a phone tower in the area.

[margaretmcclung]

Omg hope shes ok ...will say a prayer for you all xx 🙏🙏❤

[snegs]

Between 3/3.30 am eh, I’ve decoded this story, all the numbers point to Masonry. From the girls name, location, time stamps, it’s all there.

[jamesparsons]

Academic research into homicides by stepfathers is truly frightening; the experts argue about the size of the risk, circumstances and definitions varies, but in short a child is between 16 and 100 times more likely to be killed by a stepfather than their biological father. Some scientists go as far as stating that the single most predicative indicator of violence against a child is the presence of a stepfather - others disagree and believe it is overestimated. The most dangerous age for a stepchild is 0-4 and the most frequent method is being beaten or kicked to death, biological fathers who kill their children tend to suffocate or strangle them. And all the studies show the younger the stepfather the greater this risk. This isn't speculation but researched fact based on extensive research in various countries. The link to the paper is below if people wish to read it.

However, that doesn't mean this is what occurred in this case, as the logic goes 'all poodles are dogs but not all dogs are poodles' i.e. being a step-father doesn't mean you will kill a stepchild or even be more violent, it's just that of children who are killed step-fathers present a substantially increased risk. The other three factors which substantially increase risk are any histories of abuse, education, and mental health.

This isn't palatable but it has to weighed in by police and no doubt they know this more than anyone else. So if we rank the likely scenario - *based on statistics* - they are not allegations concerning this case, but theoretical assumptions to guide.

1 Killed by step-father at the home or in the camp. Mother's knowledge unknown.

2 Snatched by predator in the camp, likely killed at this stage.

3 Predator(s) came from outside the camp and snatched her, likely killed at this stage.

4 Wandered off and came to harm - this can be all but excluded as the child would have to have wandered off dragging the large adult sleeping bag she had been sleeping in. The bag was likely used to transport the child, was covered in blood, or both.

[dalejerden]

I just watched a movie... Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal stated that they covet what they see... that the perpetrators are people that see their victims often, like daily...

[jpgrygus]

a mystery car at the William Tyrrell disappearance, a mystery car at the Cleo Smith disappearance. has never been found. not looking good for Cleo.

[ilovemymum]

Perhaps you should think of hiring some Aboriginal Trackers. They know their stuff very well

[johnno]

I hope she's still alive.l think she is.They could be anywhere by now.With all the CCTV around these days there must be footage of the vehicle somewhere.Pray they find it.