West Australian forensic police spent more than seven hours searching missing four-year-old Cleo Smith’s family home on Tuesday, leaving with two evidence bags and a large duffel bag.
It is the second visit by police to the Smith home in Carnarvon, with the first occurring on Saturday when officers swept the home for prints. The detective leading the investigation, Superintendent Rod Wilde, said searching the house was just part of the process with a major investigation like this.
Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith told Channel 7 that the family had not returned to the house since Cleo’s disappearance, saying that it would be too painful to return home without their daughter. “We’ve had people look after our dog, she’s lost without her best friend as much as we are with our daughter,” Ms Smith said. The couple initially spent several days at the Blowholes campsite where Cleo went missing with the hope she would be found nearby, but they have since returned to Carnarvon.
Ms Smith also held out hope that police would find something that would assist in their investigation. “If it’s someone that’s been watching for who knows how long, hopefully they pick something up that will help.”
Superintendent Wilde said that neither visit to the house had turned up evidence of a stalker. He added that police do not consider Cleo’s parents involved with the little girl’s disappearance in any way.
Perth Now reported that officers packed up their forensic van and left at around 9.30pm, having spent the majority of the afternoon and evening at the home, having arrived at 2.30pm.
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This article first appeared on Over60.