The suspect in the notorious kidnapping of Australian toddler Cleo Smith has pleaded guilty in court. Terence Darrell Kelly, 36, admitted to taking the girl, ABC reports. He is said to have held Cleo at his home in Carnarvon for eighteen days.
ABC calls the suspect’s statement a surprising development in the case. Cleo’s disappearance haunted Australia for weeks last year. The child disappeared from her tent overnight during a camping trip with family. The parents were asleep and were sure that their daughter had not run away.
“The zipper on the tent was open and she was gone,” says her mother. Cleo was sleeping next to her newborn sister’s bed. “The tent was completely open, I turned around and said to Jake, she’s gone.” The girl’s disappearance sparked a massive search in the area, some 900 kilometers north of Perth.
Reward of a Million
The search for the missing child – both from the air and at sea – turned up nothing, after which the Australian authorities offered a reward of one million Australian dollars for the tip that could lead to Cleo. At that time, the police were already convinced that someone had taken the girl.
Authorities eventually found Cleo in a locked room at Kelly’s home, who lived in the town of Carnarvon just minutes from the girl’s mother. “My name is Cleo,” the girl said when officers found her. “We’ll take you to your mom and dad,” it sounded as they carried her away.
No connection with family
Kelly, who was arrested on the street shortly after the raid on his home, is the only suspect in the kidnapping case. According to the police, he has no connection with the Smith family and would have acted alone. The 30-year-old is being held in a maximum-security prison in Perth.
In early November, Kelly injured himself in his cell and had to be taken to a hospital. He suffered no life-threatening injuries. The man appeared in court today via video link and pleaded guilty to Cleo’s kidnapping. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Obsessed with dolls
Kelly will be tried at a later date for other charges, such as assaulting a cop. Meanwhile, more and more is becoming clear about the private life of the single man. For example, according to news channel ABC, he is obsessed with dolls from the Bratz brand.
He kept dozens of them and is said to have even dedicated a special room in his house to the toys. He is also said to have shared several posts on Facebook in which he tells how he “takes a ride in the car with his dolls” or “likes to do their hair and take selfies with them”.
Watch footage below from the moment Cleo was found and reunited with her parents:
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