The investigation takes a sinister turn

Days 16-18:

The search for Cleo is getting desperate. Police have no leads and they’re trying anything to find the little girl.

That’s when they reveal they’ve used special agents to search the dark web for any signs of the four-year-old.

In this episode, journalists Ben Downie and Daryna Zadvirna reveal their trip to the pub one night led to a fortuitous meeting with police, and how they then worked with investigators to keep Cleo’s story in the news, to keep people engaged and aware of her disappearance.

This part of the investigation moves into the tech space, with police trailing through endless amounts of CCTV, mobile phone tower data accessed and drones mapping the Blowholes.

We hear from surveillance expert Philip Branch how mobile phone data can be used to solve a case, and just how intricate scouring through mobile data can be.

But the search also kept a physical element, with police digging through mountains of rubbish, from bins in a 600km radius from Carnarvon, trying to find any clue at all.

The desperation of the search was really highlighted through more of Ellie’s social media posts, and as Ben and Daryna try to keep Cleo’s story on the front page and at the top of the news bulletin, police keep chipping away at any of the clues the can find.

Join Host Natalie Bonjolo, regular guest Kristin Shorten and guests Ben Downie, Daryna Zadvirna and Philip Branch as they take you through the final three days in the search for Cleo Smith.

For more on Cleo Smith head to thewest.com.au/cleo and perthnow.com.au

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