Cleo Smith search: Jake Gliddon posts on Instagram for first time since four-year-old vanished

Cleo Smith’s stepfather has posted about the little girl’s disappearance for the first time since she vanished from the family’s tent in the early hours of the morning just over a week ago.

Jake Gliddon shared an image of the missing poster — which offers a $1 million reward for any information on Cleo’s disappearance — to his Instagram story.

It comes hours after Cleo’s mum Ellie shared a heart-breaking post, also featuring an image of the poster, followed by photos of the missing toddler with her baby sister Isla Mae, saying ‘we all need her home’ and asking ‘where are you baby’, before calling her ‘the best sister ever.’

On Sunday, detectives revealed a car was seen turning south off Blowholes Road, headed for Carnarvon, just after 3am on the morning Cleo vanished from her parents’ tent at a nearby camp site.

Detective Supt. Rod Wilde of the Major Crime Division revealed the “very recent development” in the missing four-year-old’s case at a press conference in Perth.

Supt. Wilde said two people who were travelling together along the North West Coastal Highway in the early hours of Saturday, October 16 saw a car turn right off Blowholes Road between 3am and 3.30am.

Cleo disappeared — possibly abducted — from her family’s tent between 1.30am and 6am that day.

The revelation follows a confirmation by police last week that they had received reports that campers had heard the sound of screeching tyres as a car left the campsite about 3am that morning.

The new witnesses, who were heading north on the North West Coastal Highway for work that morning, were unable to provide police with a detailed description of the vehicle or how many people were inside, but said the car’s headlights were definitely on when it turned south off Blowholes Road.

“We want the person or persons who were in that vehicle to come forward and contact police,” Supt Wilde said.

“The time is not exact but we believe it to have been between 3am and 3.30am.

“We believe it was a passenger vehicle, not a truck.”

Gut-wrenching pleas pepper Ellie Smith’s Instagram account, with previous emotional posts reading: “My Princess, where are you”, “I love you, I miss you” and “Please come home to me”.

On Friday police put a public call out for video and dashcam footage from anyone who had been within a 1000km radius of the campsite.

They are especially interested in any vision taken from:

• Motel check-ins and communal areas
• Service stations
• Truck stops and free camping areas
• Fast food outlets and bakeries
• Children’s clothing stores
• Pharmacies and cosmetic stores
• Camping stores

“We’ve been in touch with all jurisdictions around Australia,” Supt. Wilde said.

“We want to get this information out there and if anyone Australia-wide has information that could be relevant to the investigation, we ask that they call Crime Stoppers.”

Acting police commissioner Col Blanch said an analysis of CCTV vision from a nearby shack had placed Cleo at the campsite on the night in question.

“This investigation is wide open,” Mr Blanch said.

“We will consider any possibility ... we’re hoping for answers from the community.”

Anyone with footage that may assist the investigation can upload it here.