My name is Cleo

12.46am, 3rd November, 2021:

In the middle of the night in a house in Carnarvon, just 7 minutes away from the Smith family home, police barge their way into a locked house. 

The lights are off, except for one room. They enter, and what they find is a miracle.

A little girl, sitting down playing with toys.

One detective scoops her up into his arms, while Detective senior sergeant Cameron Blaine asks the little girl her name - three times. On the third question, she answers:

“My name is Cleo.”

This is the case which Brough seasoned homicide detectives to tears. Happy tears. A lot of them, parents themselves, never stopped trying to find the four-year-old.

In this episode, hear how the incredible rescue unfolded from those who were there, as well as those we’ve spoken to along the way.

From the police minister who was woken in the middle of the night by the deputy police commissioner, to the reporter who ran out of his room in his boxers to wake up his colleague. Everyone has a story, and almost everyone will remember where they were when they found out Cleo Smith had been found alive.

A 36-year-old man was arrested on that night, and has since been charged with kidnapping. Now, WA watches as the court process continues.

Join Host Natalie Bonjolo, with regular guest Kristin Shorten, as well as 7 News reporter Ben Downie and Flashpoint host Tim McMillan as they take you through the incredible rescue of Cleo Smith.

Thank you for joining us on this 18-day journey. My Name is Cleo will be back with court updates. In the meantime, for more on Cleo Smith head to thewest.com.au/cleo and perthnow.com.au 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days 13-15:

Cleo’s been missing for two weeks now, and the police, her community and her parents are getting even more desperate.

It’s now that the head of Taskforce Rodia, Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde lands in Carnarvon.

Seven News crime reporter Joey Catanzaro, who’s been covering this case, speaking to detectives and getting inside, intimate knowledge of the case tells the podcast that Rod’s arrival is just as much about providing moral support to his team, as it is seeing the investigation from the ground.

Joey spent almost 18 days in Carnarvon, following every development and looking into leads of his own while, covering Cleo’s disappearance for 7 news.  He tells Host Natalie Bonjolo and regular guest Kristin Shorten of the immediate concern police - and the Carnarvon locals had that Cleo had been abducted, just hours after her disappearance.

Two weeks later, that concern has turned into an investigation.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, a woman who knows all too well the heartache Cleo’s parents are going through is asked about how parents with missing children deal with the worry, devastation and trolling. Lindy Chamberlain, who was wrongfully convicted and publicly scrutinised after her daughter Azaria was taken from her tent in the Australian outback more than 40 years ago. 

As the police continue to tell the public that Ellie and Jake are not suspects, the trolling and abuse continues, all while Cleo spends another night away from her family.

Join Host Natalie Bonjolo and guests Kristin Shorten and Joey Catanzaro as they take you through days 13-15 of Cleo’s disappearance.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days 11 and 12:

One of the biggest questions on the public’s mind as the search for Cleo approaches two weeks is: How did Ellie and Jake not hear the tent being unzipped as they slept right next to Cleo?

In this episode, reporter Jackson Barrett and Producer Sandra Di Girolamo have possible answers.

Jackson was sent up to Carnarvon to cover the search, and even spent a night at the Blowholes, while Sandra produced a heartbreaking second interview with Ellie and Jake. Both spent a significant time at the Blowholes, and both said the wind and sound of the ocean crashing overpowered almost any other sounds around the campsite.

As the search for Cleo stretches into 12 days, Cleo’s desperate parents face the camera a second time to plea for their daughter’s safe return. As the producer of that interview, Sandra told of how tired, heartbroken and desperate the parents were, and why she thought Ellie would never give up hope of finding her daughter.

And as that heartbreaking interview aired, Cleo’s disappearance began to gain international attention, especially in the UK, where the parallels between Cleo’s case and that of missing girl Madeline McCann were too similar to ignore.

Senior broadcast journalist with the BBC, Laurence Zadvriew tells Host Natalie Bonjolo how Cleo’s disappearance, coupled with the backdrop of the vast, arid Australian outback gripped the minds and hearts of those all over the world.

Join Host Natalie Bonjolo, and guests Kristin Shorten, Laurence Zadvriew, Jackson Barrett and Sandra Di Girolamo as they take you through days 11 and 12 in the search for Cleo Smith.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days 8-10:

As Cleo’s disappearance stretches past a week, police and forensics search around the Smith family house.

But they have one message - Ellie and Jake are not suspects.

We’ve seen police make these searches in other missing persons cases - including William Tyrrell, Daniel Morcombe and in the Claremont Serial Killings, and as this episode’s guest Criminologist Dr Xanthé Mallett explains, police always examine the family and those closest to them - to rule them out.

As Ellie and Jake entered their second week without their little girl and Carnarvon reeled over her disappearance, the case of Cleo Smith brought back memories of the heartache in another small town, 1000 kilometres away, 40 years ago.

Mick Murray is a stalwart in the small South West Town of Collie. He served at MP for Collie-Preston and has lived there all his life. He shares how the town dealt with the disappearance of schoolgirl Lisa Mott, who vanished 40 years ago and has never been found. 

Even though 40 years have passed, the town of Carnarvon reacted in a similar way to that of Collie - with a community united in support of the family, which eventually turned to suspicion when it was realised a criminal investigation was underway.

The West Australian reporter Brianna Dugan recounts the tension she witnessed while in Carnarvon covering the story.

In this episode, get an insight behind the scenes of a police investigation and an insight into what happens to a town when tragedy strikes.

Join host Natalie Bonjolo, and guests Kristin Shorten, Brianna Dugan, Mick Murray and Dr Xanthé Mallett and they take you though days 8-10 in the search for Cleo Smith.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days 5-7:

The land search for Cleo Smith starts to wind back as police increasingly believe the four-year-old was abducted.

Cleo has now been missing for 5 days, and with every passing hour, the search gets more and more desperate.

It’s becoming clear this is the most important case in the state.

And that’s when, on day 6, a 100-officer strong taskforce - named Taskforce Rodia - is launched and $1 million on offer to anyone who provides the vital information which finds the little girl.

This is also when we’re introduced to Detective Superintendent Rod Wilde - who’s experience in missing children cases, as well as his vast knowledge as a homicide detective sees the investigation into Cleo’s disappearance ramp up.

In this episode, Kristin Shorten details Det Supt Rod Wilde’s background, as well as her experience with him, working on a re-investigation into the 1997 murder of Gerard Ross.

Police Minister Paul Papalia joins the podcast to take us through the process of of a reward and why the State Government was so quick to announce one.

And Carnarvon Shire president recounts the pain felt in the community as they rallied around one of their own.

When day 7 rolls around with no sign of the little girl in the pink onesie, her parents stayed at the camp, watching every sand dune, waiting for her to come running over the hill as the land search is scaled back.

Meanwhile, the police investigation is only going to get bigger.

Join Natalie Bonjolo and Kristin Shorten as they’re joined by The West Australian reporter Sarah Steger, Police Minister Paul Papalia and Carnarvon Shire President Eddie Smith as they take you through days 5-7 of the search for Cleo Smith.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days 3 and 4:

It’s now been more than 72 hours since Ellie and Jake have seen little Cleo, and looking at the evidence of the zip and missing sleeping bag, it’s appearing more and more likely that the four-year-old was abducted.

In the depths of their fear and desperation to find their daughter, Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon face TV cameras to try and reach as many people as possible.

Despite an overwhelming amount of support, there were also a lot of people who figured themselves as armchair detectives, picking apart their every word, move and facial expression to determine them guilty in their eyes.

Seasoned body language expert Allan Pease - who determined from the beginning that Lindy Chamberlain was innocent after she claimed her baby Azaria was taken by a dingo - explains in this episode how, from the start, he thought Ellie and Jake were telling the truth.

As they spoke of the sadness and distress of their horrific situation while pleading for their little girl to come back to them, online trolls started a crusade against them.

There aren’t many people in the world who know what Cleo's parents were going through, but the parents of murdered teenager Daniel Morcombe - who were in that very position almost a decade ago - sent a message of support to the helpless parents.

At the same time, all of this was happening as the desperate search for Cleo continued at the Blowholes, as SES Geraldton unit manager Josh Gardener explains why the search had to be suspended.

Join Josh, as well as Natalie Bonjolo, Kristin Shorten and Allan Pease as they take you through days 3 and 4 of the search for Cleo Smith.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Days 1 and 2:

A family holiday turns to a nightmare.

When Ellie Smith, her partner Jake Gliddon and their two daughters packed their bags for a weekend trip to the Blowholes, just outside Carnarvon in WA’s north, they could have never imagined the next 18-days would be a living hell.

As the family went to bed on the first night on their camping trip, in the morning they’d awake to find four-year-old Cleo missing.

 Almost every parent has experienced the panic of not being able to find a child, and Mum Ellie’s panic turned to dread as their camping spot was metres from rugged cliffs and the rough, dangerous ocean below.

A full-scale land, sea and air search began, as emergency services swarmed the blowholes. Even locals dedicated their time to try and find little Cleo.

In this episode, Coral Coast helicopter services pilot David Ammann describes the early call he received to take the helicopter and fly to the Blowholes to search for a little girl in a pink jumpsuit.

While Geraldton Guardian reporter Phoebe Pin, who was the first journalist on the scene details her experience, driving five hours with no idea what to expect and what she’d be met with when she arrived at the Blowholes.

But what was known, a desperate family frantically searching for their daughter who disappeared in the middle of the night without a trace.

Join podcast Host, executive producer Natalie Bonjolo who will step though the search for Cleo Smith, and journalist Kristin Shorten, who brings her investigation skills to analyse what police would have been doing at the time.

In this episode they’re joined by helicopter pilot David Ammann and reporter Phoebe Pin as we look at the first two desperate days after Cleo went missing.

Don't miss the next episode, subscribe to My Name is Cleo wherever you get your podcasts as we take you through the 18-day search for Cleo and the police miracle.

For more on the Cleo Smith search, head to thewest.com.au and perthnow.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a scenario too harrowing to believe.

A four-year-old child vanishes without a trace in the middle of the night while on a family holiday in a remote, rugged and dangerous part of the Western Australian coast.

Cleo Smith had been sleeping next to her baby sister, in the same tent as her parents.  When they wake in the morning, she’s gone.

What follows is every parent’s worst nightmare. A land, sea and air search which soon turns to fears, she’s been abducted.

For weeks, Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon live a nightmare, while the public scrutinise their every move.

Until, 18 long, desperate days later, when on November 3, 2021 police barge down the door of a house - just 7 minutes from Cleo’s family home.

Inside a room within in the house, sits a little girl playing with toys.

Police ask “What’s your name?” She responds:

“My name is Cleo”

From the producers of Claremont: The Trial, this podcast aims to take you inside the investigation that brought a little girl home.

Join our team of journalists and those on the ground in Carnarvon as we take you inside the search for the four-year-old in “My Name Is Cleo: The 18-day police miracle”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.