Warning: This article contains references to an Indigenous person who has died, as well as content which some readers may find distressing.
The man accused of killing Kumanjayi Little Baby has been excused from appearing in court on Tuesday.
Jefferson Lewis, 47, was arrested last week by Northern Territory Police after the body of a five-year-old girl, referred to as Kumanjayi Little Baby at her family's request in line with cultural traditions, was found on Thursday after an extensive search.
She had disappeared from her home in the Aboriginal town camp of Old Timers, on the outskirts of Mparntwe / Alice Springs, on Anzac Day.
Mr Lewis was due to appear in Alice Springs Local Court via audio-visual link from prison in Darwin on Tuesday morning.
However, according to the ABC, his lawyer, Mitchel Donaldson from Legal Aid NT, requested that Mr Lewis be excused.
Mr Lewis is facing one count of murder and two other charges that cannot be reported for legal reasons.
In court on Tuesday, prosecutor Patrick Williams sought a lengthy adjournment to allow time to prepare an extensive brief of evidence, owing to the large amount of material.
The case will return to court on July 30.
Earlier, a public link intended to allow the public to view the hearing, due to the high interest in the case, went down.
"It is unfortunate that this has happened at late notice, but staff have been unable to fix issues this morning that were unforeseen," a NT Courts spokesperson said.
The disappearance of Kumanjayi Little Baby brought Alice Springs to a halt, with volunteers joining emergency services in searching for her. The discovery of her body, about 5km south of where she disappeared last week, saw an outpouring of grief from the community.
On Thursday evening, after a five-day manhunt, Mr Lewis was found and reportedly beaten unconscious by community members after he was seen wandering outside the Charles Creek town camp.
He was arrested and taken to Alice Springs Hospital, where large-scale protests took place outside, before being flown to Darwin on Friday morning. NT Police formally charged him on Saturday evening.
Robin Granites, a senior Yapa (Warlpiri) Elder and spokesperson for the family of Kumanjayi Little Baby, said the family were relieved charges had been laid, and noted: "We must now let the justice system do its work."
"Mparntwe / Alice Springs has been calm, and we ask that everyone, Yapa (Indigenous) and Kardiya (non-Indigenous), are together in respecting this time of sorry business and mourning," he said.
"I also ask all our political leaders to be respectful of this sorry time. We do need to work together on the many issues facing our people and communities here in Central Australia, but our Little Baby's passing must not become a political argument."
A vigil for Kumanjayi Little Baby will be held in Mparntwe / Alice Springs on Thursday at 5.30 pm on Anzac Oval. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to wear pink, the family says.
