Chilling discovery inside Cleo Smith's tent

Cleo Smith's mother has revealed a footprint was found inside their tent after the young girl was taken in the middle of the night from a remote WA campsite.

Cleo, 4, vanished from the Blowholes campsite in October before she was found in her hometown of Carnarvon more than 70km south 18 days later.

Cleo's mother Ellie Smith has revealed the distress she felt realising she was just metres from her daughter when she was taken.

"[I was] so close, like it was the same tent and he's taken a step in there and [allegedly] grabbed our child and we were sleeping right next to it all," Ms Smith told Channel Nine's 60 Minutes in an exclusive interview with veteran journalist Tara Brown.

Cleo Smith's mother Ellie says a footprint was found inside their tent after her daughter vanished the remote campsite. Source: Nine
Cleo Smith's mother Ellie says a footprint was found inside their tent after her daughter vanished from the remote campsite. Source: Nine

She said once she realised she was not going to be immediately reunited with her daughter, she was "on the floor crying".

Cleo's disappearance gripped the nation and made headlines right around the world.

WA Police released bodycam vision of the moment Cleo was found at a property minutes from her parents' home.

"My name is Cleo," the little girl told police in the video, with Nine using the utterance as the title of Sunday's impending episode.

cleo
Cleo Smith was found inside a semi-detached property just minutes from her own home. Source: Supplied

Terence Darrell Kelly, 36, last month pleaded guilty in a Carnarvon court to abducting Cleo. He is yet to answer other charges.

Details of the alleged kidnapping are expected to be outlined when Kelly faces Perth District Court on March 25.

It has been speculated Nine paid $2 million for the interview with Cleo's mother and her stepfather Jake Gliddon. Due to Covid restrictions in WA, Brown was forced to interview the couple over video link.

My Name is Cleo will air on 60 Minutes tonight at 8.30pm on Channel Nine.

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