Based on the advice of survival experts, police have reiterated they still believe Sharon Granites is alive.
But Assistant Commissioner Malley said "we're right on the threshold, hence the urgency."
"As time goes on, the chances of finding little Sharon reduce".
NT Police have now concluded their press conference, but we'll continue to keep you up to date with any developments.
Police say they believe Jefferson Lewis is being helped by members of the community.
"I caution anyone giving him a hand, because when we do get him, and it's only a matter time, you might be in strife as well," Assistant Commissioner Malley said.
Assistant Commissioner Malley said police had gone to many of the places around Alice Springs Jefferson Lewis used to frequent.
"He has in the past had an ankle monitor on and so that's also been looked at, and that revealed many places of interest.
"So anywhere he's frequented we've been and we'll continue to go till we get him."
Police say Jefferson Lewis's lack of a digital footprint has been a challenge for investigators.
"Yeah it's horrible," Assistant Commissioner Malley said.
"It's going back to 1930s policing without that digital footprint.
"This man doesn't have a telephone, doesn't have a bank account, he doesn't have a car, so some of the usual practices we do in 2026 aren't applicable.
"Hence the amount of resources we have on the ground, we're knocking on doors, we're going through houses, it's old-style policing and yeah, it's a hard slog."
The assistant commissioner issued this message to Jefferson Lewis:
"Hand yourself in. Go to the nearest police station or give us a call and we'll come and grab you."
And for anyone who sees Mr Lewis or Sharon, Assistant Commissioner Malley said they should:
"Call us on 131 444 or Triple Zero even, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000."
Assistant Commissioner Malley said police were called to Old Timers town camp on the outskirts of Alice Springs for a "mental health episode" on the night Sharon disappeared.
"When police arrived Mr Lewis was one of the only people there, and there was nothing going on, so the police made some inquiries, had a look around and left".
The timeline of the hours prior to Sharon's disappearance has been a little hazy over the past few days.
But Assistant Commissioner Malley said the five-year-old was put to bed "before 11 o'clock" and was later seen holding hands with Jefferson Lewis around 11:30pm.
She was then discovered missing by her mother, who called police at 1:30am.
Assistant Commissioner Malley said Sharon's family were "obviously, distressed" and that the force's cultural reform team were "taking care of them".
"But obviously [this is a] parent's worst nightmare," he said.
The assistant commissioner said Sharon's family described her as "a very affectionate little girl" who was "loved by her family".
"It's a horrible thing they're going through at the moment."
In response to a question about the pair of child's underwear found at the crime scene, Assistant Commissioner Malley said the possibility Sharon had been sexually assaulted was "certainly on the table for us".
"That's under investigation and like I said, those items are being forensically examined and we should have those results back tomorrow to maybe confirm or deny that."
Remember, if you need support you can access help through the following services:
Assistant Commissioner Malley has reiterated that NT Police still believe Sharon Granites is alive.
"We speak to survival experts and we look at if she was wandering around on her own in the bush and how long she could survive for, and we're still within that timeframe.
"But once again, we're considering everything, and she may have come to harm, but we still think she is alive and our number one mission is to find her safe and well."