A former X Factor Australia contestant has been charged with murdering a nine-month-old baby five years ago.
Mitchell David Callaway was arrested at a house in Bowraville, New South Wales, on Thursday (June 8) morning after an investigation by detectives from Orana Mid-Western Police District, as reported by Sydney Morning Herald.
The 37-year-old has been indicted with murder following an inquiry into the events surrounding the tragic death of the nine-month-old girl in the state’s Central West in 2018.
He appeared in Macksville Local Court and was refused bail.
On July 23, 2018, emergency services were called to a home in the town of Binnaway following reports of a baby girl being unresponsive, according to the outlet.
The little girl was rushed to Coonabarabran Hospital where she sadly passed away a short time later despite the efforts of staff and paramedics.
The death was initially considered suspicious and Orana Mid-Western Police District have been investigating the circumstances under Strike Force King, but no one was charged.
However, late last month, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a home in Binnaway, in the state's central west, on May 31, per ABC News.
Per Sydney Morning Herald, specialist forensic officers picked through the backyard of a suburban brick home with metal detectors, hands, and feet. The items collected were then sent away for forensic tests.
In addition to this, officials appealed to the public for information and this led to Callaway being apprehended at around 9:45 AM on Thursday and taken to Macksville Police Station.
Pictures of his arrest show him being taken from his home in handcuffs while surrounded by detectives.
The nine-month-old's mother spoke out in a statement shared on Facebook and said that the development in her daughter's case was the "best news ever" after "all the years of pain, suffering, and grief,".
The grieving parent said there was still a "long road ahead" as the investigation moves through court "but today we have witnessed the beginning of justice".
"She has been the reason I have continued to fight, live, and have made it this far," the mother said in the statement. "Not a day goes by that I do not miss you and wish you were here.
"This doesn’t bring you back but it does bring you some peace and the justice you deserve. Forever my little girl. Mummy loves you," she concluded.
Callaway was a contestant on season three of the X Factor Australia TV show back in 2011. He auditioned for the competition series with Keith Urban's song 'Tonight I Wanna Cry'.
The former singer was voted out in week six after failing to surpass fellow contestant Johnny Ruffo - who ranked third in the contest and went on to sign a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.
