Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her.
Ellie Smith made a harrowing statement about 6.20am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing.
'I miss you. I love you. Please come home to me,' the mother-of-two said.
Cleo disappeared from the family tent at the Blowholes campsite north of Carnavon in Western Australia between 1.30am and 6am on Saturday.
She, along with her mum, stepdad Jake Gliddon and baby sister Isla had only arrived for the weekend getaway hours prior.
Ms Smith has issued several pleas for her daughter's safe return since she realised Cleo was missing, the first on her Facebook page on Sunday and the second to the media on Tuesday.
Ellie Smith made a harrowing statement about 6am on Thursday morning - exactly six days after she discovered her eldest daughter was missing
Little Cleo Smith's mother is holding out hope that the four-year-old will 'come home' to her
Body language experts have said the couple don't appear to be hiding anything sinister from their body language and believe they're suffering from 'genuine sadness'
Early on Thursday morning, she spoke publicly again to share the missing child poster that was created by strangers and distributed widely across the nation.
The poster illustrates the red and grey sleeping bag that disappeared with Cleo along with a number to call police.
Cleo's family have told detectives they will remain at the campsite, hopeful the little girl will wander back in.
But detectives fear with every passing hour, there is less of a chance they'll find Cleo alive - or nearby.
'Whilst time is not on our side... there have been instances in the past where even small children lost in remote areas still being found safe and well,' acting Deputy Police Commissioner Darryl Gaunt said.
'There's been some rain that gives us hope that there's water on the ground, those type of things which, you know, we take all of these things on as a positive, and we keep searching with every bit of energy that we have.'
Ms Smith appeared emotional during the press conference while Mr Gliddon seemed lost for words as the couple recounted the last time they saw young Cleo.
Body language experts have weighed in on the interview analysing the gestures, tone of voice and facial expressions of the couple
Mother Ellie Smith and step-father Jake Gliddon (pictured) were distraught during their first press conference since the disappearance of Cleo Smith on Saturday
'In the cases similar to this that I've worked on I've seen much more emotion from both parents. I think she's working hard to keep it together,' Body Language expert Traci Brown told Daily Mail Australia.
'I heard her voice waiver a bit and that's the only way I could tell real sadness is there. I think his stress response is to shut down so that's what we're seeing.'
She added the couple appeared to be 'wired differently' in terms of emotional responses, pointing out Mr Gliddon gave off a 'heavy energy' despite appearing stiff and less reactive.
'My guess is he's the strong silent type,' Ms Brown said.
Both had their arms crossed, which was a sign the pair were facing 'stress triggers' as the pair exhibited 'self-comforting behaviour' during the interview.
Ms Smith has been left distraught since her four-year-old daughter Cleo (pictured) vanished from a campsite in Western Australia
Body language expert David Stephens from Critical Insights told Daily Mail Australia that when someone crosses their arms it can be a way of pacifying or self-comforting in stressful situations.
'The question we always need to ask of course, is why are they seeking comfort - what is it that has them worried?,' he explained.
He added the gesture, tone of voice and facial expressions seen during the interview indicated truth-telling while mirroring the couple's sadness and distress.
The couple (pictured with their family) first appealed for help locating missing Cleo via social media on Sunday
WA police have labelled the disappearance of Cleo (pictured) 'a mystery we're trying to unravel'
Ms Smith's voice faltered as she relayed the moment she unzipped the tent to discover her four-year-old was missing from her red and grey sleeping bag.
'Her gestures and illustrators, of which there are several, broadly match what she is saying, which is a good indication that she is being truthful,' he said.
'The pitch of her voice, her tone and facial expressions generally match what she is saying verbally, which indicates distress and sadness.'
While Ms Smith fought back tears her partner, Jake Gliddon, sat quietly by her side.
His twitching mouth and the licking of his lips was a sign he was preparing to talk but hesitated during the moment, Traci Brown pointed out.
'His hesitancy to speak comes down to the fact he is not Cleo's biological father,' Ms Brown said.
'He's unsure of how to respond to the situation.'
Ms Smith (pictured) has insisted Cleo would never leave the tent on her own and said she would have asked her mum for help unzipping her one-piece sleeping suit
The devastated couple (pictured) have asked the public to report anything they see 'big or small' to police to help bring their beloved Cleo back home
Mr Stephens agreed noting that while Mr Gliddon showed genuine sadness Ms Smith was clearly the
