NEED TO KNOW
- Police have declared Gus Lamont’s disappearance a major crime – and they do not believe that he is alive.
- Gus went missing from his family’s home in Oak Park Station, near Yunta, SA, in September last year.
- A theory that Gus was abducted by an unknown person has been ruled out.
For five months, hope lingered that young Gus Lamont had simply wandered from his remote outback home.
Now, police have declared the four-year-old’s disappearance a major crime, marking a devastating and deeply distressing shift for his family and community.
On February 5, the investigation took a heartbreaking turn.
Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke confirmed authorities are now treating Gus’ disappearance as a suspected criminal matter, revealing that a person who lived at Oak Park Station – and who is not one of Gus’ parents – is considered a suspect.
“There is no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest that Gus has merely wandered off,” Detective Superintendent Fielke said, adding that police “don’t believe, now, that Gus is alive”.
A theory that Gus was abducted by an unknown person has been ruled out.
Gus vanished from his family’s Oak Park Station home, near Yunta, SA, on September 27, 2025.
He lived at the rural property with family members, including his younger brother.
At first, investigators believed Gus may have wandered from the homestead, which triggered one of the largest missing-person searches in the state’s history.
Gus was last seen around 5pm, playing on a mound of dirt. Police were told that at 5.30pm, when his grandmother went outside to call him in, the boy had vanished.
Hundreds of police, SES volunteers, Australian Defence Force personnel, Indigenous trackers, and community members scoured the vast property and surrounding terrain.
Dams were drained.
Six mine shafts were searched.
Mounted officers and aerial surveillance combed hundreds of square kilometres of harsh and unforgiving land.
Despite eight separate ground searches spanning a 5.47-kilometre radius – an area police compared to much of inner-suburban Adelaide – no trace of Gus, or any of his belongings, has been found.
Now, the tragic update has prompted Gus’ grandmothers, Josie and Shannon Murray, to issue a rare public statement through their lawyers, revealing the emotional toll on the family.
“We are absolutely devastated by the media release of SAPOL Major Crime,” they said.
“The family has co-operated fully with the investigation and want nothing more than to find Gus and reunite him with his mum and dad.”
Both have since engaged separate legal representatives.
Police have stressed there is no suggestion either grandmother was involved in Gus’ disappearance.
Across nearby towns, locals say the news has been shattering – though some admit they feared this outcome.
“My heart goes out to the family,” one resident said.
“I just couldn’t imagine what they’re going through. It’d just be so hard … not knowing and not having your little boy there.”
Another described Gus as “sweet and innocent”, adding: “That poor little boy … it’s very tragic.”
Experts say the sheer scale and intensity of the search have helped rule out key theories.
Retired search-and-rescue coordinator Dr. Jim Whitehead described the operation as “textbook”.
“They’ve done the areas of highest probability first,” he said.
“I don’t think they could have done anything more as far as searching goes.”
Police have also highlighted the extreme isolation of Oak Park Station, which sits about 45 kilometres from the nearest main road and is accessible only via rough dirt tracks.
“It’s not a place that you just go to,” Detective Superintendent Fielke added.
As investigators now shift focus from the vast landscape to timelines, relationships, and unanswered questions, grief for Gus’ loved ones remains raw – and hope, though fragile, endures.
At the time of going to print, no one had been charged.
Yet Detective Superintendent Fielke has still vowed: “We are all focused and determined to locate Gus and return him to his parents.”
