Someone who lived with four-year-old Gus Lamont is now considered a suspect in his disappearance, South Australia police said on Thursday as they declared the case a major crime.
Gus disappeared from his family’s outback home more than four months ago, sparking what SA police called “one of the largest, most intensive and most protracted searches” they had ever undertaken.
Mounted police, police divers, defence and emergency services personnel, drones and trackers searched the 60,000 hectare Oak Park station, near Yunta, which is about 300km inland from Adelaide.
Det Supt Darren Fielke, the officer in charge of major crime, said police had effectively ruled out Gus wandering off and Gus being abducted. He said they were now investigating someone in his household – but stressed the suspect was not one of his parents.
Police had “identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies” in the information from the family members, Fielke said.
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“As a result of these inconsistencies, and investigations into them, a person who resides at Oak Park station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer cooperating with us,” he said.
“The person who has withdrawn their cooperation is now considered a suspect in the disappearance of Gus. I do want to stress, however, that Gus’s parents are not suspects in his disappearance.
“You appreciate at this time I cannot make any further comment about the suspect, given that this is now a criminal investigation and a declared major crime. What I can say, however, is that we’ll continue to thoroughly and meticulously investigate the disappearance of Gus until we get an outcome.”
The family was “shocked” at the development, he said.
Gus, who a family friend described as shy but adventurous, was playing outside the family sheep station at 5pm on 27 September.
The blond, curly haired boy was wearing a blue T-shirt with a yellow Minion on the front, a grey sunhat, light-grey long pants and boots.
When his grandmother went to call him in half an hour later, he was gone, police were told.
Police executed a search warrant at the property on 14 and 15 January, and seized a vehicle, a motorbike and electronic devices.
On Thursday, police described the challenges of an investigation outside metropolitan areas, where CCTV, traffic cameras and witnesses can help. They also revealed extensive details of the search to explain why they had ruled out Gus wandering off or being abducted.
Eight separate ground searches over more than 20 days covered 95 sq km around the property, Fielke explained.
“The community should take comfort that no stone is being left unturned in this investigation,” Fielke said.
Polair used infrared thermal imaging across a 12km radius around the property. Drones covered the homestead, the dams, and nearby travel routes and aircraft with highly specialised camera equipment covered 706 sq km. Its imagery was processed using AI software and reviewed by Task Force Horizon investigators, and was so detailed that they could distinguish between sheep, goats, kangaroos and humans.
“Despite these extraordinary efforts, all of the combined searches have found no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest Gus has wandered off,” Fielke said.
A second investigation looked at the possibility Gus had been abducted by an unknown person.
Fielke said they had identified neighbours, people working on the station and nearby, and those travelling in the area, and they had all been discounted. Reports to Crime Stoppers and other information unearthed “no evidence to suggest that Gus was abducted from the property” and the remoteness of the station meant the “opportunity for anyone to abduct Gus is extremely low”, he said.
“So it leaves us the other part of the investigation, and that’s investigating whether people known to Gus were involved in his disappearance.
“We will continue to thoroughly and meticulously investigate the disappearance of Gus until we get an outcome. We’re all focused and determined to locate Gus and return him to his parents.
“Nothing is off the table as we work towards that outcome.”
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
