Police say a suspect has been identified over the disappearance of a four-year-old boy who went missing in the South Australian outback. Gus Lamont was last seen playing outside his home on a remote sheep station near Yunta, about 300km (186 miles) from Adelaide, on 27 September. His grandmother left him alone for about half an hour before checking on him, only to find the boy missing, prompting one of the largest land and air searches in the state's history.
A person who lives on the property has been identified as a suspect but confirmed that the boy's parents were not under investigation. In the days and weeks after the boy was reported missing, police conducted extensive searches, covering about 470 sq km - an area roughly twice the size of Edinburgh - around his home, the Oak Park station homestead. In late October, police wound down efforts and appointed a 12-member taskforce to continue the investigation.
This taskforce sifted through previous statements given by family members which identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies in the timeline surrounding the boy's disappearance. As a result of these inconsistencies, a person who resides at Oak Park station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer cooperating with the investigation.
Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke made it clear that Gus' parents are not suspects in his disappearance. The investigation still considers three possible scenarios: the boy walked off, he was abducted, or someone known to Gus was involved in his disappearance and suspected death. Due to the remote location, police ruled out abduction, stating there was no evidence to suggest Gus had merely wandered off.
We will continue to thoroughly and meticulously investigate the disappearance of Gus until we get an outcome, stated Fielke, emphasizing their focus on locating the child and returning him to his parents. All avenues are being explored as part of the ongoing investigation.
A person who lives on the property has been identified as a suspect but confirmed that the boy's parents were not under investigation. In the days and weeks after the boy was reported missing, police conducted extensive searches, covering about 470 sq km - an area roughly twice the size of Edinburgh - around his home, the Oak Park station homestead. In late October, police wound down efforts and appointed a 12-member taskforce to continue the investigation.
This taskforce sifted through previous statements given by family members which identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies in the timeline surrounding the boy's disappearance. As a result of these inconsistencies, a person who resides at Oak Park station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer cooperating with the investigation.
Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke made it clear that Gus' parents are not suspects in his disappearance. The investigation still considers three possible scenarios: the boy walked off, he was abducted, or someone known to Gus was involved in his disappearance and suspected death. Due to the remote location, police ruled out abduction, stating there was no evidence to suggest Gus had merely wandered off.
We will continue to thoroughly and meticulously investigate the disappearance of Gus until we get an outcome, stated Fielke, emphasizing their focus on locating the child and returning him to his parents. All avenues are being explored as part of the ongoing investigation.
