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. Police confirmed that a person living on the property has been identified as a suspect but assured that the boy's parents are not under investigation.
In the weeks following Gus's disappearance, police conducted extensive searches covering roughly 470 sq km - around twice the size of Edinburgh - but as efforts were scaled down in late October, a dedicated taskforce was formed to continue investigation.
This taskforce has worked through family witness statements, discovering inconsistencies that required further investigation. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke noted that the individual residing at the Oak Park station has retracted their cooperation with police. However, he reiterated that the boy's parents are not implicated in any wrongdoing.
Authorities had considered various scenarios regarding the boy's fate, including wandering off, abduction, or involvement by someone known to Gus. Police have since ruled out the possibility of abduction, indicating that there was no evidence Gus simply wandered away.
Fielke expressed a commitment to thoroughly investigate Gus's disappearance until a resolution is reached. We’re all focused and determined to locate Gus and return him to his parents, he stated.
