Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[TootsieFootsie]

Except once the family go "public" it's not just temporary it's forever.

Their lives would no longer even have a semblance of privacy ever again.

 

[kurtneverdied]

Then they would be flooded with 'sightings' of Gus from Darwin to Hobart and Perth. They would have to follow up every single sighting. We hear of how investigations get completely bogged down in that stuff.

They must think that abduction is extremely remote, or if abduction is remotely possible they don't need the public's help with it. It is quietly being investigated.

imo

Well there are missing person reports everyday with photos in the papers. This is no different. It only takes one lead. One example is most leads of the Beaumont Children going missing are members of the public sightings.

 

[SouthAussie]

Josie has talked to the media briefly and certainly didn't seem wanting of help, maybe the police have said not to , but once again there was an opportunity for a plea of some sorts and it wasn't taken. Some will find excuses for her comments but I found them to be, not desperate for Gus's return put it that way

The only way that Josie has anything to do with it is being the spouse of the owner of the land (which would foremost be Shannon who inherited from her parents, I think).

Jess and Josh have the say to do with Gus.

imo

 

[kurtneverdied]

The only way that Josie has anything to do with it is being the spouse of the owner of the land (which would foremost be Shannon who inherited from her parents, I think).

Jess and Josh have the say to do with Gus.

imo

So a grandmother isn't allowed to plea for her grandson? Yes Shannon inherited the place via her father.

 

[Ellery84]

Why doesn’t Gus’s father speak to the media?

That's a good question.

 

[drsleuth]

Wild thought, just maybe the family know he wandered off, just like they have said.

So in doing an appeal , who would they be appealing to??? Not like they are on a main Hwy, or in a town with passing traffic with dash cams etc. They are very remote & at the end of a 4WD road ( after going thru 6 gates )

I do think it is possible that it may have been longer than 30min ( it may have seemed 30mins & everyone doesn't keep track of time ) since S last saw him & he has gotten further than they predicted.

 

[jessicalouise]

Why doesn’t Gus’s father speak to the media?

It seems odd (compared to other cases.) I wonder if they've been advised against it. There's just so many unknowns with this case and the dynamics make little sense with everyone deferring to the one grandparent who, by reports in the media, wasn't there when he disappeared.

 

[SouthAussie]

It seems odd (compared to other cases.) I wonder if they've been advised against it. There's just so many unknowns with this case and the dynamics make little sense with everyone deferring to the one grandparent who, by reports in the media, wasn't there when he disappeared.

I think we are going to see a lot more people circling the wagons and protecting the families.
It has become blatantly obvious to all that social media is usually very unkind about the families during the unknown whereabouts of their child.
Look at the case of CS in WA, as just one example (there are quite a few). Social media was aflame with victim blaming ... and the family did absolutely nothing wrong.

imo

 

[musicaljoke]

Wild thought, just maybe the family know he wandered off, just like they have said.

So in doing an appeal , who would they be appealing to??? Not like they are on a main Hwy, or in a town with passing traffic with dash cams etc. They are very remote & at the end of a 4WD road ( after going thru 6 gates )

I do think it is possible that it may have been longer than 30min ( it may have seemed 30mins & everyone doesn't keep track of time ) since S last saw him & he has gotten further than they predicted.

The one time of day when we actually do keep careful track of time is when we are making dinner. We habitually start a a certain time, items need to thaw, warm, bake or cook for a certain number of minutes. The family will arrive in for dinner at a certain time. The timer is on, things are checked, the clock is watched. If Grandmother said she checked Gus at 5:00 and then at 5:30, that is likely precisely what she did.

 

[musicaljoke]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

The picture wasn't on this thread for more than 10 minutes before someone here made a serious negative comment, which, thankfully, was deleted. The social media world was ready to pounce. Why would anyone expect or wish that the family would feed into that?

 

[jepop]

The picture wasn't on this thread for more than 10 minutes before someone here made a serious negative comment, which, thankfully, was deleted. The social media world was ready to pounce. Why would anyone expect or wish that the family would feed into that?

Your posts resonate with me.

Moo there's no logic behind people/members of the public making judgements that the grandparents/parents 'should' undertake some sort of emotionally charged media appearance to 'plea' for their grandson/son. What for?

I think the police are very confident that this was not an abduction. Why do people want to see the pain of this poor, suffering family on full display? To no purpose?

Culturally and Imo, Australia is not on a par with media traditions in the US (not quite yet anyway) and as for other cases in Aust, Gus' circumstances differ vastly/are not comparable with disappearances such as Cleo Smith and William Tyrell. Moo

Besides it being unnecessary from an investigative POV, if those closest to the family have been quoted accurately and in correct context by the Daily F..Mail, then we know that these suffering family members are stoic and private. Being private, to me, can also describe people who are reserved in relaying their emotional states, trauma, grief...they are not inclined to reveal or show their deepest emotional experiences to others, even those they are closest too. A private person does not have to be a-social or introverted. Semantics are are just that, but I understand that this is what those locals who know this family mean by them being private/ stoic. Jmo

Moo I believe the police have searched to a high standard around the actual residence/settlement and interviewed all family members in detail. Imo experienced detectives...it would be a rare grandparent or parent who could or would 'cover up' an accident etc. Moo, the police have no suspicions along those lines at all.

It's that old philosophical question...if a tree falls in the woods, did it still fall if I didn't see or hear it? Just because we have no media coverage of the detailed searches and investigation, does that mean they haven't happened??

Re the photo; jmo it's sufficient... I agree it's adequate for showing little Gus' face.

Personally, I say leave the family alone. Police have not implicated them in any way or said they are refusing to do any police requested public 'pleading'.

Personally, I think Gus got lost and is still out there. Moo he is deceased. RIP little fellow. I hope his loved ones can somehow navigate the future and are surrounded the support they need. I hope his remains will be located as a result of the research/analysis currently being undertaken by the task force.

 

[Lady-J]

Wild thought, just maybe the family know he wandered off, just like they have said.

So in doing an appeal , who would they be appealing to??? Not like they are on a main Hwy, or in a town with passing traffic with dash cams etc. They are very remote & at the end of a 4WD road ( after going thru 6 gates )

I do think it is possible that it may have been longer than 30min ( it may have seemed 30mins & everyone doesn't keep track of time ) since S last saw him & he has gotten further than they predicted.

The grandparents and Jessie know that Gus wasn’t taken by someone passing by otherwise they’d make a public appeal. The police said there’s a slim to zero chance of this happening.


The trackers found no signs of Gus .
If he wandered there would’ve been evidence- he would’ve gone to the toilet and the hat would’ve been found.
Also the infra red would’ve found him.

If it was an animal there would’ve been signs of a scuffle, blood or clothes.

After ruling these scenarios out there’s only two options left ; a cover up or an alien abduction . Anything’s possible

 

[Dotta]

Considering that the boy allegedly played in the sand
how come the boy's footprints and handprints were not discovered there?



IMO
if left undisturbed they can last for several days,
judging by sandboxes in my local playground for children.

Lots of traces of kids playing there to see.

JMO

 

[FromGermany1]

Your posts resonate with me.

Moo there's no logic behind people/members of the public making judgements that the grandparents/parents 'should' undertake some sort of emotionally charged media appearance to 'plea' for their grandson/son. What for?

I think the police are very confident that this was not an abduction. Why do people want to see the pain of this poor, suffering family on full display? To no purpose?

Culturally and Imo, Australia is not on a par with media traditions in the US (not quite yet anyway) and as for other cases in Aust, Gus' circumstances differ vastly/are not comparable with disappearances such as Cleo Smith and William Tyrell. Moo

Besides it being unnecessary from an investigative POV, if those closest to the family have been quoted accurately and in correct context by the Daily F..Mail, then we know that these suffering family members are stoic and private. Being private, to me, can also describe people who are reserved in relaying their emotional states, trauma, grief...they are not inclined to reveal or show their deepest emotional experiences to others, even those they are closest too. A private person does not have to be a-social or introverted. Semantics are are just that, but I understand that this is what those locals who know this family mean by them being private/ stoic. Jmo

Moo I believe the police have searched to a high standard around the actual residence/settlement and interviewed all family members in detail. Imo experienced detectives...it would be a rare grandparent or parent who could or would 'cover up' an accident etc. Moo, the police have no suspicions along those lines at all.

It's that old philosophical question...if a tree falls in the woods, did it still fall if I didn't see or hear it? Just because we have no media coverage of the detailed searches and investigation, does that mean they haven't happened??

Re the photo; jmo it's sufficient... I agree it's adequate for showing little Gus' face.

Personally, I say leave the family alone. Police have not implicated them in any way or said they are refusing to do any police requested public 'pleading'.

Personally, I think Gus got lost and is still out there. Moo he is deceased. RIP little fellow. I hope his loved ones can somehow navigate the future and are surrounded the support they need. I hope his remains will be located as a result of the research/analysis currently being undertaken by the task force.

Additionally an unimportant thought: It would make sense, when the father Josh would continue with renovating the bought home, so his baby-son Ronnie wouldn't have to grow up in the same dangerous area like little Gus .....

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Considering that the boy allegedly played in the sand
how come the boy's footprints and handprints were not discovered there?



IMO
if left undisturbed they can last for several days,
judging by sandboxes in my local playground for children.

Lots of traces of kids playing there to see.

JMO

Because sand pits that are regularly played in by children are clean, loose sand. The sand piles around the station house had been there for some time and had become compacted - so much so that the one we were shown originally had well-established vegetation growing on it.

 

[jessicalouise]

Your posts resonate with me.

Moo there's no logic behind people/members of the public making judgements that the grandparents/parents 'should' undertake some sort of emotionally charged media appearance to 'plea' for their grandson/son. What for?

I think the police are very confident that this was not an abduction. Why do people want to see the pain of this poor, suffering family on full display? To no purpose?

Culturally and Imo, Australia is not on a par with media traditions in the US (not quite yet anyway) and as for other cases in Aust, Gus' circumstances differ vastly/are not comparable with disappearances such as Cleo Smith and William Tyrell. Moo

Besides it being unnecessary from an investigative POV, if those closest to the family have been quoted accurately and in correct context by the Daily F..Mail, then we know that these suffering family members are stoic and private. Being private, to me, can also describe people who are reserved in relaying their emotional states, trauma, grief...they are not inclined to reveal or show their deepest emotional experiences to others, even those they are closest too. A private person does not have to be a-social or introverted. Semantics are are just that, but I understand that this is what those locals who know this family mean by them being private/ stoic. Jmo

Moo I believe the police have searched to a high standard around the actual residence/settlement and interviewed all family members in detail. Imo experienced detectives...it would be a rare grandparent or parent who could or would 'cover up' an accident etc. Moo, the police have no suspicions along those lines at all.

It's that old philosophical question...if a tree falls in the woods, did it still fall if I didn't see or hear it? Just because we have no media coverage of the detailed searches and investigation, does that mean they haven't happened??

Re the photo; jmo it's sufficient... I agree it's adequate for showing little Gus' face.

Personally, I say leave the family alone. Police have not implicated them in any way or said they are refusing to do any police requested public 'pleading'.

I don't know if i agree with that. I would have thought that when there are cases that may or may not involve family and may or may not involve foul play it would actually be in the police's interest (less so the public) for them to have the family speak to the media publicly. Seeing how they behave/what they say can give insight/clues to LE especially in the context of an investigation.

People are always going to have their opinions regardless but its not so much for us at home if you really think about it.

We know for a fact, because its been stated as such, that police haven't definitively ruled out something other than simply walking off and going missing. That's just the main theory they're going with and their main line of investigation that they're putting resources behind. There's actually no evidence he wandered off, but there's also no evidence of foul play, and there's no evidence he was kidnapped. That's the thing about this case that's driving people to wrack their brains: no evidence of anything at all (that the public are aware of anyway.)

And there's actually a bit of gaslighting going on regarding this case and people's reactions to it. If a child goes missing under someone's watch (anyone's watch, this isnt personal, children go missing in people's care all the time) and cannot be found anywhere by multiple means (land search, air search, drone, thermal, dogs, indigenous trackers) that really does deserve some scrutiny because at the end of the day the goal should be to find that child and recover their remains.

 

[Dotta]

Because sand pits that are regularly played in by children are clean, loose sand. The sand piles around the station house had been there for some time and had become compacted - so much so that the one we were shown originally had well-established vegetation growing on it.

Hmmm....

Wasn't it reported
the boy used a little shovel to play in the sand?

So...
I guess,
at least SOME traces should be left there.

Or is this pile of sand as hard as a rock???

JMO

 

[Dotta]

I don't know if i agree with that. I would have thought that when there are cases that may or may not involve family and may or may not involve foul play it would actually be in the police's interest (less so the public) for them to have the family speak to the media publicly. Seeing how they behave/what they say can give insight/clues to LE especially in the context of an investigation.

People are always going to have their opinions regardless but its not so much for us at home if you really think about it.

We know for a fact, because its been stated as such, that police haven't definitively ruled out something other than simply walking off and going missing. That's just the main theory they're going with and their main line of investigation that they're putting resources behind. There's actually no evidence he wandered off, but there's also no evidence of foul play, and there's no evidence he was kidnapped. That's the thing about this case that's driving people to wrack their brains: no evidence of anything at all (that the public are aware of anyway.)

And there's actually a bit of gaslighting going on regarding this case and people's reactions to it. If a child goes missing under someone's watch (anyone's watch, this isnt personal, children go missing in people's care all the time) and cannot be found anywhere by multiple means (land search, air search, drone, thermal, dogs, indigenous trackers) that really does deserve some scrutiny because at the end of the day the goal should be to find that child and recover their remains.

Exactly

The most important is Gus!!!

The little 4-year-old boy who vanished
while being AT HOME/home property
- the place which should be the most secure for children.

He is the one we all should focus upon.
And what happened to him.
People just don't vanish into thin air.

JMO

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Hmmm....

Wasn't it reported
the boy used a little shovel to play in the sand?

So...
I guess,
at least SOME traces should be left there.

Or is this pile of sand as hard as a rock???

JMO

I would imagine that there was some loose material at the base of the pile, enough for a small child to push a toy spade into and turn over.

What "traces" do you think would or should be left? Even if there was a small foot or shoe print there's nothing to say it would have been left that day. It could be weeks old.

I suspect that this isn't really a sand heap but rather a pile of the local soil comprising gravel and smaller sandy soil particles that had had a considerable time to settle and therefore was indeed pretty solid.

 

[Ellery84]

He is the one we all should focus upon.
And what happened to him.
People just don't vanish into thin air.

I haven't given up.