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

[Kemug]

Yes, confirmed family members were the only ones on the property, but LE has already stated that the parents of Gus were not involved. So that only leaves the 2 grandparents as potentially involved. Perhaps only one of them, who knows?

But haven't they both lawyered up?

 

[Detechtive]

But haven't they both lawyered up?

Yes but it’s pretty normal to lawyer up if you’re not guilty but are an informant for the police against your partner, IMO

All that to say, lawyering up is smart and it’s definitely not a sign of guilt, IMO.

 

[SLouTh]

But haven't they both lawyered up?

Yes and both with very experienced criminal barristers …. Which is interesting considering only one suspect was mentioned today ….. was the Presser today to put pressure on one or both of them ???.

JMO

 

[Detechtive]

Yes and both with very experienced criminal barristers …. Which is interesting considering only one suspect was mentioned today ….. was the Presser today to put pressure on one or both of them ???.

JMO

I think it definitely was a police strategy to ‘encourage’ chatter / reactions.

The 14/15th Jan search warrant probably included some well placed listening devices, IMO. Today’s presser was probably a part of that strategy to tease out information, IMO.

Still, though, I doubt they would have done that without some solid proof of guilt

iMO

 

[Lucy6226]

I'm of the opinion that Gus died under Shannon's care while Josie and Jessica were working on the station elsewhere.

When Josie and Jessica came back. Shannon has told Josie in private what happened. This would prove that Jessica never knew about what actually happened.

RSBM
I agree with this theory.

If there was an accident, the vast majority of people will call an ambulance. Your brain usually can't accept immediately that it's too late and tries to seek help. My opinion.
I guess there are circumstances where that's not true, but I doubt whatever happened was Gus falling from a height or similar. It had to be bad, which is so tragic.

I guess it would take a long time for any ambulance crew including helicopter to get out there to them, they are very remote. Maybe they thought it better to deal with 'in house'. Then realised there'd be a whole host of issue because Gus was about to start school soon. By then it was too late and they came up with the wandering off story. All speculation. (I'm using they as a gender pronoun, because we don't know who the individual responsible is)

ATM I speculate that JM is suspect in the disappearance of Gus (disposing of body), not suspected of deliberately hurting Gus and killing him. The presser and declaration of a suspect may also have the effect of putting SM under pressure to come clean in a scenario where the police are certain Gus disappeared under SM's watch.

In this scenario Police would need to be satisfied Gus was at the homestead and alive and well that day and JM and JL did leave Gus in the care of SM. They would need to be satisfied JL returned to the homestead with JM where SM then said Gus was missing etc. Moo

If Gus did die under SM's watch then it could have been an accident or reckless manslaughter. IMO the police can't know CoD or MoD without a body and explanations by the person responsible or the person who was present if Gus died in a tragic accident.. All Speculation and Moo.

Agreed. I think this is what likely occurred IMO

 

[VerityGumshoe]

Is that the discrepancy, that one says they were together at the time of interest and the other says they weren't?

Could be that.

 

[katydid23]

That would mean Gus' mother was involved ... and the police say she wasn't.

But it could have happened late the night before, and Jess wouldn't have known. She could have been tricked by the Grandparents---that morning she fed her baby early and assumed Gus was still sleeping. And Josie said let's get an early start on mending the outer fences ---and Jess would have no idea....

Meanwhile, the night before while she was sleeping, something bad happened---maybe an accident or a punishment gone wrong. And the evidence and the body was whisked away before daylight?

 

[katydid23]

I do find it hard to see how this could have happened without the mother finding out about it though.
Wouldn't both the grandparents have been devastated/behaving strangely even if they were 'only' trying to cover up an accident?

Maybe not, if they were careful not to get caught, they'd try to act somewhat normal, to escape going to prison for life.

 

[Dotta]

This case is heartbreaking

But the latest development is not surprising to me, unfortunately.

From the beginning something was off,
to put it mildly!!!

For me the red flag was the situation with a photo.
The delay.
Especially in times when families have hundreds of kids' photos on their phones.

I remember reading the recent reports at 4 months' milestone
and Police's ambiguous language.
Something big was going to happen.

And it did!

Justice for sweet Gus!!!!

JMO

 

[Detechtive]

But it could have happened late the night before, and Jess wouldn't have known. She could have been tricked by the Grandparents---that morning she fed her baby early and assumed Gus was still sleeping. And Josie said let's get an early start on mending the outer fences ---and Jess would have no idea....

Meanwhile, the night before while she was sleeping, something bad happened---maybe an accident or a punishment gone wrong. And the evidence and the body was whisked away before daylight?

I can’t remember what I have read on social media or main stream media about this case so I will preface this comment with an “IMO”.

Speculation: Allegedly there were some mental health issues associated with Gus’ mum, which, if true, could involve some sedative type medication at night.

In today’s presser, the police made an explicit point to specifically exclude Gus’ parents as POI and or suspects and I tend to trust the police when they do this.

It’s possible, IMO that a very toxic environment existed around Jess and her husband and the children and ‘control’, and as such, it wouldn’t at all surprise me if your theory is bang on.

iMO

 

[all_things_resolved]

Just curious to know, has it been confirmed if both of the grandparents of Gus are biological or just Shannon?

 

[katydid23]

But haven't they both lawyered up?

Right, both lawyered up but the both need legal help right now--innocent or guilty.

If only one actually harmed the child or covered up an accident, the other is still going to be suspected of being involved.

I think there might be some mutual finger pointing going on soon.

 

[Mauig’ma]

There's another possibility as well. One that I'm leaning towards...

It's possible that Jess and her baby were asleep, the night before Gus was reported missing.

. And something bad happened to little Gus that night---possibly Josie lost her temper and accidentally punished Gus too severely? Or an accident of some kind maybe?

And so the GP'S, or maybe just Josie, disposed of the evidence and the child that night...maybe using the motorbike?


Then early the next morning Jess fed her baby, and she probably thought Gus was still peacefully sleeping? And Josie said "let's get an early start on the furthest fields today---and go mend those outer fences."

And so Jess had no idea. She expected to be back that afternoon to see her 4 yr old for supper.

I like that scenario. Could have happened like that imo

 

[Hexe]

Just curious to know, has it been confirmed if both of the grandparents are biological or just Shannon?

Both.

 

[Mauig’ma]

I am totally heartbroken for Gus’s parents. How God awful to think one Jess’s parents did something horrible to her son. Their grandson. Prayers for both parents

 

[Scooby-Doo]

I am sure the home has been bugged (installed listening or surveillance devices), especially now police declared a major crime, and they have a suspect from the property. A good tactic, which lets them listen in to what is being said and to gather more information

I don't think Gus was ever outside

 

[SLouTh]

Still, though, I doubt they would have done that without some solid proof of guilt

Agree….. Police have some evidence that can be “triangulated” (for want of a better word)
by other hard evidence eg technology, data, etc..

Did you notice in the presser that the Det Inspector mentioned “a number of discrepancies and inconsistencies “ (21:58 in the Presser linked above)

IMO

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I'm of the opinion that Gus died under Shannon's care while Josie and Jessica were working on the station elsewhere.

When Josie and Jessica came back. Shannon has told Josie in private what happened. This would prove that Jessica never knew about what actually happened.

How does this work with the timeline we currently have? If Gus died during the day while Jess and Josie were elsewhere on the station, it means that either:

(1) his body was somehow very effectively concealed by Shannon before they returned at the end of the working day, bearing in mind that she was also looking after Ronnie; or
(2) it was disposed of that evening during the hours when the family was supposedly searching for him and before they first called the police.

If (2) applies, it's difficult to see how Jess could have been kept in ignorance of Gus's death.

How could the baby die under Josie's care without Jessica knowing?

Both grandparents called the police for the initial search.
When the police left, Josie moved the body elsewhere while shannon was at home with Jessica.

If Gus's body was buried or concealed, it would surely have had to be before the police arrived on site since it seems highly unlikely that once they had arrived any of the adults were out of sight of the police other than for very brief periods. Given that the life of a child was ostensibly under imminent threat and searches went on constantly until his survival seemed impossible, I can't see any of the three adults having an opportunity after the police arrived to dispose of a body before decomposition would have set in.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

The police did not say who they think is involved.
They also did not say that Josie or Shannon were not involved.

The phrase that media use is "there is no suggestion etc" is coming from news.com.au.
It's not because they know anything, it's to cover themselves legally.

 

[Detechtive]

That article also states

"There is no suggestion that Josie or Shannon Murray were involved in Gus’ disappearance."

Yes but that’s a typical liability disclaimer imo.