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

[Dotta]

I would love to be privy to this conversation the police/detectives are having in these photos.
Hoping they find Gus soon.

I bet
it was NOT a small talk

JMO

 

[linge]

I have no idea about Australia or particularly sheep stations in Australia, but it's conceivable that it's not easy to get good reliable farmhands? Possibly also not good reliable farmhands for a pittance? Just a consideration, I've no idea whether the Murrays are able or willing to pay well or not.
MOO

Considering how much early public statements emphasized how private they are, it's also possible they just emphatically don't want someone from outside the family working so close with them (and likely also living on the property with them). Even a sorely needed employee being housed in a separate building (whether there's already a suitable one built on the property or not). Something to consider in addition to the possibility of just not being able to afford wages.

Also, though they're both elderly and only getting older, it's possible they're both still pretty strong and in good health. While SM does look somewhat frail in the few recent pictures we've seen of her, that isn't necessarily indicative of her physical condition so much as mental/emotional state, IMO.

 

[seasideForest]

It really blows my mind
that such massive land is owned privately
and so few residents to work on it.
Look at grandmothers at Oak Station, both over 70 and only their daughter helping.
It seems young people prefer bustling cities.

JMO

Farming is a hard life, it's not for everybody. No 9-5 and weekends off or anything predictable like that. Plus it's not always easy for a younger farming family (related or not) to move in with an older farming family to keep the farm going.

There are undoubtedly younger people who do NOT prefer bustling cities, but would maybe prefer a different farm or a different older farming family to work with. btw, I help on a small but varied European farm where a younger family has been in the process of taking on the farm for the past 8 years, so I do have some idea of what I am talking about.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

It's "outdoor toilet" or dunny. Or other names which I won't say.

They're never called outhouses here.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

In all of this, there's really only been 4 adult family members - Jess and Josh, Josie and Shannon. Police continue to heavily stress that Gus' parents are co-operating and are not suspects. Time and time again they reiterate this. However, when it comes to the grandparents, they tend to tip toe around the names. They initially wouldn't mention which grandparent was considered a suspect, in fact they wouldn't even say it was a grandparent. By process of elimination, it was deemed to be a grandparent. Now they're doing the same with this second family member who's withdrawn support - and still stating Gus' parents are in the clear. Why the "secrecy" around the grandparents, given that we all know it's the grandparents? What do they hope to gain by not stating the obvious? It's like a really obvious game of charades. It's like me trying to describe my husband without saying the word husband. I'd just say the man I married. Clearly a male spouse is a husband. It's like adding 1 plus 1. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the answer is 2. Were they hoping a crack would appear, and they'd turn on each other? Narrowing it down to the twosome and hoping they'd out themselves. Divide and conquer?

 

[seasideForest]

Considering how much early public statements emphasized how private they are, it's also possible they just emphatically don't want someone from outside the family working so close with them (and likely also living on the property with them). Even a sorely needed employee being housed in a separate building (whether there's already a suitable one built on the property or not). Something to consider in addition to the possibility of just not being able to afford wages.

Oh absolutely.
As I wrote in another post, it's not a 9-5 job. You're not just working with the other farmers, you're living with them. Even if they're sleeping in a separate building, they might still be sharing a kitchen. It's just not quite as easy as non-farming people may think.

 

[Dotta]

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens

" 'Ithink it’s reasonably foreseeable
that we will be visiting Oak Park quite frequently over the coming months
as we continue our investigation
as well as visiting surrounding locations
in the vicinity of the residence'."

YES!!!

Police to return to Oak Park 'frequently' in search for Gus Lamont

SA's Police Commissioner says officers will be returning to Oak Park station frequently in the coming months as they continue their investigation into the disappearance of Gus Lamont.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Puzzles]

If I were a caring neighbour, or a friend, I wouldn't know how to support Gus's mum and dad as they grieve the loss of their beautiful little guy.

And now, with his disappearance a major crime investigation, every waking moment of their mourning agony is poisoned by the terror they feel as they imagine exactly what happened to him, perpetrated by whom.

If one day they read here, may they feel warmth and solace, if only for a moment, knowing that we, along with myriad strangers throughout the world, grieve with them, and for them, and hold them in our hearts.

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/sa-police-commissioner-gives-update-on-search-for-4yo-gus-lamont/news-story/b684cc5e3a4a5a707cf2051566522403

Following a renewed search effort at Oak Park Station this week, which did not uncover any new evidence, Mr Stevens said he expected the investigation would likely be “a long haul” for police.

“Sadly, I think the case of Gus Lamont is going to feature quite frequently in the news cycle as Major Crime continue to do their work,” he told Adelaide’s FIVEAA on Wednesday.


“As everyone knows, we’ve declared it a major crime – we have a particular focus of that investigation, and we’ll be spending more time up there and on the taskforce looking at this disappearance.

“Right from the outset, when we were first notified of Gus’s disappearance, we’ve always said we are exploring every possibility and that remains the case – even with a refined focus in the investigation – that all possibilities are being explored.

“All potential circumstances are being investigated. There’s a lot of work to do and Major Crime will keep doing it.”

The cadaver dog searched a shearing shed, and the area with freshly poured concrete had only been poured in the months after Gus’ disappearance.

Police have searched the neighbouring properties during the previous months.

 

[seasideForest]

View attachment 646075

" 'Ithink it’s reasonably foreseeable
that we will be visiting Oak Park quite frequently over the coming months
as we continue our investigation
as well as visiting surrounding locations
in the vicinity of the residence'."

YES!!!

Police to return to Oak Park 'frequently' in search for Gus Lamont

SA's Police Commissioner says officers will be returning to Oak Park station frequently in the coming months as they continue their investigation into the disappearance of Gus Lamont.

www.abc.net.au

That policeman sure doesn't look very happy, putting it mildly. OK, could be just stressed and tired, but... MOO

 

[drsleuth]

I have trouble with catching my breath
with all recent twists and revelations!

Phew!

SAPOL are working with a vengeance.
YES!!!
Good job

As for the latest info
Raise a hand who is surprised???

NOT me!!!!

JMO

What are you surprised at inparticular??

 

[TootsieFootsie]

It's very common for outdoor toilets here to have a concrete floor.

Much more common than having a wooden floor.

 

[Dotta]

What are you surprised at inparticular??

At the sudden speed things are proceeding now
after months of apparent stagnancy.

After all,
Gus disappeared nearly 5 months ago!

 

[linge]

Farming is a hard life, it's not for everybody. No 9-5 and weekends off or anything predictable like that. Plus it's not always easy for a younger farming family (related or not) to move in with an older farming family to keep the farm going.

There are undoubtedly younger people who do NOT prefer bustling cities, but would maybe prefer a different farm or a different older farming family to work with. btw, I help on a small but varied European farm where a younger family has been in the process of taking on the farm for the past 8 years, so I do have some idea of what I am talking about.

Definitely. It's also a hard life for younger people who weren't born into a farming/ranching family to break into. Quite a steep learning curve to get it to a point where it's even remotely profitable (or even just paying for itself), a ton of capital upfront needed to get started (land, equipment, outbuildings, fencing, livestock, veterinary care, and on and on and on), and often increasingly convoluted regulations and bureaucracy to navigate. So as you said, it tends to involve moving in with an older, experienced family who already have the things needed in place, learning from them, and taking over the farm when they're ready. And as you also said, there are challenges with that and personal conflicts that come with having to live and work together in close quarters can sink the whole thing, Jess herself being a good example. She may be happy to take over the station and keep everything running when the time comes, but it sounds like for quite some time she's been torn between that and the family she's started with a man who doesn't get along with one of her parents and so isn't welcome there. MOO.

 

[drsleuth]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/twoday-search-for-missing-gus-lamont-concludes-with-no-evidence-found-after-detectives-scour-familys-second-property-and-outhouse/news-story/5394b8dac4c27eec2bed9205e2457b28?amp

Paywalled

Article states that a sheep station & outhouse, that was searched is owned by the Lamont family.

 

[cckp72]

SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens

View attachment 646075

" 'Ithink it’s reasonably foreseeable
that we will be visiting Oak Park quite frequently over the coming months
as we continue our investigation
as well as visiting surrounding locations
in the vicinity of the residence'."

YES!!!

Police to return to Oak Park 'frequently' in search for Gus Lamont

SA's Police Commissioner says officers will be returning to Oak Park station frequently in the coming months as they continue their investigation into the disappearance of Gus Lamont.

www.abc.net.au

The 2 family members who are not mom and dad, could do the right thing and tell authorities where he is. I suspect they won't which is like rubbing salt on a wound

 

[essareem]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/twoday-search-for-missing-gus-lamont-concludes-with-no-evidence-found-after-detectives-scour-familys-second-property-and-outhouse/news-story/5394b8dac4c27eec2bed9205e2457b28?amp

Paywalled

Article states that a sheep station & outhouse, that was searched is owned by the Lamont family.

WHAT!!

My goodness, what is going on here. How come we never knew?

 

[drsleuth]

At the sudden speed things are proceeding now
after months of apparent stagnancy.

After all,
Gus disappeared nearly 5 months ago!

Cleary it's never been stagnant & they ( police ) have been working very hard all along, just quietly going about their business, while people on SM were saying they had given up.

 

[drsleuth]

WHAT!!

My goodness, what is going on here. How come we never knew?

Might be an error??

 

[Springs4]

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/twoday-search-for-missing-gus-lamont-concludes-with-no-evidence-found-after-detectives-scour-familys-second-property-and-outhouse/news-story/5394b8dac4c27eec2bed9205e2457b28?amp

Paywalled

Article states that a sheep station & outhouse, that was searched is owned by the Lamont family.

I can't read the article but I would think the property they are referring to is actually owned by Shannon Murrays family (her maternal aunt)