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

[Ellery84]

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As an aside, I responded to the OP's post that I don't believe the DM or any other media were at the actual homestead and most likely not on the property at all on the Friday when the dam was drained. Jmo

I agree. I don't think Ms Bray returned to the property proper again.

Imo

 

[Kemug]

Can we stop talking about the gun incident. There's going to be no winners in this argument. Just arguing.

Unfortunately this is what tends to happen when a case/crime/incident/tragedy happens, and then stalls, with no further information to discuss.

 

[drsleuth]

I agree. I don't think Ms Bray returned to the property proper again.

Imo

Yes she did , going by her own words in this video

The first part of the video shows her driving on the Thursday ( day before dam was drained ) Jonica is wearing a beige & white striped dress.

Than later in the video she is wearing shorts & Blue & white striped top ( approx 5mins ) , it's Friday & she says " we are going to follow the convoy now up to the homestead & cover this story as it unfolds" " Just driving up to the oak park property now........" ( 5min 28 secs )

That's the way I see it anyway.

 

[Ellery84]

Yes she did , going by her own words in this video

The first part of the video shows her driving on the Thursday ( day before dam was drained ) Jonica is wearing a beige & white striped dress.

Than later in the video she is wearing shorts & Blue & white striped top ( approx 5mins ) , it's Friday & she says " we are going to follow the convoy now up to the homestead & cover this story as it unfolds" " Just driving up to the oak park property now........" ( 5min 28 secs )

That's the way I see it anyway.

The road to the property is a public road.

My guess is she went fairly close but made sure of what the boundary was to the property and did not cross the property boundary.

The reason I say this is it's trespassing if you're asked to leave a property as a journalist and you leave and return within 24 hours.

So whilst she may have driven out on the public road close to the property, it does not mean she went into the property on the day that the dam was drained.

imo

PS, I don't know how or why my text changed to red!!

 

[drsleuth]

The road to the property is a public road.

My guess is she went fairly close but made sure of what the boundary was to the property and did not cross the property boundary.

The reason I say this is it's trespassing if you're asked to leave a property as a journalist and you leave and return within 24 hours.

So whilst she may have driven out on the public road close to the property, it does not mean she went into the property on the day that the dam was drained.

imo

PS, I don't know how or why my text changed to red!!

I agree I don't think she went "on" the property.

But still, I don't think it was the best decision to go back again after how the day before went. If it was me I would not be wanting to further upset the family, if they saw me.

I guess her priority is the story & not the families wishes / trauma on what must have been a horrible day for them.

Sure it might be a public road & she has a legal right to drive on it, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should IMO

A bit of sensitivity would be nice to see.

IMO

 

[Andreee]

I agree I don't think she went "on" the property.

But still, I don't think it was the best decision to go back again after how the day before went. If it was me I would not be wanting to further upset the family, if they saw me.

I guess her priority is the story & not the families wishes / trauma on what must have been a horrible day for them.

Sure it might be a public road & she has a legal right to drive on it, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should IMO

A bit of sensitivity would be nice to see.

 

[Ellery84]

I guess her priority is the story & not the families wishes / trauma on what must have been a horrible day for them.

I'm not sure but I'm assuming the priority of every reporter covering the story is they would like to know what happened to Gus.

Imo

On a personal note, I also would like to know what happened to Gus and I'm curious so I want to know the who what where why and how of what was going on in the minutes, hours and days before he went missing.

I think as Sleuths we would all want to solve the mystery and see Gus returned safely to his family.

Imo

 

[Andreee]

Yes she did , going by her own words in this video

The first part of the video shows her driving on the Thursday ( day before dam was drained ) Jonica is wearing a beige & white striped dress.

Than later in the video she is wearing shorts & Blue & white striped top ( approx 5mins ) , it's Friday & she says " we are going to follow the convoy now up to the homestead & cover this story as it unfolds" " Just driving up to the oak park property now........" ( 5min 28 secs )

That's the way I see it anyway.

I'm not sure but I'm assuming the priority of every reporter covering the story is they would like to know what happened to Gus.

Imo

By the way, the main Oak road is a ways from the buildings on the homestead and their private driveways so of course the DM was trespassing. They were obviously on the property judging by the videos and photos.

 

[Ellery84]

of course the DM was trespassing.

Do you have a link to back up your assertions here?

How do you know or why would you think the reporter went any closer than the public road?

Imo

 

[JLZ]

I agree I don't think she went "on" the property.

But still, I don't think it was the best decision to go back again after how the day before went. If it was me I would not be wanting to further upset the family, if they saw me.

I guess her priority is the story & not the families wishes / trauma on what must have been a horrible day for them.

Sure it might be a public road & she has a legal right to drive on it, but just because you can, doesn't mean you should IMO

A bit of sensitivity would be nice to see.

IMO

If Jonica was calling out from Oak Park Road, that's at least 290 metres from the house. Maybe she had a megaphone.

 

[Andreee]

Do you have a link to back up your assertions here?

How do you know or why would you think the reporter went any closer than the public road?

It is my opinion. Defending the DM at all costs is getting non-productive. Whereas missing Gus should be the main subject, not the DM duo lol. Nothing more to say about it at this point for me. Moving on.

 

[Andreee]

If Jonica was calling out from Oak Park Road, that's at least 290 metres from the house. Maybe she had a megaphone.

I think Josie just talks loudly.

 

[Ellery84]

If Jonica was calling out from Oak Park Road, that's at least 290 metres from the house. Maybe she had a megaphone.

Day 1; the DMA media visited Oak Park homestead. Saw gun. Retreated, left property.

Day 2; the DMA media reported from the road somewhere whilst police were draining the dam.

That is my understanding.

Imo

Obviously, you don't door knock with a megaphone. You knock the door.

Imo

 

[JLZ]

Day 1; the DMA media visited Oak Park homestead. Saw gun. Retreated, left property.

Day 2; the DMA media reported from the road somewhere whilst police were draining the dam.

That is my understanding.

Imo

Obviously, you don't door knock with a megaphone. You knock the door.

Imo

OK, thanks. So people who are saying Jonica wasn't on the property are talking about Day 2? I must have lost focus along the way.

 

[Ellery84]

OK, thanks. So people who are saying Jonica wasn't on the property are talking about Day 2? I must have lost focus along the way.

Yep

 

[BreakingNews]

In Australia, 'The Property' refers to the entire estate, not just the homestead. 'The Homestead' is how we refer the main house area.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yes your property is not only your house, it's also any buildings, and everything else, including the land.

 

[Ellery84]

In Australia, 'The Property' refers to the entire estate, not just the homestead. 'The Homestead' is how we refer the main house area.

That's how I would define those terms also.

 

[Serononin]

I really feel for little Ronnie - not right now, but in the future when he's more aware.

I feel for him now, too poor little guy can probably sense that his family are hurting and stressed to the max, but can't understand why

 

[Total_C]

This thread keeps circling on Jonica and whether she was trespassing. I covered that in a previous post, no one was charged and the legal elements were not met, so there is nothing useful to be gained by rearguing it.

What I want to talk about is why someone would go out there in the first place. I read a heap of missing child cases overnight and the pattern is striking. Families are frantic and front and centre, timelines get laid out fast, photos are released within hours, everyone mobilises together. That is how most genuine wander off cases look.

This one does not look like that.

We do not have clear confirmed timing.
We do not have key facts confirmed by police.
We do not have the family out front begging for help.
We did not get a photo released straight away.

That absence is notable. It is not proof of anything but it is a deviation from the pattern and deviations deserve attention.

If my four year old vanished I would petition the devil himself to come and help search.

Jonica going there makes sense to me. If you have been reading timelines and press statements and you get that same sick feeling that something does not line up, you go and look. You ask questions. You try to piece the timeline together.

I would much rather we stop bashing reporters for asking the questions we all want answered and bring the conversation back to the case itself. The timeline, the communication gaps, the behaviour patterns. That is where the real focus should be.