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

[SouthAussie]

For me the fact Gus didn’t live full time at the station changes things in my mind slightly. There was talk about how farm kids are adventurous, brave, independent and used to the bush etc. if Gus isn’t as familiar as people thought an accident could be more likely. Lots of machinery and vehicles around that would attract him and he wouldn’t know the danger. It is still feasible he is trapped/hidden somewhere just not found. Also IMO this would make him less likely to wander off into the unknown.
Just wondering also, I assume the police used cadaver or blood dogs? I’ve not seen any mention of them only scent tracking. If Gus had been killed accidentally or not a dog would pick that up I thought?

I haven't read about cadaver dogs at the homestead. But then we had no idea the search on the 14th/15th January took place. It is possible the police sneaked a cadaver dog in when they forensically searched the property.

The police either kept that 14th/15th search well under the radar (somehow), or the media and locals were asked to keep quiet.

imo

 

[Detechtive]

For me the fact Gus didn’t live full time at the station changes things in my mind slightly. There was talk about how farm kids are adventurous, brave, independent and used to the bush etc. if Gus isn’t as familiar as people thought an accident could be more likely. Lots of machinery and vehicles around that would attract him and he wouldn’t know the danger. It is still feasible he is trapped/hidden somewhere just not found. Also IMO this would make him less likely to wander off into the unknown.
Just wondering also, I assume the police used cadaver or blood dogs? I’ve not seen any mention of them only scent tracking. If Gus had been killed accidentally or not a dog would pick that up I thought?

His father’s home was also a vast rural property. If he was in machinery or local buildings he would have been found.

The first thing police would have deployed in the dark is heat seeking technology via drone or helicopter on the night he went missing. If he was alive that night, they would have got a hit within quite a small radius because there is a mathematical limit on how far he could have wandered within 3 hours. Not far with little legs.

It was always preposterous that people thought he wandered off. The police would have doubted it too, immediately.

IMO

 

[Megnut]

Not possible at this point; the land has been throughly searched. The area is not populated. Not a ton of predators in the area, all signs point to one person, as per LE statements. There is foul play involved, only ending that makes sense unfortunately

Yes.

The discrepancies in the timeline aren't consistent with being left unattended for 30 minutes and wandering away IMO.

So then one must ask, why?

What is being covered up?

If you don't have reason to lie, you don't lie.

Someone is lying.

It's that simple.

JMO

 

[MelmothTheLost]

For me the fact Gus didn’t live full time at the station changes things in my mind slightly.

Agreed. For one thing, it helps to explain why there were so few outdoor toys in the photos we've seen of the homestead.

Secondly, it seems possible that Jess took the kids there for a limited period, say a few days, to help out with some specific jobs on the station - hence the reports of her and Josie being away from the homestead repairing fences and similar on the day on which Gus reportedly went missing. As such, there probably wasn't as organised a process for keeping an eye on Gus as there would have been if he was fully living there, ie perhaps Shannon lost track of time or forgot for a while that she was supposed to be looking after him.

Thirdly, it puts to bed previous speculation that Jess's contact with Gus was limited in some way.

Fourthly, it suggests that Gus's development would have been monitored by the paediatric health professionals in a way that would have been much more consistent than had he been resident at the station. It therefore sounds as though his life was much more "normal" than we previously thought.

 

[SouthAussie]

Agreed. For one thing, it helps to explain why there were so few outdoor toys in the photos we've seen of the homestead.

Secondly, it seems possible that Jess took the kids there for a limited period, say a few days, to help out with some specific jobs on the station - hence the reports of her and Josie being away from the homestead repairing fences and similar on the day on which Gus reportedly went missing. As such, there probably wasn't as organised a process for keeping an eye on Gus as there would have been if he was fully living there, ie perhaps Shannon lost track of time or forgot for a while that she was supposed to be looking after him.

Thirdly, it puts to bed previous speculation that Jess's contact with Gus was limited in some way.

Fourthly, it suggests that Gus's development would have been monitored by the paediatric health professionals in a way that would have been much more consistent than had he been resident at the station. It therefore sounds as though his life was much more "normal" than we previously thought.

Just to add ... if they were mostly living in Adelaide, that could have meant a 3½ hour drive to Yunta - when Jess needed to work there.

If they were all planning to move to Belalie North, once the house was fixed up enough, they would only have been about 1 & 1/4 hours from Yunta.

Huge difference in travel for a commuter relationship. Probably adding even more normalcy for their family - especially as Gus was meant to start pre-school. Less time away from Josh for them all.

imo

 

[Detechtive]

Either way, charges of child neglect should have been brought forth earlier. Who leaves a 4 year old outside in the bush? "Go play in the dirt"? Really?!

I don't like it when children "dissappear", and there are no charges at all. Come on...someone was supposedly in charge of the child. And if not, charge who should have been.

Right? Even if we go by the (probably false) narrative that Gus was unsupervised for 30+ minutes at 4 years old on a rural properly full of quite serious dangers (machinery, mine shafts, foxes, snakes, dams, etc) there should be a charge. Grief or no grief, it’s at the very best negligence, IMO

 

[Megnut]

So what happened to Gus? Maybe what started as a coverstory because of a genuine accident snowballed, and once the vast searches began, felt they couldn't come clean?

What could have happened?

He did wander off, unsupervised, was located and was over-disciplined (abused) with fatal results? Did he drown? In a pond, in a bathing tub? Scolded? Injuries that led to hiding his body?

When? The night before? The morning of? At any time while two adults were in the field and only one at the home? Where was Gus hidden? Was he moved? How many times?

Is one of the grandparents cooperating with the police now? We know one isn't.

May justice hit hard...

And may Gus be located so he can have a proper burial.

JMO

 

[statt#1]

So what happened to Gus? Maybe what started as a coverstory because of a genuine accident snowballed, and once the vast searches began, felt they couldn't come clean?

What could have happened?

He did wander off, unsupervised, was located and was over-disciplined (abused) with fatal results? Did he drown? In a pond, in a bathing tub? Scolded? Injuries that led to hiding his body?

When? The night before? The morning of? At any time while two adults were in the field and only one at the home? Where was Gus hidden? Was he moved? How many times?

Is one of the grandparents cooperating with the police now? We know one isn't.

May justice hit hard...

And may Gus be located so he can have a proper burial.

JMO

I have a bad feeling that when the truth comes out it 1. will be shocking, and 2. will have little to nothing to do with or related to the original story told.

 

[RedHaus]

I watched the presser thanks for posting it slouth! So impressed by the imagery obtained. Wow! I felt like this image in particular of person on motorbike was shown to send a strong message. The hair colour looks like SM, imo View attachment 642059

I agree! And that is likely the motorcycle currently being forensically analyzed, IMO.

If LE can get that level of detailed imagery on that particular moment in time, the subliminal message sent to the suspect(s) could be, 'We have this imagery for any day or night we care to analyze.'

Additionally, me thinks motorcycle head lights could be picked up at night by what I presume is sophisticated satellite imagery. A single head light anywhere on the two properties SM and JM care for, around the time Gus was reported missing, could be telling and may lead to Gus.

ETA: clarifying words

 

[Megnut]

JMO but it's not trespassing to walk up to someone's front door with the intention of speaking to them. If asked to leave, you leave. If you don't leave, that's trespassing. If you cap out in someone's yard, even to get s scoop, that's trespassing. IMO this wasn't that.

She didn't know they would say no. In fact, maybe she thought they would welcome an opportunity to tell their side of the story. Report on the human side of things.

A No Trespassing/No Media might have been a better sign --

I can't speak for the journalist in question but 1. that is how journalists score an interview and 2. she couldn't possibly have predicted that she'd met with that particular display.

In light of the newest information from the presser, that aggressive stance looks even worse.

Some of us -- that journalist included IMO -- genuinely wanted Gus found. Seems some people (one or two, depending on how that dynamic played out) did not.

And at this point, if Gus died accidentally and panic led to concealment, why not come clean now, lead LE to his body, and beg for mercy? Unless.... it wasn't accidental.

JMO

 

[statt#1]

My opinion....the raising of the shotgun barrel coupled with the angry voice, the extreme resistance to outside interference, the reluctance to engage media of any kind, the total lack of a public plea of any sort...all these things and a few more led me early on to wager Gus never was on a dirt pile playing and then, at dinner time, with the sun going down on the remote vastness, suddenly decided to wander off into the outback, leaving no trace whatsoever.

 

[Athena Holmes]

I agree! And that is likely the motorcycle currently being forensically analyzed, IMO.

If LE can get that level of detailed imagery on that particular moment in time, the subliminal message sent to the suspect(s) is, 'We have this imagery for any day or night we care to analyze.'

Additionally, me thinks motorcycle head lights could be picked up at night by what I presume is sophisticated satellite imagery. A single head light anywhere on the two properties SM and JM care for, around the time Gus was reported missing, could be telling and may lead to Gus.

ETA: clarifying words

Please could you help me understand this. Does this mean that police have access to satellite imagery that would show activity, such as a motorbike travelling, prior to the child being reported missing? Or is this afterwards? Thanks.

 

[Dotta]

My opinion....the raising of the shotgun barrel coupled with the angry voice, the extreme resistance to outside interference, the reluctance to engage media of any kind, the total lack of a public plea of any sort...all these things and a few more led me early on to wager Gus never was on a dirt pile playing and then, at dinner time, with the sun going down on the remote vastness, suddenly decided to wander off into the outback, leaving no trace whatsoever.

Isn't it strange
that the first public joint statement of these people in this case
is about themselves,
not the missing child?

Or did I miss another statement by them in the beginning?

JMO

 

[Chimera]

Am very late in jumping into this case.
What a beautiful little boy !

Will go back today and try to catch up on the posts... wish me luck.

To cap it off, it sounds like the wandering away has been largely discredited, and one of the grandparents is not cooperating with law enforcement ?
Tia.
Only my opinion.

 

[RedHaus]

Please could you help me understand this. Does this mean that police have access to satellite imagery that would show activity, such as a motorbike travelling, prior to the child being reported missing? Or is this afterwards? Thanks.

First, WELCOME TO WEBSLEUTHS!!

I am only presuming LE used sophisticated satellite data and analyses for their visual data display at the recent presser that showed one human (on a motorcycle) in the search area picked up by their anaysis. Here is an example of how LE and military can use this technology.

Satellite surveillance technology | Engineering | Research Starters | EBSCO Research

<p>Satellite surveillance technology refers to the use of commercially owned and operated Earth-orbiting satellites that capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface. This technology allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct surveillance without being detected by their...

www.ebsco.com

But to answer your question, I have no idea the date and time of that 'snapshot' sample displayed. Did anyone catch that?

So, if my presumption is correct, then that detailed imagery and analysis could, in theory, and hopefully in practice for this case, be analyzed for any point in time that is available to LE in archives.

Further, I wonder if it was this kind of imagery and analyses that helped LE determine someone wasn't where they said they were. Or at the least, the imagery put on display at the presser could put pressure on a suspect or their accomplice(s), to realize their story may be found to be false.

IOW, perhaps detective investigations have become much more sophisticated than when Josie was in LE long ago.

 

[Athena Holmes]

First, WELCOME TO WEBSLEUTHS!!

I am only presuming LE used sophisticated satellite data and analyses for their visual data display at the recent presser that showed one human (on a motorcycle) in the search area picked up by their anaysis. Here is an example of how LE and military can use this technology.

Satellite surveillance technology | Engineering | Research Starters | EBSCO Research

<p>Satellite surveillance technology refers to the use of commercially owned and operated Earth-orbiting satellites that capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface. This technology allows law enforcement and intelligence agencies to conduct surveillance without being detected by their...

www.ebsco.com

But to answer your question, I have no idea the date and time of that 'snapshot' sample displayed. Did anyone catch that?

So, if my presumption is correct, then that detailed imagery and analysis could, in theory, and hopefully in practice for this case, be analyzed for any point in time that is available to LE in archives.

Further, I wonder if it was this kind of imagery and analyses that helped LE determine someone wasn't where they said they were. Or at the least, the imagery put on display at the presser could put pressure on a suspect or their accomplice(s), to realize their story may be found to be false.

IOW, perhaps detective investigations have become much more sophisticated than when Josie was in LE long ago.

Thank you! Nice to 'meet' you! Trying to get my head around satellite surveillance technology now...!

 

[steff13]

For me the fact Gus didn’t live full time at the station changes things in my mind slightly.

Is this a fact? I couldn't read the article but it looked like a neighbor said that they live there? Was it stated by anyone other than the neighbor? If the father wasn't allowed on the grandparents' property, they could still live there but go to visit their father at his home.

 

[Lebowski]

I can't recall the exact words at the presser, something like they have a "very high degree" of confidence Gus did not wander.

I rewatched recently and I'm certain at the time they were saying this, they did also qualify that if new info was to come in to support the wandering theory they would follow it up. So whilst wandering is deemed highly unlikely and investigators have a very high degree of confidence, imo police have not written wandering off at this point in time as in no possibility whatsoever.

Link to presser in a post of mine just up thread. Not sure of time stamp but I did hear this. If requested I'll locate the time stamp but jmo I don't think it's that important.

bbm

an indeed i don't see how they could ever reach that degree of certainty, unless, e.g., they had continuous video of the whole day that never shows him leaving the house.

 

[Lebowski]

Either way, charges of child neglect should have been brought forth earlier. Who leaves a 4 year old outside in the bush? "Go play in the dirt"? Really?!

I don't like it when children "dissappear", and there are no charges at all. Come on...someone was supposedly in charge of the child. And if not, charge who should have been.

no argument there. someone has to be considered responsible for the child.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

This is the case that made me as an Australian join after over a decade of lurking here. Because so many ppl really don’t comprehend the vastness of the outback and the fact no one else could possibly be involved but the person last with Gus.

Do you discount the possibility of him wandering away and becoming lost?

(Of course now with LE's latest announcement it does seem unlikely. But did you discount it from the start?)