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

[AmoryK]

Also, imo, one or both grandparents were then worried about losing all contact with the baby sibling. If an accident happened with Gus that was due to negligence, the grandparents would have not only lost Gus, but the newest grand baby that they've fallen in love with as well if they disclosed what happened to Jess and/or Gus' Dad. They were possibly trying their best to cobble together what is now left of their family.

It would also be the end of the homestead being in their family. I doubt Jess would want to help them and take over if there’d been an avoidable accident. The whole future would be different.

 

[katydid23]

Missing toddler's grandparent charged with gun silencer possession​

Josie Murray, grandparent of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont, has been charged with possessing an illegal gun silencer following her arrest on Monday. Major crime police returned to the outback homestead where the toddler disappeared almost five months ago, leading to Murray's arrest on firearms offences.

test Latest breaking news headlines | 7NEWS.com.au

Why would you need a silencer in the outback? No neighbours to hear shots...what is the purpose?

ETA-----just saw a reply that makes sense. I wonder why the potential fine and sentence is so high?

 

[SouthAussie]

Why would you need a silencer in the outback? No neighbours to hear shots...what is the purpose?

The article I posted a few posts ago explains.
(Silencers became illegal without a special permit in 2013 ... I found a copy of the permit application https://www.police.sa.gov.au/__data...plication-to-Acquire-Sound-Moderator-2022.pdf)


"Once upon a time the use of firearms silencers were regarded as sensible and considerate to others as they reduced noise pollution and thereby reduced stress on people, livestock, birds and wild animals in the vicinity. Indeed, I recall from my landowners who had permitted us to rabbit and fox hunt on their property absolutely insisted that silencers were used. A quite adequate silencer could be legally purchased at very low cost. They were not serial numbered nor registerable and there must have been hundreds and hundreds of them if not thousands in South Australia alone."

Firearms Silencers – Don’t get caught out! - Northside Lawyers

Firearm Silencers – don’t get caught out! As criminal lawyers, we have become aware of a significant increase in the number of enquires with us about firearm offences. The South Australian Police do conduct regular firearms safety audits of people with firearms licences, and I believe are doing...

northsidelawyers.com.au

 

[katydid23]

I don't think any of us had silencer on our radar...
They have legitimate use on farms to reduce hearing damage for users.

I wonder why there is such a stiff penalty for a silencer on a station then. 70K fine, possibly 15 yrs in prison? That seems excessive, imo.

 

[SouthAussie]

I wonder why there is such a stiff penalty for a silencer on a station then. 70K fine, possibly 15 yrs in prison? That seems excessive, imo.

We have very tough gun laws in Australia.

I doubt Josie would get anywhere near the maximum penalty - being a landholder who might have had a legitimate use for the silencer in the past, when they were legal.

 

[jepop]

The police have a suspect in Gus' disappearance and presumed death. At present there are no arrests and no charges.

The firearms charges are categorically stated by police as unrelated to the current investigation into Gus' disappearance and presumed death. This means police are clearly communicating the charges have nothing to do with the major crime which is suspected and currently being investigated. That's what unrelated means. That the charges involve a sound moderator /silencer doesn't change that. I have no difficulty understanding the meaning of unrelated. Jmo

Moo Speculating police strategy as to when it was decided to lay the unrelated firearms charges (if the timing was strategic) is a different conversation Imo.

 

[MIG214222]

From memory @Total_C & @SouthAussie brought us up to speed with the Firearms Act 2015, so to add: section 39—Possession etc of sound moderator and certain parts of firearms - page 45 onwards.

And from a SA dealer/distributor:
Sound Moderators (Silencers, Suppressors) are a prohibited item in SA and will require a pre-approved permit RF1575 to purchase.
In South Australia to apply for a Sound Moderator you must have contract shooter on your licence.
In SA Sound Moderators are an A class firearm. Sound Moderators can be purchased instore only - or transferred to a verified Firearms Sound Moderator dealer SA or interstate. Sound Moderators cannot be posted direct to end users.

Ms

 

[washysmum]

Lots of good reasons to use a silencer on a farm - protecting your hearing is one, avoiding startling pests and livestock another.

All things I didn’t consider at all.

 

[jepop]

I’d also like to see any evidence leading you to this speculation of both the relationship status and how one person has treated the other.

It’s Jess or Jessica by the way.

Not the OP. But to be fair, moo on this thread there is much speculation already on the relationship status of the parents due to select msm posted to the thread (mostly the DM). There have been many posts speculating on the parental relationship based on those 'stories'/reports. Speculation includes a variety of postulates. OP's appears as one more speculation among many, albeit in a different direction to the majority. Jmo What OP postulates on the basis of DM reports is as valid as any other postulation or speculation advanced by others. Jmo

 

[Fantastic]

We have very tough gun laws in Australia.

I doubt Josie would get anywhere near the maximum penalty - being a landholder who might have had a legitimate use for the silencer in the past, when they were legal.

I agree, that sounds reasonable, the history and context are relevant here.

I was thinking is the arrest of Josie on unrelated firearms charges, just an excuse to get her into police custody for interview, hoping she'll talk? They might have evidence or information, they haven't released to the public.

 

[Ellery84]

I agree, that sounds reasonable, the history and context are relevant here.

I was thinking is the arrest of Josie on unrelated firearms charges, just an excuse to get her into police custody for interview, hoping she'll talk? They might have evidence or information, they haven't released to the public.

It feels to me like “zero tolerance policing,” which was a strategy used by the strike force in the William Tyrrell case, in relation to the foster parents.

IMO

I predict the next step will be Task Force Horizon pulling Josie and Shannon into the Crime Commission, (or whatever body or mechanism South Australia has to target organised crime and get actual answers to questions).

That also happened to William Tyrrell’s foster parents, and they were both charged with lying to the NSW Crime Commission. Those charges were never proven.

 

[Ellery84]

From memory @Total_C & @SouthAussie brought us up to speed with the Firearms Act 2015, so to add: section 39—Possession etc of sound moderator and certain parts of firearms - page 45 onwards.

And from a SA dealer/distributor:
Sound Moderators (Silencers, Suppressors) are a prohibited item in SA and will require a pre-approved permit RF1575 to purchase.
In South Australia to apply for a Sound Moderator you must have contract shooter on your licence.
In SA Sound Moderators are an A class firearm. Sound Moderators can be purchased instore only - or transferred to a verified Firearms Sound Moderator dealer SA or interstate. Sound Moderators cannot be posted direct to end users.

Ms

I wonder if Josie had a Class A firearm license?

 

[obscidian_scribe]

I’m also wondering why it was Josie who was charged? I mean, both grandparents live on the property and I expect Shannon too should know how to use firearms considering her outback background? And maybe having some in her name? Why couldn’t she have been the one to be charged with illegal possession of the silencer?

And I was also wondering if they collect fingerprints at the station because of such charges? Could they have needed a pretext to collect Josie’s fingerprints, for example? I’m not familiar with Australian laws.

All moo and speculation.

 

[hoodunnit]

I don't think any of us had silencer on our radar...
They have legitimate use on farms to reduce hearing damage for users.

If they're illegal, they don't.

 

[Bats]

I’m not sure that it was negligence, I’m thinking something more nefarious because otherwise why not just call the police / ambulance

MOO
You see this trait all the time. For example, people who flee the scene of a car accident. I wonder to myself, how could you do that? Just drive off and leave somebody injured or dead on the side of the road....but sadly its not uncommon. Sadly a lot of people find it difficult to admit when they've done something wrong, even when its an accident. It seems in some people's minds, its much easier to run away from or hide the truth.

MOO

 

[Ellery84]

If they're illegal, they don't.

That’s true, and you can by ear muffs from the gun stores to assist with preventing damage to hearing.

 

[Ellery84]

MOO
You see this trait all the time. For example, people who flee the scene of a car accident. I wonder to myself, how could you do that? Just drive off and leave somebody injured or dead on the side of the road....but sadly its not uncommon. Sadly a lot of people find it difficult to admit when they've done something wrong, even when its an accident. It seems in some people's minds, its much easier to run away from or hide the truth.

MOO

Lack of accountability seems to be a thing for some people.

 

[AmoryK]

Perhaps the guns are all in Josie’s name so the silencer was seen to be Josie’s too?

I don’t think the gun is important here. The separation of the two non-cooperators is. That gives each a chance to speak unheard by the other. Maybe not even speak, if loyalty to the other was a concern. Plenty can be communicated non-verbally - for example, likely places to search.

It’s interesting we now have both not cooperating rather than one. Why is this? Misplaced loyalty? Annoyance at the charging of Josie? Fear about consequences?

What I keep thinking is why doesn’t one of them relieve their daughter’s agony and at least indicate where Gus is? Surely their daughter has confronted one or both? To ignore that agony is beyond callous MOO.

 

[ThisOne01]

Is anybody else floored by how SAPOL are handling this? Very selective and methodical. They haven’t named anybody and have genuinely “appeared” to be in full support of the family where a child had wandered off. They would have looked at the family first and had their own suspicions, but as a box ticking exercise they have had to explore other avenues thoroughly to be able to rule them out.

The grandparents have blood on their hands on one way or another, opinion based on two people now not cooperating and the parents have been ruled out. If they can rule out the parents, don’t you think they know. But there’s no body so it’s very challenging with the little they have.

I hope we get a breakthrough over the next 2 weeks.

NB: firearms act lets police enter a property without a warrant. They have their thinking caps on.

 

[Sarahlou]

Perhaps the guns are all in Josie’s name so the silencer was seen to be Josie’s too?

I don’t think the gun is important here. The separation of the two non-cooperators is. That gives each a chance to speak unheard by the other. Maybe not even speak, if loyalty to the other was a concern. Plenty can be communicated non-verbally - for example, likely places to search.

It’s interesting we now have both not cooperating rather than one. Why is this? Misplaced loyalty? Annoyance at the charging of Josie? Fear about consequences?

What I keep thinking is why doesn’t one of them relieve their daughter’s agony and at least indicate where Gus is? Surely their daughter has confronted one or both? To ignore that agony is beyond callous MOO.

Exactly. And that (amongst other things) suggests to me this was no accident. They are callous enough to let the daughter suffer all this time.