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

[Bats]

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.

Weird, I know, but its not impossible they're both innocent in relation to Gus's disappearance.

Anyway...I think lawyers would advise them on what to do regarding cooperation with investigators.

The investigators making an arrest may be due diligence. Having a (minimum manslaughter) suspect with close access to firearms is possibly not so wise.

 

[AmoryK]

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.

That would be understandable if they’d convinced themselves that Gus ‘wandering off’ would be easier for Jess to deal with than the truth. Jess would know no different. But now it’s strongly suggested that that’s not true, to withhold that information is incredibly cruel IMO.

 

[AmoryK]

Even if lawyers did advise them to stay silent, I’d think many people would ignore that in such a case and give a carefully measured amount of information. That is, reveal a location but deny everything else and stick to an agreed story.

 

[AmoryK]

Sorry, Bats - I was responding to your:

Anyway...I think lawyers would advise them on what to do regarding cooperation with investigators.

but I messed up the quote.

 

[TMich6811]

As someone who does fully understand the impact of DV on someone and why they get frozen and afraid -

In any of these situations, that goes out the window as a reasonable reason to not talk when police get involved. At least in their abused mind. I absolutely will not give anyone (this case or others) that understanding when they are now forced into safety because LE are now involved. This is similar to how I see generational trauma cycles - DV and learned abusive behavior does not remove an adults choice and decision making, it’s a factor as to why we got there and the “why” absolutely matters for many reasons. But the silence “why” now that LE is involved is very different that the “why” before they were not

The reality is that if there is DV, one of them is still making a choice to not speak up even though they now have full safety.

Nope. That’s no longer DV, that’s now assisting in a child never being found and never deserving the right to know what happened to him.

And even with that - we have heard absolutely nothing related to DV to even say it’s a factor, we don’t have any evidence to assume it is and I don’t believe anyone in these situations deserves any level of consideration until proven otherwise

 

[imstilla.grandma]

South Australian police have inspected an outhouse with freshly laid cement and a water tank as part of the latest search for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont in the state’s Mid North.
Detectives are nearing the end of a two-day operation, with no evidence located so far.
On the second day, Task Force Horizon officers turned their attention to a neighbouring property owned by Gus’ family, about 30 kilometres west of Oak Park Station, where the boy vanished almost five months ago

‘Freshly laid cement’: Major update in search for Gus Lamont

After a two-day search effort police have revealed what they found while looking for missing four-year-old Gus Lamont.

thenightly.com.au

 

[Spectrix]

The charge is one count of possession of a sound moderator that fits onto one of her guns.

“This is an aggravated offence as the moderator fits a firearm in their possession,” police said in a statement.

Wow, being charged for owning a suppressor/sound moderator is certainly a very interesting development.

On one hand, having one sitting around with their gun supplies from 12+ years ago when they were legal to use would not be surprising.
Living on such a remote property, and deciding to keep it for use on the property seems reasonable to me (hearing protection/not scaring livestock etc)
The reason that suppressors became heavily regulated I assume would be to do with their role when used in crime.

However, if the suppressor was found to have been acquired recently, that would really change things.
Especially if it was used during say... a murder, for instance, so as not to alert other relatives working elsewhere on the property


-

 

[Warshawski]

Does anyone know if a dog could sniff through concrete

Yes they can iMO. Concrete is actually porous so properly trained dogs can get the scent even if buried many feet down, is my understanding

JMO

 

[Ruminations]

I don't know, but they must go pretty low. I posted some examples from a South Australian lawyer further back.

$1,000 fine for someone who had an unregistered gun in his shed.
$5,000 fine and firearm license suspension for someone who had a license but not for the category of self-loading shotgun that was found, unsecured, in his vehicle
4 years prison for aggravated possession for someone who had a loaded handgun of a high category in his vehicle, with drugs and ammunition in the vehicle, during a drug raid

The police say the charge against Josie is aggravated, and it is not a loaded gun, and it doesn't sound as if the silencer was on the gun when found, and it is illegal to be in possession of a silencer in this state - so I couldn't begin to guess how that will be viewed for any sentencing.

imo

My thought is that the gun sound suppressor charge is just because the gun was likely in LE's face- they have been searching etc.

If it's illegal, it's illegal, and since guns can cause horrific injuries, LE did not want it hanging over them that they ignored a gun not properly registered hanging over their heads.

What if something happened in the future, Gus' little sibling getting hold of it, for example, and LE did nothing?

I suspect (IMO) that LE believes that there are several witnesses who know more than they are saying. And I suspect they are trying very hard to keep the cooperation of all. "Cooperation" with LE does not necessarily mean robust assistance in getting to the bottom in a crime, at least not in USA. It means things cooperating with legal searches, such as with a warrant. For example, a person who does not consent to a warrantless search, and invokes their right to remain silent is being "cooperative." I don't know Australia well, but if it's like US, cooperation isn't necessarily all that.

I think LE had to deal with the gun they knew about, and tried to do it with as little disruption to any lines of communication possible.

My intuition is that Josie will be the first to talk. They are the most expressive, and by all appearances, this family is rather private.

So, by my intuition, LE was bummed the gun was Josie's. Josie may bring them their big break in the case.

MOO

 

[Warshawski]

Ok, yeah no. One wouldn’t use the private road between Bullyaninnie station and Oak Park station to head into town from Oak Park afaik.

I think it’s unsealed and would be strictly off limits to civilians or non family. Imo.

You’d take the Barrier Highway and go South West from Yunta town, then turn left onto Rucioch Rd just after Nackara, then keep going through to Bullyaninnie Road to arrive at the Bullyaninnie homestead if you wanted to travel from Yunta to Bullyaninnie. Then if you were driving to Oak Park station from Yunta you would probably take Netley Gap Sturt Vale Road and then veer right onto Oak Park Road to then arrive at the Oak Park homestead from there.

However if one was driving from Oak Park to Adelaide one may want to cut through the Bullyaninnie station, but I am honestly not sure how drivable that road between the two homesteads is. It might be more of a pathway you would use for an ATV, a motorbike or a horse, and not a car or ute as such. Of course, you couldn’t cut through the stations if you weren’t family or an invited guest as it’s all private property there and we know what happens when one steps foot into Oak Park property uninvited.



Jmo

Of course, if someone who lives at Oak Park and is a suspect, for example, in a major crime, and was wanting to hide the body of a child - they might use a motorbike and not a car, so really they could have gone anywhere they liked…. In theory. They could have gone to Bullyaninnie.

IMO

They are neighbouring properties. And apparently Oak Park people look after Bullyaninnie.

I wonder if there’s an ‘as the crow flies’ goat track between the two.

IMO

 

[Warshawski]

From recollection it’s about 27 minutes drive. I’m not sure of the actual distance in km.

IMO

I think I read 30 km to Bullyaninnie and 24 km to Tiver’s place . Am I correct in thinking both were search this week ?

JMO

 

[Dotta]

If it's illegal, it's illegal, and since guns can cause horrific injuries, LE did not want it hanging over them that they ignored a gun not properly registered hanging over their heads.

What if something happened in the future, Gus' little sibling getting hold of it, for example, and LE did nothing?

Respecfully Snipped By Me

Agree

Either something is legal
or
NOT legal.

Simple.

Unfortunately,
there are some people who think they are above the Law,
and do whatever suit their fancy.
And legality be damned according to such individuals

JMO

https://twitter.com/x/status/2024037297029632217

 

[Warshawski]

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

Much more common than having a wooden floor.

Really . . not in my days of using them .
But perhaps in more modern times people are building fancier dunnies.

Here’s a bit of ‘Kulcha’ and a laugh:

 

[AmoryK]

An adult wouldn’t need a gun to do away with a child. More than that, it would be an unwise choice forensically, I imagine.

 

[Warshawski]

Might be an error??

That’s an error I’m sure. .. and I’ve seen similar error previously as they get stuck / confused with Gus Lamont v Murray

Poor reporting.

IMO

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2024124175493874034

"A pivotal member of a tracking team
that combed through remote scrubland for missing boy Gus Lamont
has revealed for the first time
that police are now acting on his intelligence as the search intensifies.

The veteran searcher said
there are 'two locations off property'
that had raised concerns with his team
based on what they saw, heard or were told by family.

He did not go into specifics about what was of interest at the two sites
or whether any items had been found,
but said one, a conservation park,
was now a focus for police based on his tip,
and that his team could not go there until cops had 'done their work'."

 

[jepop]

I think I read 30 km to Bullyaninnie and 24 km to Tiver’s place . Am I correct in thinking both were search this week ?

JMO

ABC reports places searched were 30km and 24km west of Oak Park homestead.

Police scour outhouse, water tank in Gus search

SA police said they have inspected an outhouse where cement has recently been laid and a water tank as part of the latest search for Gus Lamont in South Australia's Mid North, with no evidence so far.

www.abc.net.au

Old Grampus, 24 km west of Oak Park homestead (also 24 mins).

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

Unlabelled buildings, 28 KMS west of Oak Park homestead.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

The 24km distant one is likely to be old Grampus, the 30km Bullyaninnie (as reported by channel 9 or 10 or 7 up thread, though Google does not label).If you zoom in, these buildings are just off Bullyaninnie Road, 28km to the west of Oak Park and about 4-6 km west of Grampus homestead/buildings). Jmo

 

[Warshawski]

and it is illegal to be in possession of a silencer in this state

They can be approved in certain circumstances but SAPOL make it clear that they must not be obtained before getting approval, which involves this application:

https://www.police.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/441244/RF1575-Application-to-Acquire-Sound-Moderator-2022.pdf#:~:text=SOUND%20MODERATOR(S)%20MUST%20NOT%20BE,PERSON%20ACQUIRING%20POSSESSION%20(THE%20APPLICANT)

I imagine approval would be on the basis of protecting the users hearing, so members of shooting clubs etc may perhaps apply.

IMO

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Another family member of missing boy Gus Lamont is no longer cooperating with authorities, as the five-month investigation into the four-year-old's disappearance widens.

While Gus's parents continue to assist police, two relatives previously involved in the inquiry are no longer cooperating, South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens confirmed on Wednesday

Previously, only one relative had withdrawn their support.

Commissioner Stevens also confirmed that detectives will continue working on the case 'for the foreseeable future' following a renewed search of neighbouring properties this week.

Asked whether arrests were likely soon, Commissioner Stevens said: 'As with any major crime investigation, we don't rest until we have a resolution.

'Given the complexities, it is fair to assume we’ll be working on Gus’s disappearance for some time yet.'

He added that a wider search area would be cast for the missing boy.

'Adjoining properties, including the national park, will form part of our investigation as we move forward,' Commissioner Stevens said.

MSN

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Jason O'Connell, from Mid North Wildlife Rescue South Australia, volunteered his services within hours of Gus vanishing from his family's farm, drawing on decades of his SES training and specialist tracking skills to assist Major Crimes detectives.

The veteran searcher said there are 'two locations off property' that had raised concerns with his team based on what they saw, heard or were told by family.

He did not go into specifics about what was of interest at the two sites or whether any items had been found, but said one, a conservation park, was now a focus for police based on his tip, and that his team could not go there until cops had 'done their work'.

Mr O'Connell and his partner Jen Balchin previously spent about 100 hours scouring the isolated property, travelling more than 1200km across rough terrain and often searching alone through the night.

Gus Lamont search focusing on a new area beyond farm where he vanished

Jason O'Connell, from Mid North Wildlife Rescue South Australia , volunteered his services within hours of Gus vanishing from his family's farm, drawing on decades of his SES training.

www.dailymail.co.uk