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

[Megnut]

The grandparents need to be separated and brought in for questioning with lots of pressure applied.

If they've both lawyered up, that's not going to happen.

I think the best we can hope for is a sweetheart deal.

Someone needs to talk for there to be a break in this case.

JMO

 

[su5ie]

If they've both lawyered up, that's not going to happen.

I think the best we can hope for is a sweetheart deal.

Someone needs to talk for there to be a break in this case.

JMO

I feel short of a deathbed confession both grandparents seem too stoical and private for any to try gain a sweetheart deal

I don't feel any will break and a stalemate will continue without police finding Gus's body

 

[Megnut]

I feel short of a deathbed confession both grandparents seem too stoical and private for any to try gain a sweetheart deal

I don't feel any will break and a stalemate will continue without police finding Gus's body

If that's true, then IMO it was no accident.

JMO

 

[Morequestionsthananswers]

If they've both lawyered up, that's not going to happen.

I think the best we can hope for is a sweetheart deal.

Someone needs to talk for there to be a break in this case.

JMO

That’s not music to my ears.
I’m confused why they’re getting away with it now that the cops have crossed Jess and Josh, wandering and abduction off the list.

 

[Megnut]

That’s not music to my ears.
I’m confused why they’re getting away with it now that the cops have crossed Jess and Josh, wandering and abduction off the list.

Solving a crime is different than proving it.

Knowing is different than being able to convict.

I hope LE can cross that bridge. For Gus' sake. And his parents'.

 

[Morequestionsthananswers]

Solving a crime is different than proving it.

Knowing is different than being able to convict.

I hope LE can cross that bridge. For Gus' sake. And his parents'.

Poor Jess having parents that appear to be responsible for killing her little boy and disposing of him. It’s pretty poor.
Jess and Josh would be living in hell not knowing what happened to their son or where he his. They must feel like throttling those grandparents.

 

[Ruminations]

Absolutely they do! Assuming one or both knows something, I find it disgraceful they haven’t come forward to ease the pain of their own daughter. They need forceful separate questioning and time alone with the parents verbally ripping into them IMO. The gently gently approach doesn’t seem to have worked (I’m thinking of Jess and Josh’s carefully worded statement recently appealing for information).

This is a very frustrating case, but IMO, no assumptions can be made about whether LE has been gentle or harsh. If LE knows no more than I do, then it is super-harsh to claim they have a suspect in particular. (I think it is obvious enough to say without being unfair that clearly someone on the station did something to Gus, and it's fair to conclude that at the very least hiding Gus was deliberate. But that is not the same as saying we think we know which person did something that is a major crime.)

In addition, we do not know the parents' motivations behind their statement, or that it is intended to apply gentle pressure on the grandparents. That is an inference by outsiders, and for what ever it's worth, it's not my inference. I think the message for LE, and it was "Don't try to separate us, or turn us against each other during your investigation."

<modsnip>

MOO


<modsnip: Not victim friendly>


MOO

 

[AmoryK]

If that's true, then IMO it was no accident.

JMO

Possibly, but I think (MOO) that it could be that an accident did happen and the grandparents persuaded themselves or each other that it wasn’t necessary to divulge that as “What good would it do?” Gus was gone. It was an accident and not their fault, in their minds at least.

People living more isolated/private lives often like to deal with things themselves.

 

[Bigditch]

No. All the reports stated it was Sharon (also described as a grandmother) that stayed with children, while Josie (also described as a grandparent) was out on the pastures. If you know any stating otherwise I will be grateful for a link.

MOO

Shannon

 

[Hexe]

Shannon

Yes, Shannon, not Sharon. I had a brainfart, thank you for correcting it.

 

[hurley]

I feel short of a deathbed confession both grandparents seem too stoical and private for any to try gain a sweetheart deal

I don't feel any will break and a stalemate will continue without police finding Gus's body

BBM
They could also be described as cruel, heartless and ruthless. That's how they come across to me anyway.

 

[FromGermany1]

BBM
They could also be described as cruel, heartless and ruthless. That's how they come across to me anyway.

It would be nice to know of Jess' childhood and life. I am so very interested in it.

 

[su5ie]

BBM
They could also be described as cruel, heartless and ruthless. That's how they come across to me anyway.

I can think of plenty of other words but they would be profanities

 

[AmoryK]

BBM
They could also be described as cruel, heartless and ruthless. That's how they come across to me anyway.

Yes, they could be. We don’t know. It’s possible their reasons/characters differ too.

I do think the isolation of the place they live has contributed. You need to be resourceful, you need to sort out your own stuff, you need to be independent, you need to get on with things and not make a fuss. Of course, drawing in vast search teams and the media to your land isn’t ’not making a fuss’ but maybe that wasn’t their choice. Who phoned the police? Was the delay in calling agreed by all three adults or did one adult want to phone them earlier?

Not really related, but I wonder if LE could offer some kind of deal to one or both grandparents if they reveal information about Gus’s whereabouts? Perhaps, indeed, the grandparents are planning to reveal his location either directly or by contriving to have him found, but are waiting until evidence of what caused his demise fades?

 

[hurley]

Yes, they could be. We don’t know. It’s possible their reasons/characters differ too.

I do think the isolation of the place they live has contributed. You need to be resourceful, you need to sort out your own stuff, you need to be independent, you need to get on with things and not make a fuss. Of course, drawing in vast search teams and the media to your land isn’t ’not making a fuss’ but maybe that wasn’t their choice. Who phoned the police? Was the delay in calling agreed by all three adults or did one adult want to phone them earlier?

Not really related, but I wonder if LE could offer some kind of deal to one or both grandparents if they reveal information about Gus’s whereabouts? Perhaps, indeed, the grandparents are planning to reveal his location either directly or by contriving to have him found, but are waiting until evidence of what caused his demise fades?

BBM
If either of the grandparents are involved in a major crime, which the police have said is the case, I believe there is absolutely no excuse for their behaviour, including no matter where they live.

Maybe we can wait for a deathbed confession because the chances of finding out what happened to poor little Gus is disappearing as the months pass.
I can can see the grandparents hoping with their fingers crossed that no evidence turns up and probably think there's no reason not to continue doing that.

As @wallyworld said in another case, "the evil and disturbing character ... leaves me feeling profoundly disgusted, revolted, and morally outraged"!

 

[gerardo20]

If either of the grandparents are involved in a major crime, which the police have said is the case,

Just to clarify, police have only said one person is SUSPECTED of involvement in a major crime.
jmo
It is the role of police to investigate and to charge if they have sufficient evidence so that that evidence can be tested in court. It seems they do not have sufficient evidence, so in Australia the grandparents have a right to legal presumption of innocence.
Please respect that.
jmo

 

[Monkey2]

Just to clarify, police have only said one person is SUSPECTED of involvement in a major crime.
jmo
It is the role of police to investigate and to charge if they have sufficient evidence so that that evidence can be tested in court. It seems they do not have sufficient evidence, so in Australia the grandparents have a right to legal presumption of innocence.
Please respect that.
jmo

I think we have to respect that police have ruled out that Gus simply wandered off or was abducted.
We have to respect that for whatever reason police have ruled out the parents being involved.
Who the suspect is of committing a major crime we don't know, but police alluded to it being one of the grandparents who is now probably the one not co-operating and IMO that is hindering the investigation.
It seems to me police are alleging one of the grandparents was responsible for the death or disposal of Gus to an unknown location.
It's now been about seven months and Jess and Josh deserve to know what happened to their little boy.
If it was at the hands of a grandparent then I think evil is definitely the word to describe that person and I too would be profoundly disgusted, revolted, and morally outraged.

 

[gerardo20]

It seems to me police are alleging one of the grandparents was responsible for the death or disposal of Gus to an unknown location.

There is a difference between identifying a suspect and alleging.

The police have not alleged anything against anyone yet, they have said they have a suspect. It seems to me that the suspect is one of the grandparents. The police are investigating with a suspect in mind and will allege if they find sufficient evidence. (I guess you could say there are alleged inconsistencies that have led to these suspicions, but that is still a long way from alleging one of the grandparents is involved in the disappearance/death of Gus.)

I agree it would be good for the parents to learn what happened to Gus, but at this stage the police have suspicions but have not alleged anything. It does not help Josh or Jess to jump from suspicion to allegation without sufficient substantial evidence, regardless of how much they deserve answers. jmo

 

[Kemug]

Yes, Shannon, not Sharon. I had a brainfart, thank you for correcting it.

And I'm trying so hard to catch up that I simply didn't notice it!

 

[Kemug]

I really hope that Jess, Josh and little Gus will become a strong, loving family unit again.