Fresh and disturbing revelations have emerged about the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont, who vanished without trace from a remote sheep station in the Australian outback nearly a year ago. In an exclusive interview with 7NEWS Spotlight, his grandmother Josie Murray disclosed that the boy had previously gone missing on the property.
Grandmother Reveals Previous Disappearance
Speaking publicly for the first time, Murray, 75, recounted a terrifying episode where Gus wandered off and could not be located. "Shan had taken him down to the Shearer's quarters while Jess and I were out mustering and he had wandered off... Shan couldn't find him when she was going to come home," she told 7NEWS Spotlight. The interview airs Sunday at 8:30 pm local time.
Gus was last seen playing outside his family's sheep station, Oak Park Station, near Yunta, in the Australian Outback on September 27. The property spans approximately 3.5 times the area of Manchester or double the size of Edinburgh, Scotland. One of his grandparents left him unattended for roughly 30 minutes before discovering he had vanished.
Timeline of the Disappearance
Murray recalled arriving back at the homestead around 5:30 pm after working with sheep. Another grandparent, Shannon, told them Gus had been playing outside near what the family calls the "bomb shelter plane." When they searched, there was no trace of him. "We said to Shannon, 'When did you last see him?' And she said, 'Five o'clock,'" Murray remembered. "And so in that half-hour timeframe, he disappeared."
The family initially feared Gus might have fallen into a cellar under construction nearby. "We immediately were a little bit concerned about the cellar we were building, because it was possible he could have fallen down there," she said. However, the location showed no sign of the boy. "There was no sign that he'd been down there, no blood on the concrete floor, nothing."
As alarm grew, family members searched dams, water tanks, sheds, and neighbouring buildings before nightfall. The initial emergency call was placed around 8 pm.
Massive Search and Investigation
South Australia Police launched extensive searches covering approximately 470 square kilometres around the Oak Park station homestead. In late October, a 12-strong taskforce was established to investigate further, examining testimonies that "identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies" in the timeline.
In March, authorities confirmed that Gus Lamont's relatives are refusing to assist police. Legal representatives for two grandparents issued statements after the police commissioner alleged that family members had ceased cooperating. Josie Murray hired prominent Adelaide criminal barrister Andrew Ey, who stated there would be "no further comment at this stage." Shannon Murray's lawyer, Casey Isaacs, said his client "is co-operating through her solicitor."
When the case was elevated to a major crime investigation on February 5, Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke disclosed that someone residing at the property had withdrawn cooperation and was considered a suspect. Murray told 7News she was questioned but never charged. Reflecting on the experience, she said: "We say 'how, why'... we just can't believe it. To be accused of doing something like this... you could not wish a more horrible experience on anyone."
Spotlight Program to Air
The 7NEWS Spotlight program will piece together the chronology of Gus' disappearance and examine unresolved questions. Presenter Michael Usher commented: "This is the interview that could provide answers to the many questions being asked about the disappearance of little Gus. His grandmother has never spoken before, but in an extraordinary set of circumstances has now given her first interview." 7NEWS Spotlight airs on Channel Seven and 7plus at 8:30 pm local time.
