South Australia police have named a suspect in the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont, who vanished from his family's outback sheep station more than four months ago. The case has now been declared a major crime, with police stating that the suspect is a person who lived with the boy at the Oak Park station near Yunta, about 300km inland from Adelaide.
Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke, head of major crime, said police had ruled out Gus wandering off or being abducted by a stranger. Instead, they are focusing on someone in his household, though he stressed that Gus's parents are not suspects. 'A person who resides at Oak Park station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer cooperating with us,' Fielke said. 'The person who has withdrawn their cooperation is now considered a suspect.'
Gus was last seen playing outside the family home at 5pm on 27 September, wearing a blue T-shirt with a yellow Minion, a grey sunhat, light-grey long pants, and boots. When his grandmother called him in half an hour later, he was gone. The search, described as one of the largest and most intensive in SA police history, involved mounted police, divers, drones, and aircraft covering vast areas, but found no evidence of Gus wandering off.
Police executed a search warrant at the property on 14 and 15 January, seizing a vehicle, a motorbike, and electronic devices. They have identified 'inconsistencies and discrepancies' in information from family members. Fielke said the investigation would continue thoroughly until an outcome is reached. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
