Gus Lamont Search: Police Inspect Outhouse, Find No Evidence

South Australian police have continued their search for four-year-old Gus Lamont, inspecting an outhouse with freshly laid cement and a water tank at a property in the state’s Mid North. The renewed search focused on a neighbouring property owned by the Lamont family, approximately 30 kilometres west of Oak Park Station, where Gus disappeared almost five months ago.

Detectives are nearing the end of a two-day operation, but have so far found no evidence related to the boy’s disappearance. Police stated they did not rule out returning to the family’s homestead.

On Tuesday, officers scoured a remote area of a sheep station, examining the water tank and the outhouse where cement had recently been poured. A cadaver dog, brought in from New South Wales, was used to detect human remains. The search later extended to a property at Grampus, about 24 kilometres from Oak Park, where major crime detectives searched the yard and homestead.

Despite the intensive searches, no evidence connected to Gus’s disappearance was found at either location. Police also used helicopters to drop officers at specific locations, including mine shafts identified using artificial intelligence (AI) mapping.

Gus Lamont was last seen on September 27th, reportedly playing on a mound of dirt at the family home, located about 43 kilometres south of Yunta, while his grandmother cared for his younger brother inside. Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke of Major Crime has confirmed police cannot definitively rule out that Gus was still on the 60,000-hectare property when officers first arrived on the night of his disappearance.

“Police were on scene quite quickly when they were advised that Gus was missing,” Fielke said. “Yes, there was some time in between, but It’s possible. We’re still working on that (original) timeline.” The timeline of events surrounding Gus’s disappearance is currently under intense scrutiny.

Earlier this week, Gus’s 75-year-old grandmother, Josie Murray, was arrested and charged with firearm offences. However, authorities have stated these charges are not linked to the child’s disappearance. Murray has been bailed to appear in the Peterborough Magistrates’ Court in May.

Police have indicated they will maintain a presence in the area, even as the formal two-day search concludes. The investigation remains active, and authorities continue to appeal for any information that may lead to finding Gus Lamont.