Suspect identified in search for missing boy Gus Lamont, 4, who vanished from home

Police have been searching for the missing boy for months after he disappeared from his family property in September, but have been unable to locate the child in the remote part of the country

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Missing four-year-old Gus Lamont(Image: SA Police)

Police say they have identified a suspect in the disappearance of a four-year-old who vanished from his family home.

Gus Lamont vanished from his family’s homestead on Oak Park Station in remote South Australia on September 27, 2025, sparking several large-scale searches across the property.

Polices said on Thursday, February 5, that they had identified a suspect who they believe was known to the little boy – the incident has now been declared a major crime.

Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said there had been “discrepancies” and “inconsistencies” in the information provided by some of the child’s family members.

“As a result of these inconsistencies, and investigations into them, a person who resides at Oak Park Station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer co-operating with us,” Superintendent Fielke said.

“The person who has withdrawn their co-operation is now considered a suspect in the disappearance of Gus,” he added, stressing that the child’s parents are not suspects in his disappearance.

“I can’t give you any more information about the suspect or where the suspect is and why that person is a suspect.”

Investigators returned to the property in mid-January for a forensic search. Detectives seized a vehicle, a motorcycle and electronic devices for examination which are subject to forensic testing.

Investigators do not believe Gus is alive.

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Members of the Australian military joined South Australia Police to help in the search for the missing boy (file image)(Image: South Australia Police)

Australian news site news.com.au reported that investigators have so far pursued three key theories in their search for Gus – two of which have been ruled out.

One of the theories in the search for the missing boy was based on him walking off from Oak Park Station and becoming lost. The other two investigation theories are focused on Gus being abducted by an unknown person from the homestead or whether someone known to him was involved in his disappearance and suspected death.

Superintendent Fielke said there was “no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest that Gus has merely wandered off from the park homestead”.

Police say the investigation is now focusing on persons known to Gus possibly being involved in his disappearance and suspected death.

“I anticipate there will be further searches at Oak Park Station and at several sites on an adjacent national park to locate Gus as new information and intelligence comes to hand,” Superintendent Fielke said.

Police have said “no stone has been left unturned” in the search for the missing boy, which has been the largest and most intensive effort undertaken by South Australian Police in regards to a missing person.

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Police search for missing boy (file image)(Image: South Australia Police)

Superintendent Fielke said eight separate searches had been conducted at Oak Park Station and several others had been completed in the 5.47km radius of the homestead across several days.

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He said the national search and rescue manual indicates that children four-to-six years of age are located within 5.47km of their last known place 95 per cent of the time.

Previous searches of the area included six unsealed, unfenced mine shafts in November and a dam on the remote sheep station in October.

Neither search resulted in any trace of the little boy.