As the investigation into the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont hones in on a suspect, experts say much has been learnt in the wake of other high-profile missing children cases.
In particular, the case of missing three-year-old William Tyrrell in 2014, which captivated a nation.
As well as dialling up the pressure, the police’s recent detailed explanation of their investigation into Gus’ disappearance is a way to inform the public of how much work has been going on since September, says criminologist Dr Xanthe Weston.
As the investigation into the disappearance of Gus Lamont ramps up, experts say many lessons have been learnt amid other high-profile missing children cases. (Credit: SA Police)
“Nobody wants to see [this investigation be] another William Tyrrell, where over a decade later there are still no answers,” she tells Woman’s Day. “[For that case] there were false starts – police didn’t lock down the scene within those first hours and they couldn’t then determine exactly who had been there.”
It’s impossible to ignore the parallels between Gus and William’s disappearances. Indeed, they have also been noted by former cop Gary Jubelin, who reacted to the recent police announcement by saying that the public now need to “let police do their job”.
“One thing I learnt through [William Tyrrell] is that speculation and rumours can impact on a lot of people. I don’t think there’s need for this,” he told News.com.au.
Missing since 2014, the similarities between William Tyrell and Gus Lamont’s cases are impossible to ignore. (Credit: AAP)
Mum moves as investigation intensifies
More than a week on from the announcement that the case of missing little boy Gus Lamont has been declared a “major crime”, the child’s mother has reportedly fled the Adelaide home where she has been living.
Jessica Murray and her two sons, four-year-old Gus and Ronnie, one, had been living at the remote Oak Park Station, 360km from the SA city, at the time of her eldest child’s disappearance.
She had moved back to the 60,000-hectare sheep station home of her parents, Shannon and Josie Murray, located 40km south of Yunta, after splitting with Joshua Lamont, the father of her sons.
Joshua, a country singer, was not living at the sheep station, nor was he present at the property at the time of Gus’ disappearance. Neither of the parents are considered suspects in the case.
But it now appears that Jessica and Ronnie have moved for a second time – to a new, undisclosed location in Adelaide. The Daily Mail reports neighbours confirming seeing the mum and little boy “pack up and leave”.
Gus’ parents, Jessica Murray and Joshua Lamont (left), are no longer together and neither is considered a suspect in his disappearance. (Credit: Supplied)
Little boy lost
Police had previously stated that Jessica and Josie had been tending sheep about 10km away from the homestead when Gus went missing four-and-a-half months ago. The little boy was last seen by his other grandparent, Shannon, playing on a mound of dirt outside the house.
The timing of Jessica’s move comes just days after the investigation into her son’s disappearance on September 27 reached a crucial stage.
Earlier this month, Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke, the officer in charge of SA Police’s Major Crime Investigation Branch, made the bombshell announcement that their prime suspect in the case – who remains unnamed – resides at Oak Park Station.
Gus’ grandparent Josie Murray aids in the search for the missing child after he went missing on the family’s expansive Oak Park Station property, (Credit: 7 News Adelaide)
Speaking at a lengthy press conference, Fielke explained how investigators had “identified a number of inconsistencies and discrepancies” in the information given by Gus’ family members. As a result, “A person who resides at Oak Park Station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer cooperating with us.
“The person who has withdrawn their cooperation is now considered a suspect in the disappearance of Gus”, he confirmed.
Detective Fielke revealed the suspect was known to Gus but that no arrests had been made or charges laid. Heartbreakingly, it was also confirmed that investigators don’t believe that Gus is alive.
Pressure mounts as suspect identified
Dr Weston tells Woman’s Day that this suspect will now be under huge stress as the police investigation hones in on them.
“The press conference was incredibly detailed [and] saying that there is this one suspect is going to certainly put that person under pressure,” she notes. “If somebody in the family knows something, they may well feel compelled to come forward.”
The search radius around Oak Park Station, where the little boy went missing on September 27, 2025, is expansive. (Credit: AAP)
Dr Weston believes it will be some time before any more announcements are made, as the police continue forensic testing on the vehicle, motorcycle and electronic devices seized on January 14 and 15 from the sheep station property.
“We’re a long way from anyone being held to account for any aspect of Gus’ disappearance,” she says.
Meanwhile, the boy’s grandparents have hired separate criminal lawyers.
