South Australian police have declared the disappearance of Gus Lamont a major crime and say a person who has lived at his outback property is now considered a suspect, but have stressed that the boy’s parents are not under investigation.
At an update on the case, Major Crime officer in charge Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said police executed a warrant at the property in January, conducted a forensic search and seized items.
“A person who resides at Oak Park Station has withdrawn their support for the police and is no longer cooperating with us,” he said.
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Just nowThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:20am
Press conference wraps up
The press conference ended after Superintendent Fielke took questions from the media.
This is where we will leave our live coverage for today.
3m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:17am
Gus possibly at station during initial search
When asked by the media if Gus could have been on the station when police were there initially, Superintendent Fielke said:
“Possibly, police were on scene quite quickly, quickly when they were advised Gus was missing, yes there was some time in between but its possible.”
4m agoThu 5 Feb 2026 at 3:16am
Police thank community
Superintendent Fielke thanked members of the public who have provided information to police during the four-month investigation so far.
He urged anyone who has information to contact police or call Crime Stoppers.
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“The person who has withdrawn their co-operation is now considered a suspect in the disappearance of Gus.
“I do want to stress, however, that Gus’s parents are not suspects in his disappearance.”
Gus was reported missing from his family’s remote property on Saturday, September 27.
Police said they had explored three “investigation options” into relation to Gus’s disappearance.
They are that Gus had walked off from Oak Park Station, where he lived, that he was abducted or that someone known to him was involved in his disappearance and suspected death.
“At this time despite all of the combined search efforts we have found no evidence physical or otherwise to suggest that Gus has merely wandered off from the Oak Park homestead,” Superintendent Fielke said.
SES and police in the early days of the search. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
He said there had been at least eight separate searches conducted at the station, including 163 police and 230 non-SAPOL resources including the State Emergency Service volunteers, Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel and Indigenous trackers.
“The search for four-year-old Gus … has been the largest and most intensive missing person search ever undertaken by SAPOL,” Superintendent Fielke said.
“The foot search has been unprecedented and the resources that have been used have been significant.”
His disappearance just over 18 weeks ago has so far baffled authorities, shocked the nation and generated international headlines.
A police helicopter in outback SA during an earlier phase of the search for Gus. (ABC News: Daniel Taylor)
In the months that have elapsed since Gus went missing, multiple search efforts have been conducted, focusing on different areas of possible interest.
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