Grandparents break silence in missing Gus case
Updated: Missing Gus’s grandparents have released a statement after police revealed a family member is a suspect in his disappearance.
Source: AAP
A family member who is a suspect in the disappearance of four-year-old Gus Lamont has obtained legal representation, South Australian police have confirmed.
The lawyer’s representing the grandparents of Gus have released their first official joint statement on Friday.
“Andrew Ey and Casey Isaacs can confirm that we act for Josie Murray and Shannon Murray respectively.”
“Our clients will not be participating in any interviews nor commenting any further save and except that they wish to release a brief joint comment namely:
“We are absolutely devastated by the media release of SAPOL Major Crime. The family has co-operated fully with the investigation and want nothing more than to find Gus and reunite him with his mum and dad.”
Fielke said police were “cognisant of how delicate that is and what that means for the family”.
Multiple media outlets report that two members of the family have hired separate lawyers.
Gus’s grandparent Josie Murray has reportedly hired top Adelaide criminal lawyer Andrew Ey, while his grandmother Shannon Murray has booked prominent defence lawyer Casey Isaacs, also from Adelaide.
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News Corp reports that Isaacs confirmed he was acting for Gus’s biological grandmother Shannon Murray.
“We have been co-operating but we won’t be commenting,” he said on Thursday.
It is common for witnesses to obtain legal advice and The New Daily is not suggesting any wrongdoing.
The remote farmhouse where Gus was last seen. Photos: SA Police
Gus Lamont was last seen by his grandmother playing on a mound of dirt at a sprawling sheep station in outback South Australia on September 27.
His disappearance from Oak Park Station sparked intensive searches spanning almost 500 square kilometres by hundreds of police and volunteers using aerial support and mounted units.
Fielke said the suspect had withdrawn co-operation in the investigation after “inconsistencies and discrepancies” were identified in the information they provided.
Fielke confirmed two grandparents, Gus’s mother and younger brother were on the property when he disappeared.
“I do want to stress, however, that Gus’s parents are not suspects in his disappearance,” he said.
Investigators executed a warrant at the homestead on January 14 and 15, seizing items including a vehicle, a motorcycle and electronic devices.
“All of these items are now subject to forensic testing,” Fielke said.
The four-month investigation had “taken many twists and turns” and Gus’ parents were shocked, he said.
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“It’s challenging, it’s delicate at times when you’re dealing with family members … our people have been unwavering and kept an open mind,” Fielke said.
Asked if Gus could have been at the property when police were there, he said officers were on scene quickly when they were advised the boy was missing and it was possible.
The initial 10-day air and ground search was one of the largest SA Police has undertaken.
The search for Gus has covered nearly 500 square kilometres. Photo: SA Police
In November, search teams focused on six mine shafts near the property, 40 kilometres south of Yunta, using specialist officers, but found no trace of Gus.
A four-day search within a 5.5-kilometre radius of the homestead in early-October also ended without any evidence.
After extensive searches, imagery captured by an aircraft and a drone was given to an AI company.
It had produced high-definition pictures which showed every sheep, goat, kangaroo, wedge tailed eagle, wallaroo and animal carcass on the property and a person riding a motorcycle.
“Clearly that’s not Gus,” Fielke said.
“What’s the result of all of this? The ground searches and the aerial searches with the images you’ve seen have failed to locate Gus or any items belonging to Gus.”
Fielke on Thursday said initial searches were based on Gus walking off the station and becoming lost.
Two other lines of investigation were that Gus had been abducted or someone known to him was involved in the disappearance and suspected death.
The first two theories had been ruled out based on the massive searches uncovering no sign of Gus and the remoteness of the property ruling out random abduction.
“We don’t believe now that Gus is alive,” he said.
-with AAP
