South Australia's police have intensified their search for the missing four-year-old, Gus Lamont, by inspecting an outhouse and water tank on a property in the state's Mid North. This latest development comes as detectives near the end of a two-day operation, with no evidence found so far.
The search has led them to a neighboring property owned by Gus' family, approximately 30 kilometers west of Oak Park Station, where the boy vanished almost five months ago. The remote section of the sheep station, including a water tank and an outhouse with fresh cement, has been thoroughly examined.
A cadaver dog from New South Wales, trained to detect human remains, has been brought in to assist the search. The police then moved to a property at Grampus, about 24 kilometers from Oak Park, where major crime detectives combed through the yard and homestead, finding no evidence related to Gus' disappearance.
Earlier, a police helicopter was dispatched to the Pualco Range Conservation Park, south of Yunta, as part of the coordinated search effort. The operation is expected to conclude today, with officers maintaining a presence in the area.
Gus was last seen on September 27, playing outside the main homestead while his grandmother cared for his younger brother inside. Major Crime's officer in charge, Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke, confirmed that the police cannot rule out the possibility that Gus was still on the 60,000-hectare property when officers reached the homestead on the night of September 27.
The timeline of events is under scrutiny, and on Tuesday, police arrested and charged Gus' 75-year-old grandmother, Josie Murray, with firearm offenses. Despite the charges, authorities have stated that they are not linked to the child's disappearance. Murray is set to appear in the Peterborough Magistrates' Court in May.
