As investigators continue to piece together what happened to Gus Lamont, his grandmother Josie Murray has broken her silence for the first time.
But an expert criminologist believes Josie’s interview with 7News Spotlight, which it is believed Seven did not pay for, was odd considering her tense relationship with investigators.
“It was certainly an interesting choice to do the interview,” Xanthe Weston tells Woman’s Day.
“I think that because there’s so few details and nobody knows what happened, this interview was an opportunity to put her side of the story across to the public and hopefully dampen down some of the rumours circulating.”
Gus was last seen on September 27 last year. (Image: SA Police)
NO SIGN OF GUS
In the interview which did not feature any other relatives of Gus, Josie recalled the evening of September 27, when her four-year-old grandson went missing at her remote sheep station near Yunta, SA.
“We were on the front verandah and Shan said that Gus was just down near what we call the bomb shelter plane, and when we had a look, no sign,” Josie said, recalling the moments she and daughter Jess returned to the homestead at 5:30pm.
“We said to Shannon, ‘When did you last seem him?’ And she said, ‘5 o’clock’. So in that half-an-hour timeframe, he disappeared.”
With Gus nowhere to be seen and daylight quickly fading, Josie, her former partner Shannon and Gus’ mum Jess started franticly searching for the missing boy.
“Immediately we were a bit concerned about the cellar we were building, because it was possible he could have fallen down there,” said Josie.
“So that’s one of the first things we did. We looked… there was no sign that he’d been down there, no blood on the concrete floor, nothing.”
So, the family decided to search the dams, tanks and outbuildings within a kilometre of the homestead.
“We had a quick conference and decided what to do, and we decided we better jump on the bikes and go look,” Josie explained.
“I don’t know what tie that was, but after we’d searched on foot, I remember saying, ‘We’ve got 45 minutes of daylight, we better get with it.”
But with no trace of Gus, the trio returned to the homestead and called the police – sparking one of South Australia’s largest missing persons investigations.
Josie’s interview is the first time Gus’ relatives have spoken publicly since his parents (pictured) released a joint statement in February. (Image: Supplied)
WAS GUS KIDNAPPED?
In February, SA Police declared Gus’ disappearance a major crime after extensive searches of the 60,000-hectare property found no trace of the missing boy.
That same month, his heartbroken parents Jess Murray and Josh Lamont released their first and only public statement.
“Our lives have been shattered, and every moment without him is unbearable. We know someone out there may have information,” they said.
“If someone knows what happened, we are pleading with that person – or anyone who may have seen or heard anything – to please come forward.”
Xanthe says it’s not surprising that Jess and Josh have chosen to stay silent.
“Remember what an awful position Gus’s parents are in – one of their parents is suspected of involvement,” says Xanthe.
“Under those circumstances I am not surprised they have elected to remain silent.
Speaking to media last month, the head of the Major Crime Division, Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said one of Gus’ grandparents remained a suspect, and confirmed there was no evidence that suggested Gus had been kidnapped.
“The police have been very direct in ruling out misadventure and Gus simply wandering off,” Xanthe explains.
“They’ve ruled out another party being on the property and they’ve made it clear that there’s only one line of investigation they’re seriously following, and they only have one suspect at this time.”
No charges have been laid, and no arrests have been made in connection to Gus’ disappearance.
Josie denies any involvement in Gus’ disappearance, and believes he was kidnapped – noting a heavy bed frame and a weather station had been moved.
She also noticed tyre tracks from a medium-sized passenger vehicle which was out of character.
“I thought that’s strange too and I started to think almost immediately ‘I wonder if someone’s come in?’ and all the time I was thinking there’s a chance he’s been taken by someone,” Josie said.
Similarly, a small footprint was found near a dam – put police attributed the footprint to a police diver searching the property.
But despite the interview potentially revealing new information, Xanthe believes it won’t have much of an impact on the investigation.
“I think everything Josie said in the interview has already been reported to the police, like the footprint,” says Xanthe.
“But the interview may jog someone’s memory or encourage them to come forward with information.”
Police haven’t ruled out returning to Oak Park Station for further investigations. (Image: AAP)
NOT GIVING UP
After no trace of Gus was found in the 11th major search of Oak Park Station last month, SA Police have not ruled out returning to the remote property to conduct further investigations.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more searches,” says Xanthe.
“It’s an ongoing investigation and they won’t stop looking until they find Gus. If they have leads to follow, they will certainly do those very proactively.”
For Josie, not knowing what happened to Gus combined with the intense suspicion directed at her has been tough – but she is still determined to find answers.
“No one’s Come up with any idea on that, no motive, nothing for any wrongdoing on our part,” she said.
“It just doesn’t make sense.”
