Another family member of missing boy Gus Lamont is no longer cooperating with authorities, as the five-month investigation into the four-year-old’s disappearance widens.
While Gus’s parents continue to assist police, two relatives previously involved in the inquiry are no longer cooperating, South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens confirmed on Wednesday.
‘I think the head of Major Crime made that pretty clear at his recent press conference that two family members have withdrawn their cooperation, but we are still getting significant assistance from Gus’s mum and dad,’ he said.
Previously, police had said only one relative had withdrawn their support. It was not clear whether Commissioner Stevens misspoke.
Commissioner Stevens also said that detectives will continue working on the case ‘for the foreseeable future’ following a renewed search of neighbouring properties this week.
Asked whether arrests were likely soon, Commissioner Stevens said: ‘As with any major crime investigation, we don’t rest until we have a resolution.
‘Given the complexities, it is fair to assume we’ll be working on Gus’s disappearance for some time yet.’
He added that a wider search area would be cast for the missing boy.
‘We’re not ruling out anything. Adjoining properties, including the national park, will form part of our investigation as we move forward,’ Commissioner Stevens said.
‘We’ll use every resource available to us if it will contribute to solving the disappearance of Gus Lamont.
‘I think it’s reasonably foreseeable that we will be visiting Oak Park quite frequently over the coming months as we continue our investigation as well as visiting surrounding locations in the vicinity of the residence.’
He added that police were still exploring every possibility in relation to Gus’ disappearance.
‘We didn’t simply focus on the search of a missing child on the property,’ Commissioner Stevens.
‘We were looking at other possibilities as well. That has been the focus of our investigation from the outset of the notification of Gus’s disappearance.’
Gus vanished from his grandparents’ 60,000ha Oak Park Station in South Australia’s Mid North on September 27 last year and despite the largest police search operation in the state’s history, no trace of him has been found.
Earlier this month, South Australia Police announced they believed the four-year-old was dead, declared his disappearance as a major crime, and revealed they had identified a suspect within his family.
However they stressed that Gus’s mother and father, Jessica Murray and Joshua Lamont, were not suspects.
A freshly cemented outhouse (left) at a neighbouring property was searched by cadaver dogs (right) on Tuesday
Gus’ grandparents Shannon (left) and Josie Murray (right) both enlisted the services of high profile Adelaide defence lawyers after police declared his disappearance as a major crime earlier this month
Following the police claims, Gus’ grandparents Shannon and Josie Murray – a transgender woman – both enlisted the services of high profile Adelaide defence lawyers.
‘We are absolutely devastated by the media release of SAPOL Major Crime,’ the pair’s statement read.
‘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.’
On Monday, police arrested and charged Josie Murray, 75, with firearm offences. Police said the charges are not connected to Gus’s disappearance.
‘It is my assumption that they relate to either storage, ammunition, registration licensing, those sorts of offences,’ Commissioner Stevens said.
Murray was bailed to appear in Peterborough Magistrates Court in May.
Police have searched every accessible area within a 2.5km radius of the home before extending efforts up to 15km beyond the property using police, SES crews, volunteers, aerial assets, motorbikes, ATVs and specialist technology.
On Tuesday, officers and cadaver dogs brought in from New South Wales inspected a water tank and a freshly cemented outhouse at a sheep station owned by Gus’ family located 30km west of Oak Park Station.
They then moved to a second property at Grampus, about 24km from Oak Park, where Task Force Horizon detectives were seen scouring the homestead and surrounding areas.
It was announced on Tuesday night that the search had concluded and that no new discoveries were made.
‘The search covered numerous buildings and structures at Oak Park Station and at several locations adjoining the property. (It) involved Polair and a cadaver dog from interstate to assist in locating human remains. Unfortunately, no evidence was located during the intensive searches,’ a police spokesperson said.
‘Task Force Horizon detectives have not ruled out returning to Oak Park Station as the investigation continues.’