Missing 4-year-old Gus Lamont’s case and unrelated firearms offence against his grandmother
Consensus Summary
The case of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont, who disappeared from his family’s Oak Park Station near Yunta on 27 September 2025, remains unsolved despite extensive searches. On 12 June 2026, his grandmother Josie Murray, 75, was fined $10,500 and banned from holding firearms for five years after pleading guilty to possessing a gun silencer. Police confirmed the offence is unrelated to Gus’s disappearance, though one of his grandparents remains a suspect in his likely death. Murray’s legal troubles stem from a 2010 incident where a fugitive stole firearms from her property, leading to her prior conviction for improper storage. Both grandparents have publicly stated their cooperation with police, while searches spanning nearly 500 square kilometers have yielded no evidence of Gus’s whereabouts.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Josie Murray, 75, was fined $10,500 for possessing a gun silencer (sound moderator) at Oak Park Station, South Australia, on 12 June 2026.
- Murray was disqualified from holding or obtaining a firearms licence for five years.
- Gus Lamont, 4, disappeared from Oak Park Station near Yunta on 27 September 2025.
- Police declared Gus’s disappearance a major crime on 5 February 2026 and stated someone living at the station was a suspect in his likely death.
- Gus’s grandparents released a statement on 6 February 2026 saying they had cooperated fully with the investigation and wanted to reunite him with his parents.
- The firearms offence is unrelated to Gus’s disappearance, as confirmed by prosecutors and police.
- Murray pleaded guilty to one aggravated charge of possessing a sound moderator during a hearing in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 12 June 2026.
- The silencer was found inside a passcode-protected strongroom alongside several firearms during a search on 15 January 2026.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutor Tania Stevens mentioned Murray was previously convicted in 2010 for failing to securely store firearms, after a fugitive stole an unsecured gun and later used it to commit serious offences before taking his own life.
- Defence lawyer Andy Ey stated two non-working firearms were taken during the 2010 incident, while a third was taken from Murray’s aunt’s property later that day, with the trespasser using it to take his own life.
- Ey described the 2010 incident as extremely traumatic for the family, including Murray’s aunt being held hostage.
- Magistrate Roderick Jensen imposed a $10,500 fine and a five-year firearms licence disqualification, rejecting the prosecution’s call for a custodial sentence.
- The maximum penalty for the offence was $75,000 or up to 10 years in jail.
- Defence lawyer Ey addressed the ‘elephant in the room’ by acknowledging the difficulty of the family dealing with both the firearms case and Gus’s disappearance.
- SA Police confirmed in May 2026 that one of Gus’s grandparents remains a suspect in his disappearance, with no other suspects or persons of interest identified.
- Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke stated that over 500 people were ‘in and around’ Oak Park Station when Gus went missing, but there was no evidence to suggest he was abducted.
- Extensive searches, including scouring mine shafts and draining dams, failed to locate Gus or any of his belongings.
- A new picture of Gus was released by his parents, Jess and Josh, via SAPOL on 24 February 2026.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states the silencer was found during a search on 15 January 2026, but the ABC does not mention this specific date for the search.
Source Articles
Missing boy Gus Lamont’s grandmother fined for firearms offence unrelated to his disappearance
Josie Murray fined $10,500 and disqualified from gun ownership for five years after pleading guilty to possessing a gun silencer Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The grandmother of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont has been fined $10,500 after admitting to a firearms offence unrelated to the boy’s disappearance eight months ago. Josie Murray was fined $10,500 after a hearing in Adelaide magistrates court on Friday, where she pleaded guilty to one aggravated charge of p
Gus Lamont's grandparent fined over gun offence, unrelated to 4yo's disappearance
The grandparent of missing four-year-old Gus Lamont has been fined $10,500 for possession of a gun silencer at the family's Oak Park Station, in South Australia's far north. Police have previously said the offence is not related to his disappearance.