POLICE IDENTIFY SUSPECT

THE MISSING BOY'S CASE HAS BEEN DECLARED A MAJOR CRIME

- Mojdeh Kashani

For five months, hope lingered that young Gus Lamont had simply wandered from his remote outback home. Now, police have declared the four-yearold's disappearance a major crime, marking a devastating and deeply distressing shift for his family and community.

On February 5, the investigation took a heartbreaking turn.

Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke confirmed authorities are now treating Gus' disappearance as a suspected criminal matter, revealing that a person who lived at Oak Park Station and who is not one of Gus' parents - is considered a suspect.

"There is no evidence, physical or otherwise, to suggest that Gus has merely wandered off," Detective Superintendent Fielke said, adding that police "don't believe, now, that Gus is alive".

A theory that Gus was abducted by an unknown person has been ruled out.