In a heart-wrenching case that has gripped Australia for months, former homicide detective Gary Jubelin has finally spoken out about the dramatic shift in the investigation into the disappearance of four-year-old August “Gus” Lamont. The little boy vanished without a trace from his family’s remote sheep station, Oak Park Station near Yunta in South Australia’s outback, on September 27, 2025. What began as a desperate search for a child who may have wandered off into the harsh wilderness has now transformed into a major crime probe, with police identifying a key suspect.

Jubelin, known for his work on high-profile missing children’s cases like William Tyrrell, described the recent development as the pivotal moment detectives had been waiting for. After exhaustive physical searches involving hundreds of officers, volunteers, defense personnel, and even checks of old mineshafts yielded no clues, investigators shifted focus. The breakthrough came from inconsistencies in timelines and statements provided by family members at the property. One individual who lived there reportedly withdrew cooperation, prompting authorities to declare the case a suspected major crime—effectively treating it as foul play rather than misadventure.

In early February 2026, South Australia Police executed warrants, seizing items such as vehicles, motorcycles, and electronic devices from the homestead. They publicly named no one but stressed that Gus’s parents are not suspects, pointing instead to someone else residing on the site. This move marks a clear pivot: early efforts ruled out accidental loss in the vast, unforgiving landscape through massive ground and aerial operations, yet no sign of the boy—footprints, clothing, or otherwise—ever surfaced.

Jubelin emphasized how this phase echoes lessons from past investigations, urging the public to step back and allow police to work methodically. The absence of evidence after such thorough searches eliminated simple explanations like the child getting lost, pushing detectives toward human involvement. The emotional toll has been immense: Gus’s grandparents expressed devastation while affirming full cooperation with authorities, highlighting the family’s anguish amid swirling speculation.

The outback setting—isolated, rugged, and hundreds of kilometers from major cities—made the initial disappearance baffling. Gus was last seen playing near the home around 5 p.m., yet hours later, he was gone. Months of false leads and scaled-back searches gave way to this bombshell reclassification, reigniting hope for answers while raising chilling questions about what really happened that September evening.

As the investigation intensifies, the nation watches closely. Jubelin’s insight underscores a harsh reality: sometimes, the truth emerges not from the land itself, but from overlooked details in human accounts. For Gus’s loved ones and a concerned public, this breakthrough represents both progress and profound sorrow—the moment everything truly changed.