South Australian police have said no evidence to suggest that Gus Lamont was abducted has been found following a renewed search around the property where the four-year-old disappeared eight months ago.

Providing an update to the media this afternoon at Oak Park Station, Major Crime Investigation Branch's Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke said no new evidence was found during the three-day search, one grandparent remains a suspect in the boy's disappearance.

"At this time, no other suspects or persons of interest have been identified," he said.

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He admitted the absence of fresh evidence uncovered by the recent search was disheartening.

"We haven't given up. It is disappointing that we haven't found anything," he said.

"It's not the city, we don't have CCTV and people walking past.

"The reality is, the longer this goes on, the closer we get to not finding him. 

"I don't want to give anybody the impression that we're hopeful after eight months that we'll find Gus alive, but we are hopeful we'll be able to recover Gus at some point."

In February, Gus' grandparents, Josie and Shannon Murray, released a statement through their lawyers, saying they were "absolutely devastated" by SA Police's revelation earlier that month that a person with close ties to the household, who is not one of Gus' parents, had been speaking with detectives but then allegedly "withdrew cooperation".

"We are absolutely devastated by the media release of SAPOL Major Crime. The family has cooperated fully with the investigation and want nothing more than to find Gus and reunite him with his mum and dad," the statement read.

The lawyers also indicated they will not be making any further comments.

There is no suggestion Josie or Shannon Murray are involved in the disappearance of Gus and it is not unusual for anyone linked to an investigation to seek out legal advice.

Fielke said police have been working on getting in contact with more than 500 people, mostly workers and neighbours, who were identified as being around Oak Park Station around the time of Gus' disappearance. 

"We are working through the list … but all of the people we have contacted so far have been discounted in any way as being involved in Gus' disappearance," he said.

"There's not many people left on that list, and we'll continue to work through that. 

"At this point, there is no evidence to suggest that Gus has been abducted."

Fielke said that Task Force Horizon members are in contact with Gus' parents, who are regularly updated. They are not suspected of any wrongdoing over their son's disappearance.

Over the last eight months, Fielke said police have received more than 830 separate pieces of information, 527 Crimestoppers calls, more than 200 calls to police, and more than 120 letters and emails to Taskforce Force Horizon.

"It is all being followed up, it is all being investigated," he said.

Fielke said most of the recent search focused on waterways, washouts, and creekbeds impacted by recent flooding near Oak Park Station. 

"All of these members have walked, searched, in excess of 30km of waterways over the last three days," he said.

"Unfortunately, we have not uncovered any other evidence that helps us locate Gus." 

He said that a vehicle, motorcycle and electronics seized by police following a search warrant in mid-January provided no evidence after "thorough forensic testing".

Fielke said the next steps in the eight-month investigation include using planes and drones 15 kilometres out from the homestead where Gus disappeared. 

9News understands police were hoping the recent rain may have uncovered evidence, including clothing Gus was wearing at the time of his disappearance eight months ago, such as a large-brimmed hat and a Minions shirt.

Police focused on sites that were inaccessible during their previous visit to the property in March, when flooding was taking place.

Gus was last seen playing on a dirt mound at Oak Park Station around 5pm on September 27, 2025.

He has not been seen since and his disappearance is being treated as a major crime.

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Authorities have refused to grant parole to Robert Black Farmer, the man who shocked a nation when he carried out a horrific and near-fatal attack on Sydney teenager Lauren Huxley more than 20 years ago.

The decision was handed down by the NSW State Parole Authority following a closed-door meeting today.

Lauren's sister Simone said the decision gave the family "a measure of relief and reassurance" knowing they'd been heard and acknowledged.

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"Nothing can undo what my sister has endured, nor the lasting impact this crime continues to have on our family," she said, in a statement shared by Corrective Services NSW. 

"The parole process has been deeply emotional, forcing us to revisit trauma we have spent years working to navigate.

"While today's outcome offers some comfort and allows us a little more space to breathe, healing is an ongoing journey. For victims and the families who stand beside them, there is no definitive endpoint."

In 2005, Farmer brutally attacked then-18-year-old Huxley inside her Northmead home, leaving her for dead before setting the house on fire. 

Huxley, a TAFE marketing student, had just caught the bus home to Northmead, in the city's west, when Farmer, a 39-year-old stranger, ambushed her.

Farmer chased the teenager through the house and into the yard before cornering her in the garage. 

There, he brutally bashed her with heavy fibro-cutters. He then bound her with electrical cords, doused her in petrol, and lit a fire in the kitchen, leaving her to burn alive.

Doctors gave Huxley a mere five percent chance of survival. She suffered catastrophic, severe brain injuries. Against all odds, and through years of grueling rehabilitation, Lauren survived to rebuild her life, though she has never fully recovered.

Farmer was convicted by a jury in 2008 of serious offences, including wounding with intent to murder, and was sentenced to 24.5 years in prison.

Under NSW parole guidelines, the authority is legally required to consider parole for Farmer before his 20-year non-parole period ends in July 2026. 

Following today's refusal, Farmer has the right to apply for a review. If he does not appeal, or if his application is rejected, the decision stands and he will remain behind bars, unable to be reconsidered for release until his anniversary date next year. 

Farmer's prison sentence does not expire until January 31, 2031.

The decision brings a dramatic end to weeks of agonising tension for Huxley, now 38, who earlier this month spoke to A Current Affair about the terrifying prospect of her attacker walking the streets once again.

"It scares me for sure," Huxley told A Current Affair. 

"Not just for myself, my family and friends, but also the general public. Because you don't know… what is he capable of doing next?"

In making its determination, the NSW State Parole Authority panel accepted the expert advice of the Serious Offenders Review Council, which explicitly stated that parole is completely inappropriate at this time.

"We are not satisfied that his release to parole is sufficient for his re-integration and the protection of the public," the SORC report stated.

The authority was advised that Farmer continues to deny his offences and had failed to participate in a critical violent offenders therapy program.

Instead, for the past six months, he has engaged in an alternative pathway consisting of one-on-one Risk Mitigation Intervention sessions with a senior Corrective Services NSW psychologist.

Before denying parole, the panel considered written submissions made by the Huxley family and members of the public.

Responding directly to the family, the panel expressed its deepest sympathies and admiration for their ongoing strength.

"The Authority recognises the profound and enduring harm caused to Lauren and her family by this offending. We admire their courage and resilience, and our thoughts remain with them," the panel said.

"We understand the concerns they have raised and that of the community. In all decisions, the protection of the community, including the safety and wellbeing of victims and their families, remains our priority."

The decision was kept strictly confidential this morning until the Corrective Services Victim's Register could personally notify Lauren and her family.

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