Missing Boy Gus Lamont’s Family Emerges: Mother and Transgender Grandmother Photographed Amid Ongoing Search
The mother and transgender grandmother of four-year-old Gus Lamont, who disappeared from a remote South Australian Outback station, have been pictured publicly for the first time since his vanishing on September 27.
Gus’s mother, Jessica, bears a striking resemblance to her son with her blonde wavy hair. She appears in a 2019 photo alongside the boy’s father, Joshua Lamont, at the South Australian Music Awards. This marks the first recent image of Jessica in the media, as prior photos were from her infancy. The couple, though together, maintain separate residences due to family tensions and live several hours apart.
Also revealed is a close-up photo of Gus’s grandmother, Josie Murray—a transgender woman—sourced from an old Facebook account. Josie, previously known as Robert, transitioned after the death of her partner Shannon Murray’s father, a decorated war veteran named Vincent Pfeiffer. Local sources in Yunta describe the community’s acceptance of her transition. It’s unclear if Josie and Shannon’s marriage continues, but they reside together at Oak Park Station near Yunta.
The family’s reclusive lifestyle is highlighted by the delay in releasing these images, mirroring the six days it took to share Gus’s photo after his disappearance—by which point police had transitioned to a recovery-focused search.
Joshua Lamont, frontman of the Adelaide country band The Cut Snakes, is seen with Jessica at the awards event where the band won a People’s Choice Award. Jessica, described by friends as introverted and shy, rarely accompanied Joshua on tour. The pair also share a one-year-old son, Ronnie, who does not live at Oak Park.
A source close to the family explained the couple’s “commuter relationship,” with Joshua based in a modest farmhouse in Belalie North, near Jamestown—about a two-hour drive away. The arrangement stems from clashes between Joshua and Josie Murray.
Gus was last seen playing in a red sand pile in the front yard of the homestead, wearing a grey broad-brimmed hat, a blue long-sleeved Minion shirt, light grey pants, and boots. The property, where he lived with his mother and maternal grandparents Josie and Shannon, has yielded no traces despite extensive searches.
Police and the Australian Defence Force resumed searching on Tuesday, expanding beyond the immediate homestead area. The initial operation, one of the largest in recent history, involved hundreds of officers, soldiers, volunteers, and an Aboriginal tracker, but was scaled back on October 7 based on medical advice indicating slim survival chances. A single footprint 500 meters from the home was the only lead. A former SES volunteer reported “zero evidence” Gus remained on the property.
Police maintain ongoing engagement with the family, who are cooperating. Deputy Commissioner Linda Williams noted active investigations into new leads. Joshua, staying with relatives in Adelaide after briefly joining the search, has been described by his brother as too distraught to speak. A musician friend publicly affirmed Joshua’s innocence, and authorities have not implicated any family members.
Family friend Bill Harbison expressed the profound devastation, stating the family clings to hope amid overwhelming grief.
A family tree outlines the relationships: Gus’s parents Jessica and Joshua; maternal grandparents Josie (transgender) and Shannon Murray; and Joshua’s past persona as country singer Billy Tea.
The renewed search efforts continue, with police assuring the public of persistent inquiries into Gus’s disappearance.
