After nearly three weeks of desperate searching, police have finally released a list of “potentially significant locations” connected to the disappearance of nine-year-old Gus Lamont — and one of those places has investigators, and the entire community, on edge.
Authorities say the new locations were identified using GPS data, CCTV footage, and eyewitness tips, all cross-checked in what police describe as the “most complex search operation” in the state’s history.
But it was the third location on that list, a secluded structure off the old Riverbend Highway, that immediately sparked speculation and fear.
“There’s something about that place,” one investigator admitted off record. “It’s isolated, it’s quiet, and it keeps showing up in ways we can’t explain.”
The list that could unlock the case
According to a police statement released late Thursday, Gus may have been seen — or at least traces of him detected — in several areas surrounding his hometown.
These include:
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A rural service road running parallel to Highway 18
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An abandoned petrol station known locally as “The Halfway Stop”
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A vacant farmhouse near Riverbend Creek, where strange activity was recently reported
While officers remain tight-lipped about what connects these spots, several insiders claim the farmhouse location is “the one that won’t go away.”
“Every lead keeps circling back there,” a search volunteer told The Herald Wire. “Even the dogs reacted when we got close. It’s like the place has its own story to tell.”
Locals describe an unsettling atmosphere
Residents living near the Riverbend property say police have visited multiple times over the past week, often arriving after dark and leaving with boxes sealed in evidence tape.
“You could see the flashlights moving through the windows,” said one neighbor. “They were searching the walls, the floorboards… It gave me chills.”
The farmhouse, abandoned for more than a decade, has long been a magnet for urban explorers and thrill-seekers. But after Gus’s disappearance, it took on a new, haunting reputation.
“It’s just got that feeling — like something bad happened there,” another local said. “People stopped going near it the moment the police showed up.”
A theory that’s dividing investigators
Several online sleuths now believe the farmhouse may have been a temporary hiding place — not where Gus disappeared, but where someone might have taken him after.
“It’s not just about where he went missing,” said criminologist Dr. Adrian Fenn. “It’s about where someone wanted him to be found — or not found.”
Unconfirmed reports suggest that items of interest were recovered from the site, including a child’s drawing and a piece of fabric resembling clothing Gus was last seen wearing. Police have refused to confirm these details.
“We are still processing evidence and cannot comment on ongoing analyses,” a police spokesperson stated. “Our focus remains on locating Gus safely.”
A race against time — and a community on edge
As search teams expand into new territories, tension in the local area has reached breaking point. Parents have started escorting children to school again, and residents are demanding more transparency from investigators.
“People want answers,” said community organizer Rachel Dyer. “Every day that goes by, the fear grows. When they say one spot is ‘different,’ it’s impossible not to imagine the worst.”
The place no one wants to go back to
Drone footage from local news crews shows the Riverbend farmhouse surrounded by police tape, its roof partially caved in, and an old swing set rusting behind the property — eerily swaying in the wind.
One reporter described the atmosphere as “the kind that makes you hold your breath without realizing it.”
“Something happened there,” said another witness. “You can just feel it.”
For now, authorities have not ruled out any possibilities. But with this new list — and one chilling location standing out among them — investigators might finally be closer to understanding what happened to Gus Lamont.
Or, as one detective whispered while leaving the scene:
“We’re close… but whatever we’re getting close to, it doesn’t feel right.”