Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat 100km NW of Melbourne, 4 Feb 2024 #8

[Podcast Tragic]

Do we know if searches are still being done?

 

[grannygates]

I’m reading “deliberate attack” to mean that it was an intentional injury/murder, not an accident. It wasn’t a whoopsies came around a blind corner and hit a runner. panic, hide her body and run away.

MOO

 

[SouthAussie]

It couldn’t have been destroyed if it pinged at 5pm, so was it off during the day or was it perhaps pinging the whole time?

Well, they do call it the last ping. I wonder if the phone was laying out there somewhere quietly pinging every once in a while.

It could be that he didn't initially realise that Sam had her phone on her - someone has suggested this before. Where did Sam stash her phone when she was running? It is not really evident in the last photo of Sam, as far as I can see.

Or it could be that Sam lost her phone during a physical attack, maybe he couldn't quickly find it. And he had to go back and find it and get rid of it. So it moved around later in the day (police haven't confirmed a time for the last ping).

imo

 

[SouthAussie]

Do we know if searches are still being done?

Yes, Slouth posted a little further back .....

(In case you can't see X posts, I know some people can't when they don't have an X account)
Just in: Victoria Police has told @abcnews it will be making enquiries or holding small-scale searches on “most days” as the investigation into Samantha Murphy’s alleged murder continues.

12:38 PM · Mar 26, 2024 from Ballarat, Victoria

https://twitter.com/x/status/1772445504426717289

 

[drsleuth]

Well, they do call it the last ping. I wonder if it was laying out there somewhere quietly pinging every once in a while.

It could be that he didn't initially realise that Sam had her phone on her - someone has suggested this before. Where did Sam stash her phone when she was running? It is not really evident in the last photo of Sam, as far as I can see.

Or it could be that Sam lost her phone during a physical attack, maybe he couldn't quickly find it. And he had to go back and find it and get rid of it. So it moved around later in the day (police haven't confirmed a time for the last ping).

imo

I thought it looked like she may have had her phone in her Lt hand side pocket of her leggins she was wearing?

A CCTV snap, a morning run, then nothing. The search for Samantha Murphy

Her husband Mick said no one vanishes into thin air, but after six days of searching, there’s been no sign of the 51-year-old after she went for a run.

www.theage.com.au

 

[SouthAussie]

I thought it looked like she may have had her phone in her Lt hand side pocket of her leggins she was wearing?

View attachment 492875

A CCTV snap, a morning run, then nothing. The search for Samantha Murphy

Her husband Mick said no one vanishes into thin air, but after six days of searching, there’s been no sign of the 51-year-old after she went for a run.

www.theage.com.au

I wonder how long it took for him to think "that's a smart watch, and she's got a phone in her pocket".

Presumably, there was an alleged murder to be conducted first. Something that may have taken .... how long?

imo

 

[Oona]

My guess is that Sam’s phone was turned off before the 11am brunch.
The fact that her phone was off was probably why MM was very worried and reported her missing.
As phones do not ping when switched off, it seems someone turned it back on for the 5pm ping to have occurred. My opinion only.

“State Emergency Services volunteers and police last week searched the bush in an area between the Canadian Plantation and Yankee Flat Road - about 15km from Ms Murphy's home - where they believe her phone was turned off.
‘She would never switch that phone off... that phone was always hooked up,' Mr Robson said.”

16/2/24 Article about Sam’s family being concerned about her phone being off:

Phone twist in Samantha Murphy's disappearance

EXCLUSIVE

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Yes, but premeditated can mean seconds before something happens, ie you could have made a different decision, but didn’t.

True

 

[Kemug]

Sure makes it sound like police are alleging this was premeditated. I may need to change my mind on that front.

RSBM
Premeditated or random? It could have been a bit of both - perhaps he had been planning to attack a woman for a long time, and Samantha just happened to be the one.

 

[Deleted member 340727]

thought it looked like she may have had her phone in her Lt hand side pocket of her leggins she was wearing

Hi drsleuth, That photograph of SM: this is I believe the only released media photograph (taken from CCTV footage) of SM at her home on the morning 4 February 2024. *This isn't the last image of SM from her home before she went on her run on that day. Those earplugs are listed on the noticeboard for the search: as one of the items SM had on her. Those earplugs would have been listed by MM and/or the children as seeing SM had with her when she left home that morning. Those earplugs (termed as headphones by the LE) have been omitted from the missing items as stated by SComm. Shane Patton in his dialogue: implying that those earplugs have been found/located.
All allegedly and MOO
Regards.

 

[drsleuth]

Hi drsleuth, That photograph of SM: this is I believe the only released media photograph (taken from CCTV footage) of SM at her home on the morning 4 February 2024. *This isn't the last image of SM from her home before she went on her run on that day. Those earplugs are listed on the noticeboard for the search: as one of the items SM had on her. Those earplugs would have been listed by MM and/or the children as seeing SM had with her when she left home that morning. Those earplugs (termed as headphones by the LE) have been omitted from the missing items as stated by SComm. Shane Patton in his dialogue. Regards.

Yep well aware it's from CCTV that morning

How do you know it's not the last image?

I'm not sure there is any significance of the police not mentioning the ear pods. Eg he also didn't mention the hair tie etc

I still think the phone would have been in her pocket

 

[Dotta]

and, basically, no matter what faffing his defence puts up to the court, that really is what it boils down to. Because he could and because he wanted to. It takes effort to beat someone to death, even 51 yr old women put up a fight, she would not have gone down easily, so there was , I believe, an element of perseverance, commitment, determination to extinguish her life. Because he could.

I wouldn't waste a million dollars on a one dollar killer. He was only doing what a lot of blokes do. Nothing special about Mr S.

The simplest story that occurs to me is:

- a bloke is coming home in his car from a bender
- he is allegedly still full of drugs and alcohol
- he allegedly sees a lone female runner
- he allegedly decides to frighten and chase her in some kind of sick drunken game
- he allegedly hits her and kills her.

Deliberate attack.

JMO

 

[Deleted member 340727]

How do you know it's not the last image?

Well SM I suspect is holding a doggy poo bag (correct me if I am wrong) so at the very least SM washed her hands and then likely geared up at some stage and then headed off.
All allegedly and MOO

 

[Detective Willy]

However you unpack this, PS has done a great job covering his tracks to make sure Sam has not been found yet.

There must have been millions of $ spent trying to find Sam over 7+ weeks and yet, still nothing.

This suggests to me that it was not a "spur of the moment attack committed after a bender".

To me, PS was very likely wasted but had also run this scenario through his mind beforehand and had a fair degree of planning. He acted on a "fantasy" that he had thought about previously and had the guts to carry through with his plan when he was "numb" that morning.

Not sure if Sam had been the object of his deranged fantasy beforehand and was always going to be "the target" or, if she was "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

I hope they find Sam soon.

Also feeling so much grief for Mick and their children, we could not possibly imagine the nightmare the Murphy fam have been living through without Mum.

 

[Dotta]

However you unpack this, PS has done a great job covering his tracks to make sure Sam has not been found yet.

There must have been millions of $ spent trying to find Sam over 7+ weeks and yet, still nothing.

This suggests to me that it was not a "spur of the moment attack committed after a bender".

To me, PS was very likely wasted but had also run this scenario through his mind beforehand and had a fair degree of planning. He acted on a "fantasy" that he had thought about previously and had the guts to carry through with his plan when he was "numb" that morning.

Not sure if Sam had been the object of his deranged fantasy beforehand and was always going to be "the target" or, if she was "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

I hope they find Sam soon.

Also feeling so much grief for Mick and their children, we could not possibly imagine the nightmare the Murphy fam have been living through without Mum.

Hmmm...
With so much bush around, numerous ponds/dams/lakes/ a river and .... abandoned mineshafts,
it doesn't take a mastermind to hide a body IMO.

PS
Not to forget bush fires in neighbourhood.

ETA
It reminds me of the case of Ashley T. found eventually a mile - or was it half a mile? - from her car after months of searching in the area.

 

[Angeline]

Hi Nifty, I have gone back over the interview given by Police Commissioner Shane Patton to confirm what I have noted:
_____________________
time 9:49
A woman reporter: 'Was a car allegedly involved at all?'
PC Shane Patton: 'I am not going to go into any further detail other than to say this was a we are alleging a deliberate attack which has caused the death of Samantha'
verbatim
Authors: a woman reporter, Police Commissioner Shane Patton. Victoria Police
_____________________

This is important. I always thought police specifically said it wasn't a hit and run, but after reading this, they only alleged it was a deliberate attack.

They did not confirm or deny that a car was involved.

The words, "not a hit and run" have popped up in numerous articles, but the words are always from the reporter, not the police.

Has anyone seen an article quoting the police using those words?

If a vehicle was actually used, then possibly the accused deliberately hit Samantha and recorded it on dash cam.

He may have sent the footage to someone.

Has anyone seen evidence of a dash cam on the vehicle?

 

[Rocket333]

Pinging the whole time and we've been told about the last ping. That's my conclusion. You cannot stop and start a device like this unless you completely destroy it.

How is SM’s phone still functioning at 5pm?
Why wasn’t it smashed?
Did he only bury or hide the body later in the day when the searchers had gone and it was cooler?
If the phone actually was active all day, the police would have her roughly tracked. She might’ve even been parked (at the Scotsburn home?) in the back of his or another’s car during the day until it was quieter.

 

[bbbounce]

This is important. I always thought police specifically said it wasn't a hit and run, but after reading this, they only alleged it was a deliberate attack.

They did not confirm or deny that a car was involved.

The words "not a hit and run" have popped up in numerous articles, but the words are always from the reporter, not the police. Has anyone seen an article quoting the police using those words?

If a vehicle was actually used, then possibly the accused deliberately hit Samantha and recorded it on dash cam. He may have sent the footage to someone. Has anyone seen evidence of a dash cam on the vehicle?

Patton specifically answered this in the press conference. He was asked by a reporter “will the police be alleging this is a hit & run” . Patton’s response “no”. Go to the 9:25 mark in the press conference
Press conference

 

[FromGermany1]

How is SM’s phone still functioning at 5pm?
Why wasn’t it smashed?
Did he only bury or hide the body later in the day when the searchers had gone and it was cooler?
If the phone actually was active all day, the police would have her roughly tracked and could’ve been watching him fir a fortnight to see if he could lead them to the body. If so, she might’ve been parked at the Scotsburn home in the back of his car during the day until it was quieter. PS may have spent the day watching the searchers.

Google:

How Can You Stop Your Phone From Pinging Towers?

1. Enable Airplane Mode: This cuts off all your cell's communications. ...
2. Disable Location Services: Go into your phone's settings and turn off location services. ...
3. Use a Faraday Bag: These bags block all signals, stopping your phone from communicating with towers or devices.

PS is "the next Elon Musk" (schoolmates/friends said of him) and seems to be very smart. Maybe, he had a Faraday bag at his disposal, which could point to "preplanned"?

 

[bbbounce]

I expected by now we would have heard something in the media about whether Sissy Austin recognised the accused as her attacker. But radio silence on that front. Wonder what that means????