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 #3

[Eloise]

LInk please? I last read they were yet to confirm alibi. Thanks

I read it like he's offered an alibi, not that it's been confirmed

This quote from a previous post:

As part of their probe, A Current Affair reported on Friday night that a local man with a “long rap sheet” has been spoken to by detectives. The man is understood to have provided an alibi for the day Ms Murphy went missing, and there is nothing to suggest he had anything to do with her disappearance.

BBM sounds like he's said he was doing xyz but it doesn't say cops have confirmed that to be true yet
(and the "there is nothing to suggest he had anything to do with her disappearance" is media covering their butts)

 

[Toowong(s)]

What makes you think police are targeting known criminals? I understood from the interview that everyone known to SM is a POI ATM.i didn't pick up they were leaning towards known criminals. Have I missed something?

It was this comment BBM:

Ms Murphy's mysterious disappearance during an early morning run on February 4 has generated hundreds of leads, with officers now honing in on known violent offenders living close to her home in Ballarat in regional Victoria.

From this article:

Samantha Murphy cops call in sex crime and anti-terror specialists

The extra detectives on what has become Victoria's highest priority police inquiry include personnel from the sex crimes, counter-terror, fraud and armed robbery divisions in Melbourne .

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[PolyDot]

Yep, debts owed?

I have been thinking of this today too. One of the simplest answers I can come up with is that to move the body of a woman who is 172cm might take two people. I’m 44, 172cm and pretty fit. I weigh 70kg. I can imagine police saying “ok so could one person move a 70kg body on their own without leaving drag marks etc”. I dunno, maybe that’s too simplistic. But then again I think they know a lot more than they’re letting

What kind of "things of interest" could have been taken from the Motor repair shop by Police?

Mmm tools that could have been used in an attack ? Or in disposal of body. If that is the case police would be interested in those who had access to the shop ?

 

[Black-Cat]

Tell me about it, lived in those places myself and grew up in regional Vic, the introduced wild dogs haven't been wiped out in all their problem spots and native wild dogs stiIl exist in the alpine region and are not culled, I also didn't say they were in CV specifically, just that they are found all over the country but that doesn't mean in every square metre, what I was meaning was all over and in every state mate

Yes its a real problem in the High Country, I don't think they'll ever get on top of it

 

[PolyDot]

IMO
If it is not random
(my pet theory),
then it is personal,
and not business related.

Terrifying anger/rage, etc.
is the cause of this crime IMO.

Business is just business.
But this case screams violent, destructive, obsessive emotions.

JMO

Tend to agree with this , murder is either random or very personal

 

[SouthAussie]

Is this a normal occurrence in Austrailia that people just set autos and in this case another panel business on fire?

The fire linked below that happened today was about an hour drive away from Ballerat. Is there anywhere to find owners of businesses there? Just wondering if it would have any links to SM's family's panel business.

CCTV captures moment factory fire turned deadly in Melbourne

www.9news.com.au

Probably gang related. And the fire bombing was retaliatory for some unknown grievance.
The two people who died (in your link) were "squatters" and not related to the business.

We had a case here in my state a few years ago where Jason De Ieso was gunned down at a panel beaters by a group of Hells Angels in a mistaken-identity murder. Mr De Ieso was working in a rival gang, the Finks, workshop.

imo

 

[SouthAussie]

Cctv in the area seems to be optional, whereas where I live they are everywhere and deemed to be a necessity. At gun point, SM could have been told to destroy them.

I've been google-walking the area of the business, but the street view is from 2009!
They may have installed CCTV since then. I wonder if any of our thread locals have noticed CCTV outside the business.

 

[Moonchild90]

Yes, and have regularly walked that area.

Great to have you here! <3

 

[Dotta]

Have the searches by volunteers started yet???

It is already 10 a.m. in Victoria (I think)

Time is flying!
There is job to be done before sunset!

Dear locals, please keep us informed

 

[jjleroche]

I agree with you. If it were business-related, why not target Mick as well? Why just Sam? Or why not target the children and make both of them suffer? It doesn't make sense that someone would stalk her into the forest and kill her because they were angry about something business-related.

IMO with revenge-related murders, perpetrators will often try to kill/maim the loved one(s) of the person with whom they have a bone to pick - ie by targeting their greatest vulnerability - in this case, IMO Samantha. MOO

 

[solari]

Yes its a real problem in the High Country, I don't think they'll ever get on top of it

Just like the deer hey

 

[Dotta]

YES !!!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761179047764304247

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Search parties, intrigue and a piece of Australian bushland hiding a secret: what happened to Samantha Murphy?

Weeks since she was last seen outside her Ballarat home, volunteers refused to give up the search for answers

www.theguardian.com

 

[Dotta]

Fingers crossed !!!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761195145310187854

 

[Naobh]

It was this comment BBM:

Ms Murphy's mysterious disappearance during an early morning run on February 4 has generated hundreds of leads, with officers now honing in on known violent offenders living close to her home in Ballarat in regional Victoria.

From this article:

Samantha Murphy cops call in sex crime and anti-terror specialists

The extra detectives on what has become Victoria's highest priority police inquiry include personnel from the sex crimes, counter-terror, fraud and armed robbery divisions in Melbourne .

www.dailymail.co.uk

They're about to release one of the guys they based Snowtown on. Every crime you've heard about before you were 20 years younger, if they caught them at all, the offender is walking about freely in our communities. Serious violent offenders against randoms.

 

[Naobh]

I feel like there are parallels to this case IMO.

Man who dumped mother of four's body in mineshaft learns his fate

Brendon James Prestage, 33, wrapped Kobie Parfitt's body in plastic and used his own Ford Territory to drive to an abandoned gold mine in nearby Snake Valley.

www.dailymail.co.uk

That was a meth thing

 

[Naobh]

IMO with revenge-related murders, perpetrators will often try to kill/maim the loved one(s) of the person with whom they have a bone to pick - ie by targeting their greatest vulnerability - in this case, IMO Samantha. MOO

It's just, they've got nothing to be vengeful about much. Bikies expect to go to jail, they were just kids with problems once, they knew people who'd been in jail. They've been in and out of jail their whole lives. Their best bet is to stay under the radar as much as possible so police don't crack down on whatever their favourite trade currently is.

It's different if they're affected by meth but that sort of crime is usually played out on each other, "known associates", just more people with terrible problems trying to make a buck to feed their habit.

The organised part of organised crime is keeping it quiet. They don't involve normal people, they have an active interest in not involving the general population. Also pretty much everyone knows not to snitch, from the playground. You just wouldn't, if you're not thick, and they're not thick.

 

[inkpink]

It's just, they've got nothing to be vengeful about much. Bikies expect to go to jail, they were just kids with problems once, they knew people who'd been in jail. They've been in and out of jail their whole lives. Their best bet is to stay under the radar as much as possible so police don't crack down on whatever their favourite trade currently is.

It's different if they're affected by meth but that sort of crime is usually played out on each other, "known associates", just more people with terrible problems trying to make a buck to feed their habit.

The organised part of organised crime is keeping it quiet. They don't involve normal people, they have an active interest in not involving the general population. Also pretty much everyone knows not to snitch, from the playground. You just wouldn't, if you're not thick, and they're not thick.

Except within the tobacco wars...

 

[acutename]

Theory. What if someone knew there was a lot of cash in the safe and knew the family well. Knew Sam's running plans that day, waited for her. Then at gunpoint took her to the workshop to open the safe. Got the money and took Sam somewhere and disposed of her. MOO

1. would have to get SM completely under control without any witnesses
2. would have to transport her with no one seeing anything
3. would have to get her out of the vehicle and into the shop-
what locks on the shop? Can she open them without keys? just a code?
4. no cameras or alarms at the shop?
5. shop would then have evidence- missing items, prints, dna, etc.
6. person would then have to transport SM without anyone witnessing anything

 

[Naobh]

Except within the tobacco wars...

I think those guys have strong links to overseas criminal networks.

They're not our plain old crooks.