Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #10

[LozVic]

Do you have a link for this piece of information please? In particular the “line search” …..being requested at the one month mark??

I can only recall the property owner being asked if he / they saw anything suspiscious in the early days … but Polivce have been back several times.

And IIRC the search was only organised recently …. It takes time for the logistics of a search to be organised … personnel , equipment, dogs and handlers from interstate etc etc

Link for several times…
Post in thread 'Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #9'
Australia - Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #9,

It was a daily mail article I read it this morning it said the owner wanted to remain anonymous and that he was first contacted a month after the disappearance asking permission to conduct a line search he said he never heard from them again until the day the phone was found and they had been asked to make a statement after the phone was found it went on to say he had not noticed anything suspicious and that they did not have cameras in the area I will try and find the link I know daily mail isn’t very reliable but seems a strange thing to completely make up

 

[SLouTh]

It was a daily mail article I read it this morning it said the owner wanted to remain anonymous and that he was first contacted a month after the disappearance asking permission to conduct a line search he said he never heard from them again until the day the phone was found and they had been asked to make a statement after the phone was found it went on to say he had not noticed anything suspicious and that they did not have cameras in the area I will try and find the link I know daily mail isn’t very reliable but seems a strange thing to completely make up

This article ???? from The Daily Mail ???

The owner of the property, who wished to remain anonymous, said police contacted him about three weeks ago asking for permission to access his land.

The man said officers returned on Wednesday where they told him they were going to perform a line search along the road.

'A dog found something on the banks and they came up and asked me and my wife to make a statement,' he said.

The man said police were interested in the levels of his dam.

'I hasn't seen anything suspicious out there. We don't have cameras. But yeah I believe one of those tech dogs found it,' he said.
The man said detectives came and spoke to him about a month after Ms Murphy vanished, but only returned again in recent weeks.

'They just asked me if I'd seen anything suspicious,' he said.

Samantha Murphy's husband makes a sad revelation

Police called Mick Murphy moments after his wife's mud-splattered iPhone was discovered on the edge of a dam about 14km from their home in Ballarat East on Thursday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[LozVic]

This article ???? from The Daily Mail ???

The owner of the property, who wished to remain anonymous, said police contacted him about three weeks ago asking for permission to access his land.

The man said officers returned on Wednesday where they told him they were going to perform a line search along the road.

'A dog found something on the banks and they came up and asked me and my wife to make a statement,' he said.

The man said police were interested in the levels of his dam.

'I hasn't seen anything suspicious out there. We don't have cameras. But yeah I believe one of those tech dogs found it,' he said.

Samantha Murphy's husband makes a sad revelation

Police called Mick Murphy moments after his wife's mud-splattered iPhone was discovered on the edge of a dam about 14km from their home in Ballarat East on Thursday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

It was a similar article but had a different headline and a different quote from the home owner perhaps it miss quoted him regarding when they first spoke to him? and has been re written?

 

[Trooper]

IMO it depends - on the personalities of both the remandee, and the undercover guy, and the mood of the alleged killer on the day. U/C Guy would need to "strike" when PS appears to be vulnerable/down, or. in a cocky, bragging mood IMO..

Credibility would be crucial. (As Trooper noted - the latter would be kitted out in St Vinnies gear, scruffy...) Ideally he'd ensure that he was seen either smoking, or begging for smokes/asking where he could get some. A couple of home-made tatts on hs hands/wrists wouldn't go astray, and a hefty dose of body odour would be quite helpful.

U/C Guy would need to allude to his contempt for police/remand officers, but in a very understated way - and appear to be a "good bloke" (that indefinable Aussie "thing).

AFAIK all Australian states, and Federal Police have undercover agents if required. I'm not sure about the territories.

Undercover agents aren't limited to remand situations. The work of an undercover agent in South Australia in 2010 was critical in gathering information which led to the arrests of men suspected of committing a horrific murder.

IIRC that U/C Guy happened to meet a chap (who was the farmhand of one of the suspects) at a local pub. They didn't know each other, but got chatting (footy etc, and other things...)

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/undercover-police-allegedly-told-of-farmhands-role-in-heyward-murder-on-hidden-camera/news-story/0c2f72ab5990d27098f56b22a2b5d4cc

MOO

The 'scruffy' element of policing is as you put it, not confined to the Remand centre, or prison.. It exists outside on a year long basis. Quite a few AU homicides have been solved by the Scruffy Squad, and worldwide it is a regular part of police operations, the French are , as one would expect, very suave at it.

Brett Cowan would probably never have been caught or convicted without this operative process.

Credit is usually given to the Canadians , Vancouver Metro police and the Mounties, for the invention and revolution of the process.. Rafay and Burns , one of the first cases, (( there is a great Canadian Documentary about it ) for reference... The whole concept whirls back and forth in courts, some courts try and knock the thing on the head, as violating a criminals rights, and so on.. It has stood up, though, and quite a few blokes in prison know only too well how the sting works.

Lounging about in the Remand Centre is par for the course for some specially selected constables, probable those who look a bit savage and smarmy naturally, but somehow manage to look spivvy in VICPOL uniforms. It is a one off job, though, because it's a bit dangerous to go back for a second bite of the cherry.

 

[ZombieKittie]

The 'scruffy' element of policing is as you put it, not confined to the Remand centre, or prison.. It exists outside on a year long basis. Quite a few AU homicides have been solved by the Scruffy Squad, and worldwide it is a regular part of police operations, the French are , as one would expect, very suave at it.

Brett Cowan would probably never have been caught or convicted without this operative process.

Credit is usually given to the Canadians , Vancouver Metro police and the Mounties, for the invention and revolution of the process.. Rafay and Burns , one of the first cases, (( there is a great Canadian Documentary about it ) for reference... The whole concept whirls back and forth in courts, some courts try and knock the thing on the head, as violating a criminals rights, and so on.. It has stood up, though, and quite a few blokes in prison know only too well how the sting works.

Lounging about in the Remand Centre is par for the course for some specially selected constables, probable those who look a bit savage and smarmy naturally, but somehow manage to look spivvy in VICPOL uniforms. It is a one off job, though, because it's a bit dangerous to go back for a second bite of the cherry.

The Daniel Morcombe case is what gives me hope that there is a whole lot going on behind the scenes in Sam's case that only police know about

 

[ProfCluezo]

Trying not to be a kill joy, but right now, it has not been established that the killer, and the phone-thrower- in - the- dam are the same person . Someone could have found that phone ( I still say it was someone local who knew the location of people's dams ) and in a total panick, hurled it over the blackberries. Who does not want to be associated in any way with this whole horrible event, someone who , possibly, was where they would have difficulty explaining about to police, or a wife, or something like that.

VICPOL will eventually tie up these two disparate happenings ,,---> the murder and ----> the phone tosser. Nothing is ever lost, it just has not been found yet...

A perfect blend of optimism and realism…. As Troops has aptly cautioned the “phone tosser” may indeed be distinct from the other [alleged tosser]…

For all we know there could be all kinds of permutations…. The phone could have been dropped or kicked (rather than tossed)…. Or even carried by an animal…. ? It would appear from where it was located that it was right on the periphery of the dam….? Perhaps not the most skilful “tosser” if it was intended that the phone never be found…?

If the phone was picked up and tossed by an unrelated party, presumably that party may have become aware by mid afternoon that a local jogger had gone missing..?

So much we don’t know…

JMO

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Agree phone and body may well be in different places but for me the question still remains as to why the alleged offender did not attempt to destroy or otherwise disable the phone. To throw it into a dam in its original case with cards etc seems utterly reckless when he could easily have smashed it to smithereens first (especially if he had tools in his disposal). So I still lean towards the idea that the phone was thrown in a state of panic, most likely on the day SM was murdered. JMO

It may have been his first murder. People get reckless under pressure.

 

[SLouTh]

DBM

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Unfortunately, many people who commit murder and hide a body successfully aren't particularly clever or someone who planned everything out perfectly. They're just lucky.

MOO

Chris Dawson being a prime example. Granted he did do a few things cleverly but the stars aligned for him. Until 40 years later when they didn't.

 

[Cedars]

Perhaps he was doing the sensible thing getting rid of the phone before he drove rather further to dispose of the body. So it didn't know where he went. And he was preoccupied with the bigger problem of the body so he didn't stop to question his assumption that water would disable and disappear the phone.

Yes, I can think of many cases where a killer tossed the cell phone, and it was found, but didn't end up revealing anything important in it's contents. They were strangers, so no text messages, etc.

I think where a phone has been useful to LE is if there's any fingerprints or DNA physically on it, and it's location does track with her killer's movements. So if they can prove the killer took that route, that can go far as evidence in a trial. Even if a body is never found, the person who threw her phone away would very likely be found guilty.

JMO

 

[HoneyBunOne]

This may be totally unrelated ….. however … worth considering …

The Nine Chopper has been circling over an area of Werribee Gorge State Park …. A driving distance of 53kms or 46mins from Ballarat

View attachment 506993View attachment 506994

ADS-B Exchange - track aircraft live

ADS-B Exchange - track aircraft live - aircraft flight history

globe.adsbexchange.com

Ballarat to Werribee Gorge State Park

www.google.com

Don't get too excited just yet, there's a person trapped there, no doubt 9 news just want the footage for the nightly news. It's not uncommon for people to get lost or fall over a cliff face there. It appears to be a completed job as of 3.30pm Friday.

Incidents and Warnings - VicEmergency

Victoria's combined source of emergency information and warnings, helping the community to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies across the state.

emergency.vic.gov.au

 

[SLouTh]

Don't get too excited just yet, there's a person trapped there, no doubt 9 news just want the footage for the nightly news. It's not uncommon for people to get lost or fall over a cliff face there.

Incidents and Warnings - VicEmergency

Victoria's combined source of emergency information and warnings, helping the community to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies across the state.

emergency.vic.gov.au

Thanks for that … I did a quick search …. As I did wonder about that …I searched for the national park and latest news and nothing came up ….

Shall I delete the post???? Yes .. probably best ….

IMO

 

[ProfCluezo]

Any guesses on when we will get the next instalment of news on Samantha?

Perhaps the “targeted searches” are weather dependent?

 

[wallyworld]

Exactly. And I'm sure the police would ignore his "warnings". He sounds like he thinks he is the boss of all bosses of the police

Charlie Bezzina was one of Victoria's most successful and longest-serving homicide squad detectives. He is very highly regarded and well-respected. Since retiring from the police force he now works as a private investigator, and is also the senior integrity advisor for Grey Hound Racing Victoria, as part of a team of investigators, intelligence analysts, and solicitors, aiming to rid the industry of crime.

​

 

[nightrider17]

Buninyong H21 Bushland Reserve · 477-99 Webbs Hill Rd, Buninyong VIC 3357, Australia

★★★★★ · Park

www.google.com.au

The Buningyong H21 Bushland Reserve is not too far from Yendon No 2 Road where PS was living. IMO

 

[nightrider17]

If you were digging a shallow grave - you would still need a shovel?? IMO

Would PS carry one with him in his ute?? Maybe as part of his work?? Or did he have to go home to get one?? JMO

Also that bush near the dam with the berries has thorns - could some of those berries or damage from the thorns to PS's clothes have led them to that particular property? Is that a common berry for that area? JMO

 

[iamshadow21]

If you were digging a shallow grave - you would still need a shovel?? IMO

Would PS carry one with him in his ute?? Maybe as part of his work?? Or did he have to go home to get one?? JMO

Also that bush near the dam with the berries has thorns - could some of those berries or damage from the thorns to PS's clothes have led them to that particular property? Is that a common berry for that area? JMO

Blackberries are everywhere. They're a rampant weed. There'd be thousands of blackberry plants within driving distance.

MOO

 

[Trooper]

If you were digging a shallow grave - you would still need a shovel?? IMO

Would PS carry one with him in his ute?? Maybe as part of his work?? Or did he have to go home to get one?? JMO

Also that bush near the dam with the berries has thorns - could some of those berries or damage from the thorns to PS's clothes have led them to that particular property? Is that a common berry for that area? JMO

In February, you'd need a pick and a shovel. You could shift dirt around and kick pebbles over, but to actually break Australian February soil, and we are presuming it's untilled soil, not ground already tilled and ripped etc.. bush soil, it's a back breaking sweating venture. You'd need hours. Lots of water. Really good boots. Gloves, hopefully. Realistically, you'd need a mechanical post hole digger to start you off...

A shallow grave would already have been exposed, wind, rain, dogs, whatnot... it has to be deep.

 

[iamshadow21]

In February, you'd need a pick and a shovel. You could shift dirt around and kick pebbles over, but to actually break Australian February soil, and we are presuming it's untilled soil, not ground already tilled and ripped etc.. bush soil, it's a back breaking sweating venture. You'd need hours. Lots of water. Really good boots. Gloves hopefully. Realistically, you'd need a mechanical post hole digger to start you off...

A shallow grave would already have been exposed, wind, rain, dogs, whatnot... it has to be deep.

And in a historic gold mining area, with thousands of derelict shafts, why would you bother? Over a hundred years ago, someone already did the digging for you.

MOO

 

[LozVic]

In February, you'd need a pick and a shovel. You could shift dirt around and kick pebbles over, but to actually break Australian February soil, and we are presuming it's untilled soil, not ground already tilled and ripped etc.. bush soil, it's a back breaking sweating venture. You'd need hours. Lots of water. Really good boots. Gloves hopefully. Realistically, you'd need a mechanical post hole digger to start you off...

A shallow grave would already have been exposed, wind, rain, dogs, whatnot... it has to be deep.

Yes I agree it’s definitely hard work especially in summer in Australia my husband is a plumber and is very good with a shovel and is use to digging decent holes but we have been camping in Sumer and it can be almost impossible to dig even a small hole