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

[Cliff Hardy]

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

People underrate how difficult it can be to dig a sizeable hole even with a shovel. Depending on how firm the soil is, it can be hard, time consuming work.

 

[Malibuandcoke]

My guess is a
WITNESS.

Somebody whose conscience forced this person to contact Police.

I also think perp's DNA is on/inside the phone's cover.

It reminds me of Idaho4 tragedy and "touch DNA" of murderer on the knife's sheath.
The sheath the perp left on victim's bed.

JMO

Witness gets my vote

 

[Dotta]

People underrate how difficult it can be to dig a sizeable hole even with a shovel. Depending on how firm the soil is, it can be hard, time consuming work.

Besides,
there are already dug out holes - deserted mine shafts!

And,
usually, the criminals use leaves, branches, debris to conceal the victims,
instead of digging holes.

Not to mention bodies of water.

Isn't there a river near this dam?
And thick bush/brambles are also there, no?

JMO

 

[Rocket333]

The invincible narcissist, not cool, just seems to think himself to be untouchable

I tend to think the opposite. The cool is a facade and he’s internally seriously pooping himself.
I reckon this incident was possibly fantasised about but not actually well prepared or organised as it was opportunistic that morning.

I reckon the clean up and disposal was made up as he went and the body was parked not too far away, just so that he could get out of there and “resume normal”.

Body may then have been moved afterwards, hence the array of seemingly targeted police searches in multiple spots (perhaps informed by witnesses with scraps of info).
JMO

 

[acutename]

And with public statement that indicate absolute certainty that this was deliberate... Only video or a recorded confession can do that.

The really interesting part here is how is LE going to connect the dots to this suspect? Presumably her phone, her clothes, her body, and her watch would be in the area regardless which Ballarat resident did this deed. So what difference does it make to his guilt or innocence that they found her phone nearby to where she went missing? Why is the phone being in that Dam significant?

suspect that his phone and her phone were together at certain times/places when there was no one else around and/or there is GPS data from his vehicle. there may also be data from her watch /phone about her run and bodily injury that connects with his phone or GPS data IMO. (guessing)

 

[Trooper]

People underrate how difficult it can be to dig a sizeable hole even with a shovel. Depending on how firm the soil is, it can be hard, time consuming work.

Hard dry earth, it's like concrete , in February. Unless he bought along some tools. Specific to digging a grave..that is, a hammer would not work, neither would a screwdriver, he'd need big stuff, spades, hoe, pick, shovel, .. a jackhammer would be handy.

All this stuff makes a lot of noise, too, as well as him groaning and huffing. He could not do it with his bare hands, even attempting it would cause injury,

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Now, when you mention it,
I seem to remember reading that a neighbour said PS had a habit of morning bike riding.

Does anybody remember this bit of info?

Also, his parents lived so near Mt Clear, no?

And he divided his living arrangements between parents and "house sitting" with g/f.

JMO

The only thing I recall is shortly after PS was arrested, a neighbour of his parents in Mt Clear said that he used to see him in army gear, with a motor bike. I don't recall any mention of morning or early morning.

 

[acutename]

Hard dry earth, it's like concrete , in February. Unless he bought along some tools. Specific to digging a grave..that is, a hammer would not work, neither would a screwdriver, he'd need big stuff, spades, hoe, pick, shovel, .. a jackhammer would be handy.

All this stuff makes a lot of noise, too, as well as him groaning and huffing. He could not do it with his bare hands, even attempting it would cause injury,

any places nearby with light sandy soil? I do not see him choosing to do any heavy labor IMO.

 

[ProfCluezo]

Why cops may never get vital clues from Samantha Murphy's phone

The phone of the mother-of-three was found on Thursday near Slaughterhouse Road, south of Buninyong, near Ballarat in Victoria.

www.dailymail.co.uk

According to Apple: 'Devices locked with a passcode are protected by passcode encryption, and Apple can't help remove the passcode lock without erasing the device.

'For security, Apple requires and verifies legal documentation before we can assist with a deceased person's account.

'This generally includes a death certificate, and may also require a court order or other documentation. The requirements vary by country and region.'

Daily Mail Australia understands police are still searching for Ms Murphy's missing watch and headphones, or a possible murder weapon.

This seems like a good reason to not make ones password too cryptic…?

JMO…

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I thought Snapchat disappears once it’s been viewed, can anybody confirm that please?

I believe it's possible to screenshot messages from Snapchat, but I'm not sure about videos.

This is what Snapchat has to say:

https://help.snapchat.com/hc/en-us/articles/7012334940948-When-does-Snapchat-delete-Snaps-and-Chats#:~:text=Snapchat%20servers%20are%20designed%20to%20automatically%20delete%20unopened%20one%2Don,directly%20after%20viewing%20a%20Snap.

 

[Trooper]

any places nearby with light sandy soil? I do not see him choosing to do any heavy labor IMO.

I suppose there is, on cultivated property.. light sandy soil would be snapped up for agriculture, one would think. But National Parks, State Parks, like where she was running thru are usually of natural bush ground, not previously agricultural sites. Generally speaking.. mainly that's why they are a park, because they have not been tilled or dug, or planted or whatnot. Natural untamed bush/forest.

Light sandy soil, in February is still no picnic, it folds in on itself, you dig and as you lift the soil out , more drops in from the other side. Sandy soil tends to do this, dry sandy soil, more so. Feb is a dry month in AU.

 

[LozVic]

Snap chat also has a map function if it is turned on shows pretty precisely where you are…

 

[Warshawski]

I can't imagine, he needed a "handyman"/accomplice to throw the phone. Would be downright ridiculous to me. I think, he did it himself like all the other things, he had to sort out.

Why didn't they find the Smart-watch in the same area? PS had a plan, it seems.

The watch may still be on her arm

 

[acutename]

I suppose there is, on cultivated property.. light sandy soil would be snapped up for agriculture, one would think. But National Parks, State Parks, like where she was running thru are usually of natural bush ground, not previously agricultural sites. Generally speaking.. mainly that's why they are a park, because they have not been tilled or dug, or planted or whatnot. Natural untamed bush/forest.

Light sandy soil, in February is still no picnic, it folds in on itself, you dig and as you lift the soil out , more drops in from the other side. Sandy soil tends to do this, dry sandy soil, more so. Feb is a dry month in AU.

I also do not imagine him owning a shovel- need to borrow one from the house sitting house or the girlfriends horse muck shovel or from the parents unless he had one in his truck for off roading(?). He is big and has some strength- I just do not see him making extra chores for himself IMO.

 

[Warshawski]

Great to see you again on the thread @Warshawski

Thanks team.
I’m so relieved that her phone has been found, not only some positive news for her family, but also for the investigations group to finally see some fruits of their exhaustive labours.

I tend to think her body may be much Closed to the actual crime scene, as imo it would be a huge risk to drive around in broad daylight with a dead body in the car, to then dispose of. .. IF the only ping was at 5 pm ( and it very well could be because I think Mick said that her phone was Off in the morning when he tried to call her) then I think it was a deliberate decoy.

Unless he left the car & body parked in a garage somewhere, and went out again later to do the disposal at night. … tossing the phone in the dam on the way, and then going faaar away with the body.

I think the police would know of his movements that day & night from g/f etc as they were living together.

All just my thoughts

 

[Trooper]

I also do not imagine him owning a shovel- need to borrow one from the house sitting house or the girlfriends horse muck shovel or from the parents unless he had one in his truck for off roading(?). He is big and has some strength- I just do not see him making extra chores for himself IMO.

a hand dug grave, forgive me for being perhaps insensitive, takes a long time. That's why professionals use big mechanical equipment, the sides have to be shored up, there is a certain amount of engineering in it, otherwise it defeats the purpose. At some stage someone has to get IN it, and dig upwards and this is dangerous stuff..

It is reasonable to assume that whatever was done to hide the body, it was efficient, at the very least, considering the killer had no way of knowing how much time he had , when the alarm would sound for his victim...

No one can find it.

 

[Warshawski]

I also do not imagine him owning a shovel- need to borrow one from the house sitting house or the girlfriends horse muck shovel or from the parents unless he had one in his truck for off roading(?). He is big and has some strength- I just do not see him making extra chores for himself IMO.

He’s an election, and often they have to bury cables, also he camps, so he’d have a shovel.

Whether it was in the vehicle at the time though is another question.

 

[Warshawski]

a hand dug grave, forgive me for being perhaps insensitive, takes a long time. That's why professionals use big mechanical equipment, the sides have to be shored up, there is a certain amount of engineering in it, otherwise it defeats the purpose. At some stage someone has to get IN it, and dig upwards and this is dangerous stuff..

It is reasonable to assume that whatever was done to hide the body, it was efficient, at the very least, considering the killer had no way of knowing how much time he had , when the alarm would sound for his victim...

No one can find it.

I still think an old mine shaft would be a strong possibility. There will be acres of them in the region, imo.

 

[Rocket333]

suspect that his phone and her phone were together at certain times/places when there was no one else around and/or there is GPS data from his vehicle. there may also be data from her watch /phone about her run and bodily injury that connects with his phone or GPS data IMO. (guessing)

DBM

 

[Rocket333]

Thanks team.
I’m so relieved that her phone has been found, not only some positive news for her family, but also for the investigations group to finally see some fruits of their exhaustive labours.

I tend to think her body may be much Closed to the actual crime scene, as imo it would be a huge risk to drive around in broad daylight with a dead body in the car, to then dispose of. .. IF the only ping was at 5 pm ( and it very well could be because I think Mick said that her phone was Off in the morning when he tried to call her) then I think it was a deliberate decoy.

Unless he left the car & body parked in a garage somewhere, and went out again later to do the disposal at night. … tossing the phone in the dam on the way, and then going faaar away with the body.

I think the police would know of his movements that day & night from g/f etc as they were living together.

All just my thoughts

I agree. I think he got rid of Sam’s body immediately and near by. Mine shaft or water is my guess and leaning more towards water. Water would hasten decomposition and reduce the smell wouldn’t it?
But why would you risk creating a decoy? Wouldn’t it be smarter to completely de-identify, destroy and separately bury the cards, phone and wallet?
He is so silent and keeping a really low profile on all other fronts so it doesn’t seem congruent at all that he’d risk attention with a decoy that is quite oddly intact once retrieved.
JMO