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

[Rocket333]

I don't know where I saw it, but there was a point in time that a longer version of the alleged cocaine snorting video was circulating. The longer one showed him snorting the substance, the shorter one that was shared everywhere - news outlets, Facebook, etc only showed him looking like he was off his face, and not partaking in any kind of substance use. It must be noted that this video is NOT from the night before the alleged murder, it was several weeks earlier from memory. It does appear to show - blurred out for privacy - people in the close vicinity snorting drugs. The conclusion I drew, from seeing the longer version, is that the accused is a drug user and is capable of consuming enough drugs, and/or alcohol - he's been seen in other photos with alcohol in his hand, so he does drink - to appear quite impaired.

Whether you'd want to call that longer version evidence of being a drug user, that's up to you. It appears clear to me that's what he was doing in that particular video.

MOO of course.

Thanks HB. So he uses substances but to what degree and whether on the night prior isn’t known. He got caught drink driving after smashing his bike last October, and I think the “bender” was in January. There’d probably only be anecdotal evidence (unless he was caught on cctv or tested) of him drinking and ingesting whatever the night before the alleged murder. So we don’t know what state he was in that morning, apart from probably tired, but we also can’t rule out him being under the influence of something given what we’ve seen and heard to date. Got it - thanks.

 

[ProfCluezo]

For what it’s worth, I have a hunch that Steve Job’s famous quote will prove to be very applicable in regards to the solving of this case.

You can't connect the dots looking forward," Jobs said. "You can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future…”

Regarding the applicability of this quote to the disappearance of SM, I suspect that details that may not have appeared significant at the time, may be infinitely more significant when connecting the dots looking backwards…

JMO

 

[Rocket333]

I've wondered if whatever VICPOL told the Stephenson Dad and Mum, it must have been convincing, enough to leave a thriving electrical business, mum is a teacher, she has to leave that, one of the daughters works in a real estate office, she has to leave that ,the other in school, she has to leave that, must have been some hard, hard rock hard stuff VICPOL laid out on them. Something unarguable , undeniable, unrefutable. It would have to be, to provoke this reaction . That decision would not have been easy, but it must have been unavoidable . Who would do that on a whim? no one, that's who.

Ah yes, you’ve just stated what I was mulling over but hadn’t put into words. Something irrefutably massive has been revealed making them stop in their tracks and choose to down tools and walk away. Added to it is the crushing and inescapable weight of your child or brother’s actions, and your endless nightmare being played out on a very public stage. Whatever was revealed was a deal breaker.
Is this murder, or murder plus more….

 

[Rocket333]

For what it’s worth, I have a hunch that Steve Job’s famous quote will prove to be very applicable in regards to the solving of this case.

You can't connect the dots looking forward," Jobs said. "You can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future…”

Regarding the applicability of this quote to the disappearance of SM, I suspect that details that may not have appeared significant at the time, may be infinitely more significant when connecting the dots looking backwards…

JMO

Absolutely, we are missing the info that goes between the dots and completes the story. We’re probably still only in Chapter One and we also need to read the missing prologue. Not much is making sense or able to be predicted at this stage still. It’s like being drip fed, and that must be fun because we’re all here.

 

[Poirot's niece]

Maybe a torque wrench with dial?

Precision Instruments D2F150HM Torque Wrench Dial with Memory Needle 3/8" Dr 150 in lb

Buy Precision Instruments D2F150HM Torque Wrench Dial with Memory Needle 3/8" Dr 150 in lb with an everyday low price and fast shipping! JB Tools

au.jbtools.com

Not hard to find what vehicle this type of tool is especially suited for maintenance.

 

[Trooper]

Ah yes, you’ve just stated what I was mulling over but hadn’t put into words. Something irrefutably massive has been revealed making them stop in their tracks and choose to down tools and walk away. Added to it is the crushing and inescapable weight of your child or brother’s actions, and your endless nightmare being played out on a very public stage. Whatever was revealed was a deal breaker.
Is this murder, or murder plus more….

Much more is not an improbable theory. I mean, one's only son being charged with murder is heavy stuff , unbearable, in a close community like Mt.Clear, Ballaarat, Bunyinyong etc.. the moving away thing is perhaps a tad extreme, one could argue, but if there was more, to add to that intolerable burden, deal breaker would be the outcome, I reckon .

 

[Sceptical]

Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Thanks HB. So he uses substances but to what degree and whether on the night prior isn’t known. He got caught drink driving after smashing his bike last October, and I think the “bender” was in January. There’d probably only be anecdotal evidence (unless he was caught on cctv or tested) of him drinking and ingesting whatever the night before the alleged murder. So we don’t know what state he was in that morning, apart from probably tired, but we also can’t rule out him being under the influence of something given what we’ve seen and heard to date. Got it - thanks.

Yep, not a lot of solid evidence to go on, I agree.
However, this is what we are aware of in relation to the accused. Some may be fact, some may be speculation, some may be misconstrued:

PS had a motorbike accident in Oct 2023, while under the influence of illegal drugs and alcohol.
PS is seen in a video that alludes to him having taken drugs, and appearing impaired. This video is believed to have been taken around Jan 2024.
Friends of PS claim he was on a bender the night before the death of Samantha.
PS allegedly attended a party the night before, and potentially left his car at that address when he went partying afterwards at clubs in Ballarat. Leaving his car behind could be because he got a lift with mates, or because he planned to be/already was wasted and didn't want to get caught driving by police in a much more built up area than the back roads of Mt Clear/Buninyong etc. That's of course if he did leave his car behind at the party address. Police apparently have asked for footage from more than one of these clubs/bars. This footage could show how alert PS was at each location, whether he was staggering, being dragged out by mates etc.
PS lawyer claimed his client did not have any drug problems (define "problems" any way you like)

Make of all that what you will.

 

[drsleuth]

It’s possible that last October’s encounter with police (due to PS allegedly slamming into a tree on his motorbike while under the influence of alcohol and/drugs) may have had the family already preparing for how to potentially manage the fallout of possible charges and a police record for 4 months preceding SMs disappearance. I have always leaned towards the theory that actions like this do not come from nowhere - and by 22 years old a fairly significant consolidation of personality has already become apparent. I suspect that the family were shocked but at the same time not entirely suprised (sadly). Plans to consider leaving may have been in motion for some time and this may have been the final impetus they needed…

All entirely conjecture and JMO.

PS: Please keep the theories rolling sleuthers - it’s great to hear different ideas

BBM : What's your theory Prof?

 

[HoneyBunOne]

For what it’s worth, I have a hunch that Steve Job’s famous quote will prove to be very applicable in regards to the solving of this case.

You can't connect the dots looking forward," Jobs said. "You can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future…”

Regarding the applicability of this quote to the disappearance of SM, I suspect that details that may not have appeared significant at the time, may be infinitely more significant when connecting the dots looking backwards…

JMO

Ah, the good old hindsight.

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

I wonder if there's any AI image programs that can suggest what this item may be?

 

[ProfCluezo]

BBM : What's your theory Prof?

I must admit I don’t have a fully formed theory at this stage. All the possibilities presented thus far seem plausible to me. The only aspect of this case that I feel reasonably confident to speculate on is the strong likelihood that PS had a history of behaviour that was steadily escalating over time…. I tend to lean more towards a possible pattern of impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, insecurity masked by a possibly arrogant and/or aggressive exterior…. I doubt there was a lot of careful planning in this instance.. Perhaps there were preexisting proclivities towards violence against Women - I suspect this is likely - but I also suspect this was an “upgrade” in terms of degree of violence/aggression/emotional dysregulation as compared to previous instances.

I suspect the phone was disposed of in a mad panic - and suspect that carelessness, recklessness and disregard for others may be the accused’s MO. I suspect that any coolness in demeanour is just a mask for a very internally dysregulated and insecure core. I suspect the body was disposed of with disregard - and that the fact it hasn’t been found feeds the accused’s (delusional) conviction that he has done nothing wrong. Along these lines I suspect the accused frequently rewrites reality in his own mind - and is to that extent unmoved by, and unresponsive to appeals to logic or reason or consequence…. Not to the extent of being completely out of touch with reality, but nonetheless inhabiting a delusional internal fantasy world in regards to his perception of himself. If this is the case, I suspect that the accused’s distorted self-perception and level of disconnect from reality may potentially continue even when confronted with indisputable evidence by police. The accused may feel aggrieved by the disconnect between his perception of himself Vs actions he is confronted about by LE. He may have elaborate justifications, minimisations, deflections, distortions and evasions (“excuses”) for everything he is accused of, and perceive that he is being treated unfairly and unjustly.

Please note this is all total conjecture based only on inferences surmised from media descriptions of the accused’s behaviour and lack of cooperation thus far.

There is no factual basis for any of these suppositions which I acknowledge may be entirely incorrect.

JMO

 

[FromGermany1]

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

The last part of the "thing" is to be seen NOT between the index finger and thumb, but below the grasping hand, IMO. Like at the upper hand there is some metal flashing also at the lower end. How should I explain? The "thing" is not only a bar, but there is something metal sticking out like a cone (or two) at both ends inside the plastic bag.
I searched for tools, used by electricians, and found nothing.
I think, it isn't a baton for self-defense (like a friend meant). I think, it isn't a car jack.
IF the owner of this "thing" probably had it in his car, maybe all the time, what can it be? Something used for a car, for repair? Something for camping? For what work do you want to be prepared, when you are driving with a car (not a motorbike) from A to B or when you arrive at your destination?
Exciting .... and a bit frustrating also.
We don't know, if it was the owner's murder weapon ....

 

[Dr Samoht]

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

IMO this is the tool
A popular Australian brand Sidchrome 1/2 “ square drive socket ratchet wrench .. with the transverse push in directional changing mechanism … very common here has been around in this form to my experience since the 1960’s.

 

[FromGermany1]

IMO this is the tool
A popular Australian brand Sidchrome 1/2 “ square drive socket ratchet wrench .. with the transverse push in directional changing mechanism … very common here has been around in this form to my experience since the 1960’s.

Might very well be such a thing. I searched for a ratchet without the plastic/rubber handle. It makes sense, but takes us dangerously close to car mechanics, I believe.

 

[Rocket333]

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

Apart from looking like a tool, I have no idea what that is but I’m now thinking it very well could have been part of the celebrations at the dam if it’s the weapon.
Bludgeoned?
Blood in the ute?
Victim not believed to be alive due to blood lost?
Charged with murder.

My opinion only.

 

[CoffeeHug]

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

JMO…

Even so, there's more than one way to get the data on a phone without needing the passcode.

 

[Rocket333]

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

Do you think he’s holding it up the right way?
It looks like it could have a gauge on it (blue, upper stem, circular) and a small handle or hook (silver, middle). An electrical testing thing, a pump of some sort, or even a gear stick?

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Do you think he’s holding it up the right way?
It looks like it could have a gauge on it (blue, upper stem, circular) and a small handle or hook (silver, middle). An electrical testing thing, a pump of some sort, or even a gear stick?

It did give me gear stick vibes too.

 

[Leafy]

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

Could it be a metal detector probe from the forensic kit?

 

[Sabex]

View attachment 507439
Does anyone have any more ideas on what this bagged item from the dam could be? I’m not convinced on the torch or torque wrench idea.
There appears to be a a stainless steel part to it near the officers lower hand, it looks familiar to me but I can’t place it. Like a clip, almost a flat carabiner or fold out tool. I’ve searched for multi-tools, telescopic torches etc but can’t find a match. Interested to hear if anyone has any better ideas.

That looks like a plain old screwdriver in a plastic baggie to me.