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 #2

[otto]

That we, the public, know of. If police are certain she left, but don't know what direction, the footage must determine that she did in fact leave. They didn't waste days searching bushland for funsies. We are just not privy to seeing it at this stage.

My impression is that the investigation is changing over time. First police were told that she didn't show up for brunch with friends. Friends were concerned that she was missing, so they contacted her husband and he phoned in a missing person report.

Police found CCTV of a woman running, believed it was her - did someone confirm that, or did police just assume it was her without input from anyone who new her? For a few days, police believed that had evidence that she went running.

Then police learned from a 3rd party that the person running is not Samantha. Police then started looking for CCTV between her house and the park. Then they suspended the park search because they wanted to review CCTV footage. I'm guessing that they have no CCTV footage of her between her house and the park that morning.

When there was confirmation that she went running, it was not suspicious - got lost, dehydrated, etc. Without that confirmation, it's somewhat suspicious.

 

[T-dawg420]

ok so they have no actual footage of her leaving the property?

Who knows! This little snippet from the DM I’ll link is interesting to me. Firstly, The wording of “cameras positioned”. I’ve wondered if there are more then one camera on the property, my gut tells me there might be as every place I’ve been in that has had cameras has had that, multiple cameras, not just one. That doesn’t mean it’s the case here of course but just my gut feeling.

Also I wonder how they know she left the address if they didn’t have any kind of footage of her doing so. Superintendent Hutt says here it captured her leaving the address, but they couldn’t say which way she went. I find that hard to take, how can you be sure she left the address, yet not know which way she went? Surely there’s only three ways, left, right and straight ahead?

It could just be poor reporting, as in the following paragraph the DM missed the 1 out of 11am by stating she was expected back at 1am for an expected brunch meeting. So ya know, the DM being the DM as usual.

~Superintendent Hatt told reporters cameras positioned on the Murphy homestead had captured her walking up the driveway.

But he could not say which way Ms Murphy went after leaving the property despite the video feed capturing her doing so.

'It captured her leaving the address,' he said.~

Detectives return to home of missing mum Samantha Murphy

The disappearance of mum-of-three Samantha Murphy has officially been declared 'suspicious' by Victoria Police.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Kemug]

Her disappearance is now being treated as suspicious. Finally. But if she was abducted she may still be alive. There is no need to give up all hope just yet IMO.

 

[bearbear]

Superintendent Hatt told cameras positioned on the Murphy homestead had captured her walking up the driveway.

But he could not say which way Ms Murphy went after leaving the property despite the video feed capturing her doing so.

'It captured her leaving the address,' he said.

It remains unknown who was home at the time Ms Murphy went on her run.

Detectives return to home of missing mum Samantha Murphy

The disappearance of mum-of-three Samantha Murphy has officially been declared 'suspicious' by Victoria Police.

www.dailymail.co.uk

wondering how could it capture her leaving if they dont know which direction she turned?

 

[Kemug]

Just because the Superintendent "couldn't say which way she went" when she reached the road doesn't mean that he doesn't know.

 

[DK007]

Re the business… most trades have a decent amount of cash in hand jobs that don’t go thru the books. MM wouldn’t have been watching what SM was doing with the accounts. It’s possible she squirrelled away some $$$.

Possibly and maybe there was life insurance taken out under her name without her knowing??

 

[DK007]

wondering how could it capture her leaving if they dont know which direction she turned?

I’m assuming her family would know which route she would usually take?

 

[bearbear]

i presume that photo of her with the plastic bag was from cctv on the sunday morning or was it just supplied to show what she would be wearing that day?
because if just an id photo from whenever, she may have gone missing the night before, after the dinner?
actually, the night before scenario doesnt fit as police have footage of her sunday walking down the driveway

 

[nightrider17]

So could they mean - it captured her passing the opening/entrance of her property - which faces the side street. But it doesn't show past that point. OMO

So technically no longer inside her own property but not showing her whereabouts beyond that.IMO

 

[Voluspa]

Who knows! This little snippet from the DM I’ll link is interesting to me. Firstly, The wording of “cameras positioned”. I’ve wondered if there are more then one camera on the property, my gut tells me there might be as every place I’ve been in that has had cameras has had that, multiple cameras, not just one. That doesn’t mean it’s the case here of course but just my gut feeling.

Also I wonder how they know she left the address if they didn’t have any kind of footage of her doing so. Superintendent Hutt says here it captured her leaving the address, but they couldn’t say which way she went. I find that hard to take, how can you be sure she left the address, yet not know which way she went? Surely there’s only three ways, left, right and straight ahead?

It could just be poor reporting, as in the following paragraph the DM missed the 1 out of 11am by stating she was expected back at 1am for an expected brunch meeting. So ya know, the DM being the DM as usual.

~Superintendent Hatt told reporters cameras positioned on the Murphy homestead had captured her walking up the driveway.

But he could not say which way Ms Murphy went after leaving the property despite the video feed capturing her doing so.

'It captured her leaving the address,' he said.~

Detectives return to home of missing mum Samantha Murphy

The disappearance of mum-of-three Samantha Murphy has officially been declared 'suspicious' by Victoria Police.

www.dailymail.co.uk

IMO from what I've seen of the property on google earth, the driveway curves around towards the end - right before you would exit out onto the street, it also appears that trees/bushes block that view. So from my impression, they have footage of Sam walking/running from the house down the driveway and she disappears where the driveway curves around. I would imagine the trees impede any further view of which direction she went once exiting the property.

I do hope they release this footage soon.

 

[tiff]

i presume that photo of her with the plastic bag was from cctv on the sunday morning or was it just supplied to show what she would be wearing that day?
because if just an id photo from whenever, she may have gone missing the night before, after the dinner?

I have thought that myself.

 

[DK007]

i presume that photo of her with the plastic bag was from cctv on the sunday morning or was it just supplied to show what she would be wearing that day?
because if just an id photo from whenever, she may have gone missing the night before, after the dinner?

I’m assuming VPOL would be checking for time and date stamp to confirm that is SM on said morning. It’s vital information to timeline

 

[SLouTh]

wondering how could it capture her leaving if they dont know which direction she turned?

There is a bend in the driveway …. And the CCTV wasn’t in a position to see around the corner …. So they have footage of her walking down the driveway …. And no further …

IMO

 

[Chimera]

Thanks everyone for the updates.

Still no Samantha.

 

[otto]

Who knows! This little snippet from the DM I’ll link is interesting to me. Firstly, The wording of “cameras positioned”. I’ve wondered if there are more then one camera on the property, my gut tells me there might be as every place I’ve been in that has had cameras has had that, multiple cameras, not just one. That doesn’t mean it’s the case here of course but just my gut feeling.

Also I wonder how they know she left the address if they didn’t have any kind of footage of her doing so. Superintendent Hutt says here it captured her leaving the address, but they couldn’t say which way she went. I find that hard to take, how can you be sure she left the address, yet not know which way she went? Surely there’s only three ways, left, right and straight ahead?

It could just be poor reporting, as in the following paragraph the DM missed the 1 out of 11am by stating she was expected back at 1am for an expected brunch meeting. So ya know, the DM being the DM as usual.

~Superintendent Hatt told reporters cameras positioned on the Murphy homestead had captured her walking up the driveway.

But he could not say which way Ms Murphy went after leaving the property despite the video feed capturing her doing so.

'It captured her leaving the address,' he said.~

Detectives return to home of missing mum Samantha Murphy

The disappearance of mum-of-three Samantha Murphy has officially been declared 'suspicious' by Victoria Police.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The driveway is curved towards the end, and there are trees lining the property at the end of the driveway. The trees obscure the road. I read that she walked "up the driveway", which I assume means towards the end of the driveway. After that, they don't know where she went, which is why they need CCTV of nearby properties to see vehicles and people in that area before and after 7 AM.

 

[nightrider17]

New Article

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said at a press conference on Wednesday there had been no new information gathered by the Missing Persons Squad.

“It’s certainly unusual when we haven’t been able to locate any trace of her or any other evidence within that period of time,” he said.

“It’s suspicious, whether that means there’s foul play involved, or not, I don’t know, but obviously detectives are investigating a matter where a woman’s been missing for a significant period of time.”

It was reported on Wednesday that detectives went to the Murphy family home in the morning and spent more than an hour inside.

There have been no breakthroughs in the search for the mother-of-three despite a multi-agency operation and huge community efforts.

Ms Murphy, 51, is believed to have left her Eureka St home for a run about 7am on February 4 but never returned.


Note the wording change in the last paragraph…..???? “Believed” ???

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/samantha-murphys-disappearance-now-treated-as-suspicious/news-story/0b2c32d8c4923cc3f790d5c67f918701

Are Police putting pressure on someone with today’s announcement???

IMO

I think you have a valid point SLouth - why change the wording Now? IMO Maybe they have had further clarification on this point. JMO

They didn't alter the incorrect jogger information for ages. JMO

 

[otto]

I’m assuming her family would know which route she would usually take?

That is what I would expect as well. She's a single woman, early 50s, running in a semi-rural area at 7 AM. Her husband should know her route.

 

[DK007]

There is a bend in the driveway …. And the CCTV wasn’t in a position to see around the corner …. So they have footage of her walking down the driveway …. And no further …

IMO

Was the cctv camera tampered with ? As in it was slightly turned to a different angle than normal ?

 

[otto]

i presume that photo of her with the plastic bag was from cctv on the sunday morning or was it just supplied to show what she would be wearing that day?
because if just an id photo from whenever, she may have gone missing the night before, after the dinner?

She's wearing a fitbit or apple watch in the photo. That should have connected to her devices. If she was at the end of the driveway and her heart rate spiked, or slowed down, that would be suspicious.

DailyMail

 

[tiff]

i presume that photo of her with the plastic bag was from cctv on the sunday morning or was it just supplied to show what she would be wearing that day?
because if just an id photo from whenever, she may have gone missing the night before, after the dinner?
actually, the night before scenario doesnt fit as police have footage of her sunday walking down the driveway

Could do if she went home and he didn’t.