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

[Kemug]

I find it hard to tell if LE actually know anything or not. I have a feeling we won't be getting any answers anytime soon, but would be happy to be proved wrong.

 

[Kaykedi]

Thanks .. there are 2 separate press conferences … hence the misunderstanding I think??

Yes there are. The press conference I was referring to is the one that mondayschild posted above (#508). Sorry for any confusion

 

[BreakingNews]

There was 1 question asked at the first press conference that I still find interesting - this one that was asked at the 5m 50 sec mark.

The reporter asks if this could be related to "an incident at a Ballarat Hospitality Venue". (I read this as a Pub or club).

As we have seen in the past, the press often have more inside info than the general public. Does anyone know what this incident was at the Ballarat Hospital Venue?

IMO it is either a dumb question or one that has been intentionally left alone and not spoken about for operational reasons?

samantha murphy press conference - Google Search

I'm interested in taking another look at this. However this is not the correct link. When I saw it a police officer was outside addressing raised issues. Can anyone please find that police interview link.

 

[Warshawski]

Cassar is a bushcraft expert who has been involved in a number of high-profile missing persons cases including that of three-year-old William Tyrrell who went missing on the NSW mid-north coast in September 2014.

On Sunrise on Thursday, Cassar revealed the “game plan” to find Murphy, alongside volunteer search crew organiser Tori Baxter, after meeting with fellow searchers the previous night.

“We came-up with a solid game plan for looking in areas that possibly haven’t been searched,” he said.

“I spent all day yesterday and part of the night out there searching, and we’re starting to get on top of it.”

“If you’re looking through the thick bushland, you can see whether it’s undisturbed — you can spot areas where nobody has walked through, or maybe something has been pushed through or dragged through,” Cassar said.

“In certain areas it could be bird alarm calls, alerting you to somebody sitting underneath a tree — it’s a variety of different things,” he said.

“If you live in the bush like I do, you start to get engaged with this sort of thing.”

“Eighteen days is a very long time but I haven’t given up hope yet,” Mallett told Sunrise host Nat Barr.

“You have to remember that Cleo Smith was recovered after 18 days in late 2021 when she was abducted — so up until there’s proof otherwise, I remain hopeful Samantha will be recovered alive.”

Bush tracker reveals ‘game plan’ as he joins the search for missing mum

Jake Cassar has been involved in a number of high-profile missing persons cases.

7news.com.au

I not really interested in Jake Cassar or Xanthe Mallet. Just my personal opinion but Xanthe seems to bob up in the media any time she can manage to get a paid comment in, and maybe Jake is going the same way. What is his ‘tracking’ claim to fame ? He certainly didn’t add any value (as far as I’m aware) in the search for William Tyrrell. By reports, the group organising the big search this Saturday is paying him for his involvement, so it’s not any compassionate act. .. and that’s his prerogative of course.

All just my own opinion.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I've read a few times that it was a Ballarat hospitality venue.

It's a club or a pub, or function rooms, hospitality venues, not a hospital.

 

[OptimusLime]

I not really interested in Jake Cassar or Xanthe Mallet. Just my personal opinion but Xanthe seems to bob up in the media any time she can manage to get a paid comment in, and maybe Jake is going the same way. What is his ‘tracking’ claim to fame ? He certainly didn’t add any value (as far as I’m aware) in the search for William Tyrrell. By reports, the group organising the big search this Saturday is paying him for his involvement, so it’s not any compassionate act. .. and that’s his prerogative of course.

All just my own opinion.

I was a bit dubious about Jake, I haven't found a situation where he has actually helped, but just sort of popped his head in when there's some notoriety in the case. Why didn't he pop up two weeks ago? Xanthe does have a pretty distinguised career and is an associate professor of law and justice:

Associate Professor Xanthe Mallett / Staff Profile / The University of Newcastle, Australia

www.newcastle.edu.au

 

[inkpink]

I not really interested in Jake Cassar or Xanthe Mallet. Just my personal opinion but Xanthe seems to bob up in the media any time she can manage to get a paid comment in, and maybe Jake is going the same way. What is his ‘tracking’ claim to fame ? He certainly didn’t add any value (as far as I’m aware) in the search for William Tyrrell. By reports, the group organising the big search this Saturday is paying him for his involvement, so it’s not any compassionate act. .. and that’s his prerogative of course.

All just my own opinion.

I believe they paid for his flights, not his time.

I like Jake, he's a skilled tracker.

Xanthe - Thumbs down

 

[Warshawski]

Yes, that's very interesting. I wonder what prompted the reporter to ask that question. There was a link to that Youtube press conference yesterday, but not any more.

The reporter asked about her ‘movements the night before at a hospitality venue’ IMO - we know she was out to dinner the night before, but we don’t know where.

 

[SouthAussie]

The thing I have a problem with regarding that statement, in the Herald Sun is as follows:

Who told them that Police believe that?? (It’s been cleverly written to look like police told them …. )

The Herald Sun has been told police believe Ms Murphy made it into the forest area where she regularly ran.


BBM


Is it the same source as News.com??? (See quote above and BBM) Dr Xanthe Mallet??? Who actually isn’t involved in the investigation, but just adding commentary??


IMO

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/bush-expert-to-help-find-missing-woman-samantha-murphy/news-story/60f98939514559ac8c229962cd5b2cf6

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/inside-the-police-search-for-missing-ballarat-mum-samantha-murphy/news-story/ff40e1662c59e850572584dbd77227f8

No, Mark Butler (the reporter) has good police sources.

He is a well-established police reporter, and that is the way he can get some of what he hears into print.

I don't think he would write that they believe Samantha made it into the forest, if the police didn't think she did.
And I am guessing from the search areas and ping data, this could be one of the reasons they think Sam made it into the forest.

imo

 

[Warshawski]

Do you have any memory of who posted it?

 

[they'll get you]

Yep no crocodiles in Victoria.

Much more likely a two legged "animal"

A pack of feral dogs?

 

[kiwi50]

I wish we were allowed to know who had the AVO out against them, that could be significant.

 

[BreakingNews]

Do you have any memory of who posted it?

I've seen 2 police interviews where a presser asks about the the night before venue. One has a female po, the other hand a male po. Looks like the male PO link has gone astray. Asked basically the same question, with basically the same answer.

 

[iamshadow21]

A pack of feral dogs?

If there were such a thing, all the farmers with livestock would know about it and would probably have shot them already.

MOO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I've been impressed with Xanthe since the History Cold Case series.
She has great qualifications.

Not sure her forte is where her career has lead her to.

 

[SouthAussie]

I've seen 2 police interviews where a presser asks about the the night before venue. One has a female po, the other hand a male po. Looks like the male PO link has gone astray. Asked basically the same question, with basically the same answer.

I think there has only been two police pressers?

The first one with the female local area commander, where a reporter asks .... we have received reports that police are investigating her movements at a Ballarat hospitality venue prior to her disappearance. Is there any truth to that?
And she responds with .... yeah, I don't have anything to provide comment on that at this time.

And a second police presser where Missing Persons, Mark Hatt, took over the case six days after Samantha disappeared, and there was another (male) officer answering questions also. I didn't hear any questions or commentary about the night before or a hospitality venue in that presser.

If there is something else out there, please post it. It would be interesting to listen to.

imo

 

[Deleted member 293720]

I not really interested in Jake Cassar or Xanthe Mallet. Just my personal opinion but Xanthe seems to bob up in the media any time she can manage to get a paid comment in, and maybe Jake is going the same way. What is his ‘tracking’ claim to fame ? He certainly didn’t add any value (as far as I’m aware) in the search for William Tyrrell. By reports, the group organising the big search this Saturday is paying him for his involvement, so it’s not any compassionate act. .. and that’s his prerogative of course.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

Agree. It's good advertising for his business

The police have their own resources and If they felt she was still out there, they would be searching.

They obviously have information that she isn't in that bush

I have found Xanthe Mallet Doesn't offer anything substantial in any of her opinions, most people think the same.

She is an author, television presenter, and social commentator. Making her $$$ through the media

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Not just a TV presenter.

Xanthé Mallett - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Xanthé Danielle Mallett (/ˈzænθi/; born 17 December 1976) is a Scottish forensic anthropologist, criminologist and television presenter.[1] She specialises in human craniofacial biometrics and hand identification, and behaviour patterns of paedophiles, particularly online.[2] She is a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.

She received her bachelor's degree in archaeological sciences from the University of Bradford, a master's degree in biological anthropology at the University of Cambridge, and her doctorate in forensic science from the University of Sheffield.[4]

For five years, she worked at the Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification (CAHID) at the University of Dundee, Scotland,[3] where she was a forensic practitioner and a lecturer of forensic anthropology.[4][5] Mallet stated that her interest in criminology began to increase, which led her to move to Australia in 2012. "My casework experience helped me to realise that I was becoming more interested in investigating the behaviours behind the crimes, rather than identifying the victims and offenders from physical evidence they leave behind," she said. She was a senior lecturer at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales,[6] before taking the same role at the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, New South Wales.[7]

Mallett has been published in various academic journals including the International Journal of Legal Medicine and the Journal of Forensic Sciences. In 2014, she published the book Mothers Who Murder: And Infamous Miscarriages of Justice about mothers who kill their own children.[8]

 

[BoysTown]

There’s a very serious bushfire near Ballarat. The town of Beaufort is currently evacuating.