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 #5

[TootsieFootsie]

I'd be beside myself. Food would be the very last thing I'd be interested in.
I'd rather starve if it meant searching and finding my partner.

I think it wasn't that he was interested in the food.
He was thanking the people for providing it because he wanted to show his gratitude for people being so thoughtful.

 

[Black-Cat]

That is mostly true, but I think some here are not familiar with Australian bush areas and have a very unrealistic picture, particularly when it has been identified as a historic track. I might be wrong about this, but that route that Sam has likely taken, I would be surprised if you would normally see other people or vehicles any more than about half hour apart, if that.

You probably get a surprise then

 

[Deleted member 293720]

Qu


Anywhere along Recreation Rd in my experience a collision with a vehicle is possible , particularly as this road is fast ( around 80kph ) and wearing ear buds ( I never do) will make it even more dangerous as well as not facing the oncoming traffic( I see this a lot ) but with Sam’s prior running experience she would most likely be running facing the traffic.
It seems highly unlikely an accidental collision would see the driver bundle an injured or lifeless body into their vehicle , especially considering being seen by passing traffic and surely there would be evidence left on the gravel road .
It’s possible but not a theory I lean towards .

I agree, there would be evidence of an accident .

I feel something has happened near the end of Bock Rd and the tower and perpetrators have been waiting for her

 

[Dr Samoht]

Where would Sam have entered from to get into Bailey Rd ? Do you think ? Coming from Eureka St. As it would need to be 7km, done in about 1 hour

Sam most likely ran south along Davidson Rd ( becomes Boundary Rd at Recreation rd ) and where Davidson intersects with Katy Ryan’s rd ( running north west ) this is the eastern end start of the short 600 metre Baileys Rd that runs sort of parallel to Rec Rd coming into Rec Rd at the top of the long hill at an acute angle .
This way Sam avoids 600 metres of perhaps more dangerous traffic exposure than if she was to run Rec Rd from the Boundary Rd eastern end .

 

[PolyDot]

I think too much is made of this historic track that has you believe that there are tourists parked every 100 meters and groups of walkers/joggers and cyclers in groups not far apart. I am not familiar with this particular area but familiar with many similar areas in NSW. This is Australian bush land and there are huge amounts of it for a small population.

Yep I realise that , I live in an small regional town in qld - however I think there would be some people out exercising

 

[Dr Samoht]

Yes I understand that. I just wish we had some real data of the traffic on these tracks, particularly during the weekly timeframe in question . Maybe Dr Samoht has some insight on this?

No unfortunately , I wish I did . Rubber tapes set up across the road at the eastern end before Boundary Rd would be the best means to achieve meaningful data ( I doubt there is any cctv along there to assist ).

 

[Deleted member 293720]

This is coming towards the end of Boak Rd, there is another dirt Rd to the left, handy to get away and to hide, very quiet for any vehicles in the area with electrical hub, hopefully with CCTV
this is straight across the Rd from Boak Rd, these are the areas that police were looking for small items and where something happened to Sam, at 7km mark.

 

[Hats]

Yep I realise that , I live in an small regional town in qld - however I think there would be some people out exercising

Yes, of course there would be, I am not saying otherwise.

 

[Hats]

View attachment 488350

This is coming towards the end of Boak Rd, phone tower to the right, there is another dirt Rd to the left, handy to get away and to hide, very quiet for any vehicles in the area


This is the phone tower with electrical hub, hopefully with CCTV
this is straight across the Rd from Boak Rd, these are the areas that police were looking for small items and where something happened to Sam, at 7km mark. Phone tower which picked up ping/s View attachment 488351

I don't see a phone/mobile tower. This is only an electrical transmission tower that I can see.

Otherwise I see what you mean. Also if you parked a ute (a pickup truck in US terminology I think), next to that hut (244 Recreation Rd), no passer by would think anything of it as it would just look like a worker has come to do some routine checks or maintenance at the site.

 

[Dr Samoht]

View attachment 488350

This is coming towards the end of Boak Rd, phone tower to the right, there is another dirt Rd to the left, handy to get away and to hide, very quiet for any vehicles in the area


This is the phone tower with electrical hub, hopefully with CCTV
this is straight across the Rd from Boak Rd, these are the areas that police were looking for small items and where something happened to Sam, at 7km mark. Phone tower which picked up ping/s View attachment 488351

No that’s the high voltage electricity tower.
Go to Google maps … look towards the western end of Boak Rd to see the phone tower and small associated building on the southern side and almost opposite is a small dam ( services fire trucks ).

 

[Hats]

No that’s the high voltage electricity tower.
Go to Google maps … look towards the western end of Boak Rd to see the phone tower and small associated building on the southern side and almost opposite is a small dam ( services fire trucks ).

I see that too. It is a smaller modular like structure next to the mobile? tower, but likewise, park a ute and wait next to that and no passer-by would think anything of it as it would just look like a worker has come to do some routine checks or maintenance at the site.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

I don't see a phone/mobile tower. This is only an electrical transmission tower that I can see.

Otherwise I see what you mean. Also if you parked a ute (a pickup truck in US terminology I think), next to that hut (244 Recreation Rd), no passer by would think anything of it as it would just look like a worker has come to do some routine checks or maintenance at the site.

This area is where the police searched, the tower I thought was part of this, but is near the central highland water tanks, close by

 

[Dr Samoht]

I see that too. It is a smaller modular like structure next to the mobile? tower, but likewise, park a ute and wait next to that and no passer-by would think anything of it as it would just look like a worker has come to do some routine checks or maintenance at the site.

My thoughts exactly

 

[fauhjdsh]

<modsnip> I found it interesting how MM was overly excited and passionate about food when his wife just went missing. It was his most excited state throughout the press conference.

"to accept all the fooooooood that would want to be cooked for us'

I'd be beside myself. Food would be the very last thing I'd be interested in.
I'd rather starve if it meant searching and finding my partner.

Yes I was concerned with lack of the “personal” specific description of Sam as a woman & presence in their family, and the hole she has left when MM was speaking.

….people are so different it’s hard to gauge.

But I thought it was certainly concerning.

Sometimes very quiet reserved people can hide their true feelings very well. There may have been un-noticed (by others) resentment building up for a long time.

It maybe that family/friends are too close to see little things that other non/partial observers can see?

 

[SouthAussie]

View attachment 488350

This is coming towards the end of Boak Rd, there is another dirt Rd to the left, handy to get away and to hide, very quiet for any vehicles in the area with electrical hub, hopefully with CCTV
this is straight across the Rd from Boak Rd, these are the areas that police were looking for small items and where something happened to Sam, at 7km mark. View attachment 488351

I think you might be at the other end of Boak Road, from where the police were.

The police were at the phone tower in these pics. It is a small tower, could be a repeater. I have put a red circle in the relevant area of Boak Road (ignore the red dot, it is just Google telling me where Boak Road is).



Google maps

 

[browneyes]

I’ve thought about this from a walkers/runners perspective training for a hilly half marathon some three months away . Recreation Rd is exposed to fast vehicular traffic , it’s about the turnaround point of her planned 14km training route, I think to minimise the exposure to this road she would have entered from Bailey Rd , taken the downhill west along Rec Rd the better part of a Km then turned left to enter the less travelled Boak Rd that eventually brings you back to Rec Rd /Boundary Rd and northwards home .Boak Rd would give Sam an elevation climb workout and I would envisage an attack / abduction most likely at the Telstra phone tower area where there is parking provision for a perp to lie in wait without blocking a quite narrow track . Sam will be a little puffed and perhaps more vulnerable at this point .
All this is only my conjecture having walked this area often in the last three years .

Thanks for your input and knowledge. I hope we hear something soon.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

I think you might be at the other end of Boak Road, from where the police were.

The police were at the phone tower in these pics. It is a small tower, could be a repeater. I have put a red circle in the relevant area of Boak Road (ignore the red dot, it is just Google telling me where Boak Road is).

View attachment 488441 View attachment 488442 View attachment 488443

Google maps

 

[Deleted member 293720]

View attachment 488452

I think the perpetrator/s would know the area very well, know the tracks and getting out quickly

 

[SouthAussie]

View attachment 488452

If you look at the first pic in this article, you can see where the detectives were in Mt Clear. At the fence around the small phone tower I have shown. If you google streetwalk you can see an electrical box that likely powers the phone tower, and the small dam across the road also. imo

Search continues as police 'very doubtful' they will find Samantha alive

I think @Dr Samoht has been trying to explain to you where they were ... in this post. At the western end of Boak Road, not the eastern end.

No that’s the high voltage electricity tower.
Go to Google maps … look towards the western end of Boak Rd to see the phone tower and small associated building on the southern side and almost opposite is a small dam ( services fire trucks ).

 

[Dotta]

"A volunteer search crew ​

is calling for community members to join the group to help find Samantha Murphy.​

A volunteer led search crew is urging members with specialised skills
to join the search for a missing mum.

An organiser for the search group is calling for
more experienced searchers with specialised knowledge and skills
to help lead small groups through dense bushland.

'Seeking confident
bushmen,
prospectors,
hunters,
ex military and
SES members
to join us with our next search for Samantha Murphy',
an organiser posted to social media.

Ground Crew have organised a 'team leader recruitment' meeting in Ballarat at 6 pm on Wednesday
to enlist additional members and keep the search efforts for Ms Murphy going.

'For us to plan and conduct another search we really need to have an adequate number of team leaders available',
an event organiser said."

Missing mum search crew’s plea for help

The volunteer crew dedicated to searching for missing mother Samantha Murphy is calling for experienced personnel to join their search efforts.

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