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 #6

[SLouTh]

I don't have a subscription but The Herald has an article titled " Accused killer’s bender before mum went missing" and goes on to say: "Associates of ********************, the man accused of murdering missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy, say he went on a bender the night before she was killed."
Does anyone have more insight into this?

I posted about that article last night… here is the link ..

Post in thread '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 #6'
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 #6

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yes it's been said that it's wasn't a "hit and run"
That would involve hitting someone with your vehicle and leaving them there.

In my opinion it could be a "hit and hide the body".

Even if it was an accident, if the perp didn't get help and hid the body, my opinion is that would be classed as murder.

 

[Lemony]

This link relates to Queensland, I imagine Vic would be similar.

Operation of a Vehicle Leading to Murder or Manslaughter

Last updated 15 February 2019 A person who intentionally kills a person by using a motor vehicle can be charged with murder. The mandatory penalty for murder is life imprisonment. A person who driv…

queenslandlawhandbook.org.au

 

[Trooper]

If he deliberately used his vehicle as a weapon then that could result in a murder charge imo.

MCIU may have been brought in to rule out a collision. Another angle.

Then it would be a vehicular murder charge. But it isn't.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

You can go to "street view" on Google maps. It's helpful to take you on sort of a walk through various areas. It appears most of the roads through the area she likely ran were a mix of gravel/dirt roads, and based on tire tracks, you can see it looks like vehicles do travel through the area. I looked at it yesterday or the day before when people were talking about a water storage/electrical tower near Recreation Rd or Boak Rd I think it was. Gives you a good perspective of the search terrain as well that they are facing.

I wondered before, a possibility this could be an area, Interesting to find out he was an electrician

Easy place to have his work vehicle and hide around the side of the electricity hub, (water storage tank opposite)

most likely has watched this area of Samantha's run and turn around

Samantha might do the turn around 7km near there or the tower, easy point

then ambushed her, seriously injuring, assaulted her, then disposed of her body

Plenty of roads to get out quickly

 

[Deleted member 293720]

There could be others involved in helping him or know what happened , but haven't gone to the police.

I don't think this is over yet

Some close to him, could have dobbed him in as well

I hate saying this, but as police are saying it was a Deliberate Act

He still could have used his car deliberately to kill her or injure her badly to sexually assault her and then has disposed of her body

Possibly another reason why he won't reveal her body at the moment, as police could find more evidence and charges

Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton said police believed the murder was "a deliberate act" and "not a hit-and-run".
However, he did not confirm whether police believed a car or drugs and alcohol had been involved.
"I'm not going to speculate on any other details about the death other than it was deliberate," Patton said.

Or he has ambushed her, seriously injured / assaulted her and then disposed of her body

 

[BGirl88]

I just don't know where the premise of her being hit by a car has come from. Most likely, he , at some stage, used a car to remove her body from the murder site at Mt Clear ( that's where VICPOL say she was murdered that Sunday morning) because her body is not , plainly, at Mt Clear. That is a given, her body is missing. Logically, he didn't carry her away on his shoulders. But where does the claim of this being some sort of collision event come from?

@Trooper a Daily Mail report yday said:

Detectives are reportedly investigating if Ms Murphy may have been struck by a car on the Sunday she vanished, but police have ruled out a hit-and-run accident.

THis may be why there's speculation of a car striking her.

Cops make major move in Sam Murphy murder investigation

The man charged with the murder of Ballarat mother of three Samantha Murphy is the son of a former AFL footballer.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Whatson]

I'll say it's not a very big forest. Housing estates one side. Many farms the other side. Having a hard time accepting (although not ruling it out) this was a pre meditated act. I'm more inclined to go with him being in the area on a vehicle (offroad motorcycle) with an argument occurring due to a close call and possibility a further attack resulting in death (high on drugs) follow by moving the body.

JMO!!

 

[Trooper]

@Trooper a Daily Mail report yday said:

Detectives are reportedly investigating if Ms Murphy may have been struck by a car on the Sunday she vanished, but police have ruled out a hit-and-run accident.

THis may be why there's speculation of a car striking her.

Cops make major move in Sam Murphy murder investigation

The man charged with the murder of Ballarat mother of three Samantha Murphy is the son of a former AFL footballer.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The Daily Fail. now, the detectives and the police are not talking to each other, one lot are investigating a theory that the other lot say definitely did not happen.. VICPOL are usually a very tight outfit, quite a smoothly operating machine of police force, so this scenario has a whole lot of whiskers on it, in my amateur opinion.

I'm going with the 'police have ruled out' option.

 

[Lemony]

Then it would be a vehicular murder charge. But it isn't.

Looking back at the horrific 2017 case where James Gargasoulas hit a number of pedestrians in Bourke Street Melbourne...

Homicide detectives have charged a 26-year-old man with murder after he allegedly drove his car into pedestrians and vehicles in Melbourne's CBD.
Police said on Saturday night the Melton West man had been charged with one count of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of intentionally cause serious injury and two counts of conduct endangering life.

Man charged with murder after fatal incident on Melbourne's Bourke Street

The driver of a car that allegedly rammed into pedestrians and other vehicles in Melbourne's CBD, killing a man and injuring five, has been charged with murder.

www.sbs.com.au

 

[ProfCluezo]

It will be interesting to find out the accused’s level of interest in following Samantha’s “disappearance”….

 

[BGirl88]

The Daily Fail. now, the detectives and the police are not talking to each other, one lot are investigating a theory that the other lot say definitely did not happen.. VICPOL are usually very tight outfit, quite a smoothly operating machine of police force, so this scenario has a whole lot of whiskers on it, in my amateur opinion.

I'm going with the 'police have ruled out' option.

I know, not the greatest source of truth, the good old Daily Fail LOL... but... I read this as the Police thinking she could have been struck by a car (in a deliberate act), but not as a hit and run scenario.

EDITED TO ADD:
And I'm probably reading 'Detectives' and 'Police' as being one in the same.

 

[desertrose420]

I just don't know where the premise of her being hit by a car has come from. Most likely, he , at some stage, used a car to remove her body from the murder site at Mt Clear ( that's where VICPOL say she was murdered that Sunday morning) because her body is not , plainly, at Mt Clear. That is a given, her body is missing. Logically, he didn't carry her away on his shoulders. But where does the claim of this being some sort of collision event come from?

I think it comes from the statement police made about looking for a damaged car, i was wondering if his car/ute already had damage to it making it more distinguishable but everyone is thinking it means he hit her with his car.

 

[Dr Samoht]

I

I believe there are some sections that have access for cars. One of the members here who lives in Ballarat spoke about it. If we are talking about Boak Rd it is unlikely any vehicle that is not a 4wd high clearance utility would negotiate the water rutted out track starting from the western end entrance off Recreation Rd.

 

[Rumination1]

I think it comes from the statement police made about looking for a damaged car, i was wondering if his car/ute already had damage to it making it more distinguishable but everyone is thinking it means he hit her with his car.

I agree with this. However they never released the type of vehicle ( they didn’t know it , just knew he’d pranged his car in the location she probably died in ) or if they knew they played cars close to their chest

 

[Rumination1]

I’d imagine everyone who’s seen a damaged vehicle since Feb 4, began reporting it to the police since the call out in the press

 

[louisepiglet]

Perhaps Sam took video of him with her phone driving through a restricted area and it pissed him off. He may have turned around and drove at her trying to scare her and he hit her. If the video had uploaded to iCloud would it have taken time for police to access this. This would explain why the police believe it was a deliberate act and why they were looking for vehicles with damage. Also, it would explain why they were aware it was him.

 

[ProfCluezo]

Was it impulsive? Was it planned and opportunistic? Were his actions chaotic and disorganised, or methodical and cool? Are there search histories before the 4 Feb suggesting pre-planning? What internet searches occurred between 4 Feb and now? Has the accused tried to set false trails or been most concerned with concealing his own actions? How would others describe his personality? His relationships with, and attitudes to, women? What if any behaviour changes were noted by others who know the accused? What was his demeanour like around others discussing Sam? So many questions….

 

[BoysTown]

Then it would be a vehicular murder charge. But it isn't.

Good point.

Would he be in the forest on foot? Murdered her. Went home (his parents house is closer than the scotsburn house I think?) to get his car then found his way back to where he left the body. Or his car was close by? Maybe was watching her from his car, confronted her…

Was his car damaged by her body or hitting a tree in a panic? Maybe it was damaged already. Most 22 year olds have a few dings in their cars.

All speculation of course. So many questions.

 

[Chimera]

Curious re. the motive here ?