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

[nightpaw]

Wanted to weigh in on some context with regards to the father’s standing as an AFL player. I’m an American who’s been living in Australia (Melbourne area) for a few years so think I have some insight on both sides here.

While AFL is hugely popular in Aus especially Victoria, in general athletes are not celebs to the same extent they are in the US. Not uncommon especially in Melbourne to see players walking around, going to cafes, etc and people generally leave them alone. Of course the top players will garner more attention so there are exceptions to this, but an average AFL player is not a source of public fascination, in my experience.

To put it in comparison the average salary for an MLB player is about $4M USD. The average salary for an AFL player is about $250,000 USD - and that’s today. I’m not sure what the salary was when Orren was playing, but it was certainly lower, and I don’t think he even played a full season.

My Aussie husband is a massive longtime Tigers fan and when I mentioned Orren Stephenson’s name to him he didn’t know who he was. He had to look him up and then said, “oh yeah, maybe, I sort of remember him playing a few games…” So this guy had a very short very average career and did not make much of an impact.

So in my opinion, the dad’s brief AFL career has very little to do with any of this. Just my two cents!

His fathers standing in terms of afl fame on a national level is not being debated we are debating in terms of what this standing meant to the alleged perpetrator or if at all.

 

[sm1980]

Very interesting. I'm curious, what are your thoughts on why the accused might have been in that area (if this is where something happened?)

My gut feeling is an initial accident around the boundary Rd / recreation road area, followed by a string of poor decisions. This intersection has a crest that obscures the intersection until its too late (loose gravel road, poor surface etc.)
You can get a fair amount of speed heading east along recreation road (potentially getting air over the crest, 50m before the intersection)
Then a panic, resulting in moving the body via boak road. Pause at the telstra tower and further planning there. Get caught on camera. Potentially wait for help.
Keep moving towards lal lal / Clarendon / Enfield. It's a ridiculous amount of area out there, with fire / motorbike tracks everywhere.
**edit: east along recreation rd
** I think I'm tending towards an initial accident out of self preservation. It's a more paletable feeling than 'Joe Nobody' waking up after a bender and deciding to attack someone. That horrifies me.

 

[pavlovsdaughter]

His fathers standing in terms of afl fame on a national level is not being debated we are debating in terms of what this standing meant to the alleged perpetrator or if at all.

I disagree, but OK! I’ve seen comments on this thread wondering if he may have received special treatment or if his father’s supposed fame was cowing people into silence. So just wanted to offer my opinion on that.

 

[sm1980]

Welcome to Websleuths!

Have you seen the police out searching at all in the past few days?

Thankgod you weren't there a few hours earlier

Many thanks
Haven't seen anything, but they may be accessing the Forrest from another direction.

The whole forrest reached peak frenzy in the first part of Feb. I reckon LE would be unlikely to spend time on general searching unless there is specific Intel to support. Ie the telstra tower area of boak.

I spend a lot of time on the bike with a Labrador who rarely sticks to the track. If there was anything horrific to find, he would have found it I reckon.

It all hits home when it's your backyard and the victim is so relatable to your own circumstances

 

[moirawy]

Long time member (2018) and lurker… but have never posted. I love reading everyone’s contributions and am amazed at the abundance of wisdom on these threads. Thank you!

I’m sorry to ask such a sad question, but does anyone know how long a body would likely show evidence of DNA and specific injuries (such as SA) in the current Ballarat climate, or in a lake/pond or mineshaft in general? I guess, the question I am asking is how much longer do they have (ballpark estimate) to find Ms Murphy’s body to be able to ascertain what actually happened to her?

I am quite intrigued by this case, as I did spend many of my younger years living and working in Ballarat and know the area quite well.

 

[Hats]

I hate to say it but if you're a local in an area where there are many mine shafts, it seems like a logical place to dispose of a body.

It wouldn't be the first time a body been found in a mine shaft in that region.

Something that has been on my mind for a while, but have either been reluctant to mention.

If she was dumped in a mine shaft in the area, would it be that hard for dogs (of any of the specialist variety) to be able to sniff out the odour of decomposing body that would surely be emanating out of the shaft entrance?

 

[nightpaw]

I disagree, but OK! I’ve seen comments on this thread wondering if he may have received special treatment or if his father’s supposed fame was cowing people into silence. So just wanted to offer my opinion on that.

Feel free to respond to those theories directly as from what I was responding to today that is not what was being mentioned. Regardless it’s all MOO and thanks for the detailed info.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

If they have the right person, and if that persons vehicle was involved, I'm waiting to hear from someone who noticed the car being washed, and cleaned inside and out.

Did they do it themselves and then go through a car wash.
Were the tyres replaced or any other part of the car.
Is there anything missing from the car that was there before, ie a mat in the back or any of the seat coverings.

And something that takes place in many murders in Australia.
Did he go to Bunnings ? They always go to Bunnings.

 

[nightpaw]

DBM

 

[Hats]

I disagree, but OK! I’ve seen comments on this thread wondering if he may have received special treatment or if his father’s supposed fame was cowing people into silence. So just wanted to offer my opinion on that.

The fact that initially he was granted the suppression order I think was special treatment based on who his father was. There was no valid reason that his name should have been suppressed.

 

[nightrider17]

Rule NO.1 - don't go to Bunnings. MOO

If they have the right person, and if that persons vehicle was involved, I'm waiting to hear from someone who noticed the car being washed, and cleaned inside and out.

Did they do it themselves and then go through a car wash.
Were the tyres replaced or any other part of the car.
Is there anything missing from the car that was there before, ie a mat in the back or any of the seat coverings.

And something that takes place in many murders in Australia.
Did he go to Bunnings ? They always go to Bunnings.

 

[Oona]

I’m wondering if PS went on any camping or road-trips in his vehicle between Feb 4 and his arrest.
Maybe somewhere remote or to places he is familiar with?

 

[BGirl88]

This case has me thinking about it at almost every waking moment, refreshing my news feed hoping for news that Sam has been found. I was also interested about the CCTV request from Joseph, Butt and Elsworth Sts. It made me wonder 'why is LE also not asking for anyone who remembers seeing a white ute drive along these streets on Sun 4 Feb' and got me wondering what else could the CCTV have captured?

It then led me to wonder if perhaps LE believe SM had escaped an attack by PS and fled on foot and got to Joseph, Butt or Elsworth St before PS caught up to her, but that's not really feasible given the distance from Boak to Elsworth (around 4km). Just trying to keep an open mind, with very little info to go on.

IMO

 

[Angeline]

My thoughts are somehow he had knowledge that Boak Rd ( Telstra tower area) is the turnaround half way point of her 14 Km run and lay in wait .

Hmm, that goes back to the stalker theory.

It's possible, and that's what "Under Investigation" was getting at. I'm just struggling to wrap my head around why a 22yo seemingly with an active social life and girlfriend became fixated on a mother his own mother's age. Maybe he had a similar jogging routine and saw her many times before?

 

[HoneyBunOne]

In terms of where the accused might have put the body, anyone want to hazard a guess?

In my mind is the categorisation of killers: organised and disorganised and wonder what the accused might be and what this would mean for disposal of a body?

I think maybe Soapy's dam or a shallow grave somewhere in the bushland off Elsworth street.

To those who live in the vicinity of Ballarat or know the search areas, would you say Lake Burrumbeet would have been searched or would be a place where the perp may of taken SM? I’m just trying to see how far it may be from where she went missing.

I wouldn't say I live in the vicinity, but I have some knowledge of the Ballarat area. (Not the Mt Clear/Canadian area though) I think this is too far. I feel her body was disposed of much closer - I mean there are lots of options close at hand and an 80+ minute return journey to the lake, plus time to dispose of the body, just means more chance of being caught and more unexplained time to account for, plus possible sighting by cameras on the roads there and back.

 

[bearbear]

curious how he cleaned up if he did- had to be in one of the houses unless he was in some natural water area... and if he had an explanation for his whereabouts that day

unless he dumped her in water and then had a wash off and could have had a fight with gf and taking time out? or didnt have whereabouts accountability to anyone?

 

[louisepiglet]

Well, if that's the case, he can say so-and-so helped me do XYZ, no? But instead, he sits silent as far as we have been told. JMO

He may not want to involve someone who helped him because he cares for them. When you think about it, if he was comfortable asking for help in moving the body, it must have been someone he really trusts. I would think that if someone was prepared to help him, it would be someone who really cared/loved him.

 

[Dotta]

Hmm, that goes back to the stalker theory.

It's possible, and that's what "Under Investigation" was getting at. I'm just struggling to wrap my head around why a 22yo seemingly with an active social life and girlfriend became fixated on a mother his own mother's age. Maybe he had a similar jogging routine and saw her many times before?

I think the attack was completely random.

Unfortunately,
the alleged perp and the lone runner crossed paths.

I guess the booze and drugs consumed by alleged attacker played the decisive role.

JMO

 

[SleutherGirl]

I think the attack was completely random.

Unfortunately,
the alleged perp and the lone runner crossed paths.

I guess the booze and drugs consumed by alleged attacker played the decisive role.

JMO

I agree. Also he may have seen this fifty year old woman jogging alone and thought she would be an easy target

 

[ProfCluezo]

I may be clutching at straws here, but with little info to go on, here are a few free floating associations …. Given the speed of the police notification and initial search for Samantha, the accused did not have long to collect and dispose of the body. Perhaps he exited the location first, and took his time to later dispose of the body? Of course the longer he took to do so, the greater the risk of being found with the body… The fact that the body has still not been found, in spite of rigorous searching for 5 weeks now, suggests to me a more methodical, calculated process rather than a panicked and disorganised effort? (Though I’m no expert). I may be completely wrong but as I think this through I sense a conspicuous absence of emotion, as well as some magical thinking, in this hypothetical scenario…. There is almost a quality of “now you see it, now you don’t…”. Aka., if the body “disappears” nothing actually happened… possibly an underlying lack of object constancy as seen in an infant/young child? I wonder if the accused’s silence reflects a similar sleight of mind? Aka., “if I don’t admit it, nothing happened?” All completely hypothetical, JMO…