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

[HoneyBunOne]

**warning**: sorry, icky stuff

If he did hit her with his car, either deliberately or accidentally, perhaps she wasn’t deceased immediately. he may have used a rock, tree, car jack, or other implement to hit her and kill her.
why do the police seem so certain that she is dead? perhaps they found a large amount of blood or brain matter that indicates a catastrophic unsurvivable injury or they found the implement with brain matter attached
moo, speculation, but a possible scenario?

etf: spelling mistake

I doubt they had evidence like this, it just seems like it would have somehow gotten out, like when police cordoned off the area a few days into the search. If there was evidence to be found, I think it would have come from that second, more targeted search around the Mt Clear area. By that stage there were searchers all over that forest area for weeks, looking for evidence. The fact the police only searched for what I believe was a day (in the 2nd search) suggests that they had a very specific area they wanted to search. I believe they had the smart watch data required by that point that showed the "catastrophic event", which lead them to pinpoint, with close proximity, that area. I think it was at this point in time they also said they believed she was no longer alive and that she had most likely met with foul play. I believe they just need to marry up what they believe happened with the other pieces of evidence, and the all important health data that was not consistent with life.

 

[BoysTown]

I think this is a terrible situation of a son who has killed his mother.

The article posted says the body was discovered 3 hours ago (midday Saturday) and homicide was on its way to the location.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I think this is a terrible situation of a son who has killed his mother.

I can't find any news articles on this. Can you elaborate please?

 

[ZombieKittie]

The missing link between Samantha Murphy and Patrick Stephenson

Mum-of-three Ms Murphy volunteered at St Francis Xavier Primary School's uniform shop and could have crossed paths with Stephenson as a youngster.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Samantha Murphy worked (in the uniform shop) at the same school that her alleged murder Patrick Stephenson attended, it has emerged. Daughter Jess was also part of the school community.

That was primary school I doubt he's held a grudge this long but I don't doubt that he and Jess had mutual friends

Same. It really is a puzzling case.

I guess the thing that bugs me most is I watched the investigative special on TV.

The "experts" were saying that the perp had to have known her running schedule, possibly even had access to her iPhone maps, because her last known location was a fair distance from the road. They were implying that the perp had to have known she was coming. The exact time and location. This doesn't fit with someone who was on a bender all night.

Unless what the experts were saying was BS to fool the perp into believing he was off the hook.

It makes me think of a stalker, but why would a 22 year old be stalking a 51 year old mother? I know it's possible, but it's just bizarre. The other possibility is that he is a depraved individual that targets women in the forest at a certain time of the year. Did something happen to him on that date and he marks it each year with attacks women?

It's not surprising the "experts" got it wrong. Profiling is hit and miss at the best of times and they were working with minimal info

If it was not a vehicle accident, why did LE request info on any vehicle that has recently sustained damage?
If it was vehicle related, it may not have even been his car.

There's a good chance the damage was pre existing and the police were using it to help identify the car

When they say mental health concerns I’m wondering if they’re referring more to a personality disorder.

Mental health concerns could mean anything from depression to bad behavior to personality disorder

Are the names of trails available?

Hope this helps

https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/-/media/project/pv/main/parks/documents/visitor-guides-and-publications/woowookarung-regional-park/woowookarung-regional-park-visitor-guide.pdf?rev=e207c9600c2840759a9e41d5f5a22989

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

I studied criminology at Griffith Uni in QLD while living in Vic the laws differ greatly

Curious re. the motive here ?

Good chance there wasn't one



I hope you've enjoyed Zombiekittie's mid afternoon catch up

 

[Reneemaree88]

The article posted says the body was discovered 3 hours ago (midday Saturday) and homicide was on its way to the location.

Probably not Samantha, but IMO it could be.

 

[Trooper]

I can't find any news articles on this. Can you elaborate please?

First, I have to correct my post.. I had the wrong murder, my apologies.. I was thinking of this 60 yr old lady,

Accused refused bail after mother's body found in a car boot

A man accused of murdering his mother and hiding her body in a car parked in a street has been named during a NSW court appearance on Saturday morning.

www.abc.net.au

So this one at Buckley is another one altogether, not the same one.

 

[Hestia's Fire]

Oh gosh, an hour drive is certainly close enough it could be her. I hope it is, both so she can finally be found and so there isn't another poor woman who has been murdered.

 

[ProfCluezo]

I studied criminology at Griffith Uni in QLD while living in Vic the laws differ greatly

Good chance there wasn't one [a motive]

How can a murder be “motive”-less?

 

[Hats]

ooh boy. sam looks a bit like this boy's mom does, no?
the police have said she wasnt hit with a car but thats about it.

They are both blonde, but other than that I don't think they look anything like each other.

 

[ZombieKittie]

I wonder if police have dived in this dam yet??

Red arrow- Approx. location of known residence of accused
Blue arrow- Dam
Green arrow- Area police were seen searching near electrical building

 

[Bogbacal2]

I still think Sam was hit by a motor vehicle driven by someone under the influence.

That is what I still feel-and I’m usually not this stubborn. I keep saying she was hit…most likely driver was intoxicated and he panicked— ,
I believe the deliberate act of murder came because he hit Samantha and caused severe trauma to her but she was still alive. PS gets out of the car, sees she is badly hurt -and if Samantha was still conscious, she saw him and can now ID him and, for a lack of a better term, PS “finished her off” and hid her body-hence deliberate act of murder.
Nikyoo it looks like our opinion isn’t the most popular! Sorry! I’ll eat crow if I’m wrong-and I don’t say that lightly

 

[Trooper]

How can a murder be “motive”-less?

The thing is, only he can reveal the motive, but would you believe him?. He has managed to look people in the eye for a month, holding on to a secret the whole town was talking about and organising searches, and food and drinks and accommodation for the searchers, the little village full of coppers, and sniffer dogs and what not. Yet he fooled them all. So he could look you in the eye too, and tell you a motive. Any motive.

I am sure he is , as I type here looking over my balcony, thinking up a credible motive. One that his barrister can use in court.. Did he have a reason ? probably. One that satisfied him at the time. Possibly he does not remember exactly what that reason was now, since the urgency has passed . People can, and probably will ascribe motives to him, but they would be meaningless without his input, yet his input is severely tainted by his dire circumstances...

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Second crime scene established after woman's body found in bin

A second crime scene has been set up at a home almost 100km away from where a woman's body has been discovered in a bin on an isolated stretch of road.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I don't know how to feel about this. Horrific, regardless of who it is. It would bring some closure to Samantha's family if it is her, but if it's not, that means another family will grieve the loss of a loved one. It sounds like someone found the body, and it wasn't a tip off or police discovering it. That person will have major trauma now too.

 

[Hats]

How can a murder be “motive”-less?

Maybe in a similar sense you with serial killers, the likes of Ted Bundy, did not have a specific motive.

It is just that they are psychopath's (or similar) and get some enjoyment or pleasure out of it, which I don't know if you could call that a motive as most normal mentally balanced people would understand?

 

[ProfCluezo]

The thing is, only he can reveal the motive, but would you believe him?. He has managed to look people in the eye for a month, holding on to a secret the whole town was talking about and organising searches, and food and drinks and accommodation for the searchers, the little village full of coppers, and sniffer dogs and what not. Yet he fooled them all. So he could look you in the eye too, and tell you a motive. Any motive.

I am sure he is , as I type here looking over my balcony, thinking up a credible motive. One that his barrister can use in court.. Did he have a reason ? probably. One that satisfied him at the time. Possibly he does not remember exactly what that reason was now, since the urgency has passed . People can, and probably will ascribe motives to him, but they would be meaningless without his input, yet his input is severely tainted by his dire circumstances...

I absolutely agree that the accused is extremely unlikely to report accurately on his experience in the lead up to, and after, this appalling alleged offense. However in my mind this is different to saying there is NO motive. Everything we do, all of the time, is impacted by unconscious or conscious motivations and associations. I very much doubt the accused has much self reflective capacity, if he did then he would not have committed such a horrific alleged offense. I don’t believe the accused is, therefore, the best person to ask about his intentions. But skilled forensic psychologists who have access to his developmental history and characteristic ways of relating to others are likely to be able to build a fairly likely hypothesised motive or motives. JMO. MOO.

 

[AnnaBear]

There are often deep layers of insecurity and misogyny amongst many apparently “average” looking guys…. If others, especially women, do not respond to them with the adoration and deferentiality the male expects, feelings of shame, humiliation and worthlessness can erupt into blinding rage…. I suspect this may be a common element in many supposedly “random” homicides…

It's interesting you say this. I've been reading everyone saying they think he looks normal and non-threatening, and he looks the opposite to me. He looks exactly the type of man I've encountered many times who make advances and then become angry and mean when you turn them down. Not saying that's necessarily what happened here, but that's what I got from the way he looks (not actually as in his physical appearance, it's in his eyes and the expression in his face).

 

[ZombieKittie]

He may not even understand the motive himself

 

[jens]

Regarding body found around midday Saturday - "Further deepening the mystery, a second crime scene has been set up at a residential address 83 kilometres away from Buckley on Mirka Way in Point Cook, believed to be connected to the deceased woman". So definitely not Samantha.

Second crime scene established after woman's body found in bin

A second crime scene has been set up at a home almost 100km away from where a woman's body has been discovered in a bin on an isolated stretch of road.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Rest in Peace, some poor woman.
It never ends

 

[ProfCluezo]

Maybe in a similar sense you could serial killers, the likes of Ted Bundy, did not have a specific motive.

It is just that they are psychopath's (or similar) and get some enjoyment or pleasure out of it, which I don't know if you could call that a motive as most normal mentally balanced people would understand?

It may not be a motive most healthy people can understand, but that doesn’t mean it is motiveless. Many highly disturbed persons have deficits in their capacity to relate in a healthy empathic way to other human beings. This leads them to seek power and control over others. People are objectified and used to bolster their own self regard. Many of these individuals only feel a sense of agency by manipulating and having power over individuals. The power to determine whether someone lives or dies can be intoxicating for such persons. Yes, it’s seriously disturbed, but the motives are comprehensible taking all this into account, even if inexcusable.