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 #8

[Rocket333]

If there was the slightest indication that he was catatonic, which is a deeply disturbing physical and mental state to be in, he would be immed. lifted out of the Remand Centre, and placed in the Psych Ward at the Royal Melbourne, with doctors hovering day and night. No one wants this man ill, and untreated....

Sorry, I meant more ‘overwhelmed, freaked out and speechless’ rather than warranting medical help.

 

[Trooper]

Sorry, I meant more ‘overwhelmed, freaked out and speechless’ rather than warranting medical help.

Be interesting to know if he is interacting with all the other chums in remand.. exercise time, lights out time, tapping out morse code on the walls, hollering out to each other at roll call, and so on. If he was just freaked out with the police, or if he is totally freaked out all over, with everyone. ...

In these kind of situations, it is not unknown for the police to dress down their scruffiest member and place him in remand, too, with instructions to waft waves of sympathy to a targeted arrestee, with a view to getting alongside them, and listening to their woes and worries.. .... you just never know what they will babble about.

 

[Dr Samoht]

L

Makes me wonder if SM was “parked” somewhere close by for awhile (even in the back of his ute at home), and then was moved once or twice more in stages throughout the day, and arrived in her final resting place early evening, possibly around the time the phone pinged. I tend to agree that he stayed local that Sunday and not far from the Scotsburn home. His work ute still strikes me as very conspicuous, and makes me also wonder if he used another vehicle. The Scotsburn home appears to be well furnished and I’d bet there’d be a lot of tools in that big shed near the veggie patch out the back.

Lots of wood working tools I suspect … being the workshop of the current owner and his fine wood working biz A.L.L. Woodcraft .
Wonder what’s in the veggie patch ?
OMO.

 

[tmar]

Even on Monday, and days after, returning to work, he could also move the body (perhaps again), plus phones etc.
Between jobs, also stating jobs took longer (than actually), then driving for better hiding places.

 

[Deleted member 340727]

If there was the slightest indication that he was catatonic, which is a deeply disturbing physical and mental state to be in, he would be immed. lifted out of the Remand Centre, and placed in the Psych Ward at the Royal Melbourne, with doctors hovering day and night. No one wants this man ill, and untreated....

I am confused. How is anyone able to treat someone that is not talking or saying anything. An assigned Psychiatrist would be there trying to get that individual as much support as possible? If the Psychiatrist is at hand and they determine that their patient is unfit to handle any further questioning then they would have jurisdiction over what happens to their patient and no one else. Isn't this standard procedure: psychiatric assessment, RN supervision, doctor interaction, psychiatrist determining if their patient is fit to do anything. MOO

 

[Whatson]

I think the PRD sign was of similar size to the current McGrath sign.

My apologies, after looking on google Streetview, you are correct!

BTW, bit of an odd fence/wall they have built to the left of the house don't you think?

 

[BreakingNews]

Vic law seems to be a bit fluid in how long (before the mention hearing) the magistrate allows the defence to have the brief of evidence.
I have been looking for the time frame on AUSTLII, and Vic law is dependent on considerations by the magistrate. But for evidence in the brief to be considered, in Vic, it must be delivered at least two weeks prior to the mention hearing. AUSTLII

But in NSW, two weeks is standard.

The Police then have an obligation to serve a copy of the brief of evidence on you no less than 14 days before the hearing date.

Pleading Not Guilty in the Local Court (NSW)

When a person pleads not guilty to summary criminal offences in New South Wales, this occurs in the Local Court. A number of procedural steps must be undergone before a matter can be finalised when the accused is pleading not guilty.

www.gotocourt.com.au

The accused hasn't entered a plea yet, has he? Obviously he hasn't plead guilty. I think he doesn't need to make a plea until August.

 

[BreakingNews]

Be interesting to know if he is interacting with all the other chums in remand.. exercise time, lights out time, tapping out morse code on the walls, hollering out to each other at roll call, and so on. If he was just freaked out with the police, or if he is totally freaked out all over, with eve

 

[BreakingNews]

DBM

 

[Rocket333]

I am confused. How is anyone able to treat someone that is not talking or saying anything. An assigned Psychiatrist would be there trying to get that individual as much support as possible? If the Psychiatrist is at hand and they determine that their patient is unfit to handle any further questioning then they would have jurisdiction over what happens to their patient and no one else. Isn't this standard procedure: psychiatric assessment, RN supervision, doctor interaction, psychiatrist determining if their patient is fit to do anything. MOO

Simple. Like anywhere, if he was deemed unwell, he’d be treated and/or hospitalised.
By the sounds of what we’re given, he seems fine; silent with the cops and otherwise well.

 

[SouthAussie]

The accused hasn't entered a plea yet, has he? Obviously he hasn't plead guilty. I think he doesn't need to make a plea until August.

Might not even be August, they may have further committal mentions before he enters a plea.


At this point, one of five things will occur:

1. Your matter will be adjourned for a further committal mention or committal case conference. This basically means that the process is put on hold, often to allow further negotiations to occur.
2. Your matter will be adjourned to a contested committal (committal hearing). If this occurs leave must be sought to cross-examine relevant witnesses at the committal mention stage.
3. Your matter will be adjourned for a summary jurisdiction application which is heard at a further committal mention.
4. Your matter will be adjourned directly for either trial or guilty plea in the County Court or Supreme Court.
5. You matter will be adjourned directly to the County Court, where a form 198A will be required prior to a first directions hearing. This only relates to complainants who were cognitively impaired or a child at the time of charge.

Committal Mention | Dribbin & Brown Criminal Lawyers

The Committal Mention is the second stage of the committal process. Understand all aspects of the committal mention process.

www.criminalsolicitorsmelbourne.com.au

 

[ProfCluezo]

Simple. Like anywhere, if he was deemed unwell, he’d be treated and/or hospitalised.
By the sounds of what we’re given, he seems fine; silent with the cops and otherwise well.

Very little is “simple” in life, there are always shades of grey.

Without going into too much detail, there is a critical distinction between being acutely unwell, and characterologically unwell. Certain characterological issues are ego syntonic, and almost impossible to “treat” as such. These are typically over-represented in forensic populations.

 

[Trooper]

The accused hasn't entered a plea yet, has he? Obviously he hasn't plead guilty. I think he doesn't need to make a plea until August.

It is possible to enter a Not Guilty plea and then hours before your actual trial at the Supreme Court gets underway, one changes one's plea to Guilty, then the trial is abandoned, and it goes straight to the judges sentencing. Summing up of the case and sentencing, we still get the summing up.

Of course, one gets a discount for saving the court time and money, even though it is a last minute exercise, it still gets in there for the discount. If you go to trial, pleading not guilty, and you are found guilty, you can appeal. But you get no discount on your sentence, which usually means , the years at which point you can apply for parole. Which does not mean you get parole, you are merely allowed to apply for it.

Everyone can appeal, there is no qualifiction for that. Not a lot of appeals get thru, though, there has to be new evidence, usually, or gross misjudgement by the prosecutor, or one's own barrister, or even a cranky judge.

So he could go quite a long ways yet on a Not Guilty position. Right up until the morning of.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

There is more to this as I have previously said....

The hunt for the body of missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy could be nearing its conclusion as police tighten the net around those close to her alleged killer.

• She is presumed dead and buried in the bush

From the Daily Mail article
"Detectives have so far been unable to extract the location of Ms Murphy's body from Stephenson, who will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in August.

But a source with close ties to Victoria Police's Missing Persons Unit told Daily Mail Australia while Stephenson may not be co-operating, his cohorts likely are.

Police would have been restricted in what they could do, ask and say while Stephenson was in the wild, but with him in the bin, those questions can now be asked,' he said.

Only one photographer and a television cameraman was permitted to enter the bush in what was later described by one of those operators as 'a show'.

Images from the search captured cadaver dogs, cops on motorbikes and dozens of officers on foot scouring the terrain.
The source claimed police would have been keeping a close eye and ear on Stephenson following that search."
{mod snip}

'

Telltale signs cops are close to finding Samantha Murphy's body

The hunt for the body of missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy could be nearing its conclusion as police tighten the net around those close to her alleged killer.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Rocket333]

Without going into too much detail, there is a critical distinction between being acutely unwell, and characterologically unwell. Certain characterological issues are ego syntonic, and almost impossible to “treat” as such. I would expect that these would be over represented in forensic populations.

Yep, it’s all just supposition and his silence with the cops could simply and easily be ego.

 

[Neet_Mc]

Regarding the alleged perpetrator presumed to be at work all week - IIRC in a post not long after his name was it waa noted that he was an electrician working for his father, former AFL footballer O

Just a thought - maybe he didn't act impulsively.

I must have overlooked or forgotten that detail. That introduces an interesting element - if his alibi for being at work is his father.

 

[ProfCluezo]

Yep, it’s all just supposition and his silence with the cops could simply and easily be ego.

I agree an unhealthy dose of “ego” seems incontrovertible here. But is such a degree of “ego” synonymous with a healthy, well functioning individual? Or might it reflect layers of wounds across many years, that have festered and hardened into what we are seeing today?

Therein lies the question…

Let’s wait and see…

 

[Whatson]

There is more to this as I have previously said....

The hunt for the body of missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy could be nearing its conclusion as police tighten the net around those close to her alleged killer.

Detectives have so far been unable to extract the location of Ms Murphy's body from Stephenson, who will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in August.

But a source with close ties to Victoria Police's Missing Persons Unit told Daily Mail Australia while Stephenson may not be co-operating, his cohorts likely are.

Police would have been restricted in what they could do, ask and say while Stephenson was in the wild, but with him in the bin, those questions can now be asked,' he said.

Only one photographer and a television cameraman was permitted to enter the bush in what was later described by one of those operators as 'a show'.

Images from the search captured cadaver dogs, cops on motorbikes and dozens of officers on foot scouring the terrain.
The source claimed police would have been keeping a close eye and ear on Stephenson following that search.

'This kind of publicity can get people talking. Whether it's to another inmate, on the phones or to a plant,' he said.

While prison calls are all monitored by staff, countless inmates have incriminated themselves over the years by disclosing information on them.

Undercover police officers are also known to pose as inmates while alleged offenders await trials.






View attachment 492347

Telltale signs cops are close to finding Samantha Murphy's body

The hunt for the body of missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy could be nearing its conclusion as police tighten the net around those close to her alleged killer.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Reading this makes me think the police are lost where to go from here and staged the searches and media interactions as a "BLUFF" in an attempt to make the accused confess before someone else reveals the location (so not to miss out on parole).

Just the "VIBE" of the article, IMO.

I rest my case.

 

[ProfCluezo]

Just the "VIBE" of the article, IMO.

I rest my case.

This website seems to mostly be about the “VIBE”, I would argue, as facts are so few and far between. Let’s face it, most comments on here are speculative - it’s all speculation and the vibe and more speculation and more vibes…

Anyone wanting definitive facts needs to wait and see…

No further points to be raised, your Honour.

I, too, rest my case.

JMO…

 

[Rocket333]

It is possible to enter a Not Guilty plea and then hours before your actual trial at the Supreme Court gets underway, one changes one's plea to Guilty, then the trial is abandoned, and it goes straight to the judges sentencing. Summing up of the case and sentencing, we still get the summing up.

Of course, one gets a discount for saving the court time and money, even though it is a last minute exercise, it still gets in there for the discount. If you go to trial, pleading not guilty, and you are found guilty, you can appeal. But you get no discount on your sentence, which usually means , the years at which point you can apply for parole. Which does not mean you get parole, you are merely allowed to apply for it.

Everyone can appeal, there is no qualifiction for that. Not a lot of appeals get thru, though, there has to be new evidence, usually, or gross misjudgement by the prosecutor, or one's own barrister, or even a cranky judge.

So he could go quite a long ways yet on a Not Guilty position. Right up until the morning of.

Seems he has decided that his silence serves his self-preservation better than any declarations and protests of innocence.