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

[louisepiglet]

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

Could be ego but maybe he realises the less he says the harder it will be for LE. Why help them convict him? We don't know what evidence the police have but he may know. He may be thinking they don't have her body and what they do have might not be enough to convict him. He might think it in his best interests to keep his mouth shut.

 

[Deleted member 340727]

I would find it extremely difficult for anyone to haul a body up stairs and into a tank let alone consider the idea. Yes hauling a body up a hill and throwing a body into a niche in a rock crevasse and throwing dirt over the top where the area is unaccessible by anyone including dogs--that is a probable method. MOO

 

[Trooper]

I would find it extremely difficult for anyone to haul a body up stairs and into a tank let alone consider the idea. Yes hauling a body up a hill and throwing a body into a niche in a rock crevasse and throwing dirt over the top where the area is unaccessible by anyone including dogs--that is a probable method.

Keep this a secret, W.. but the tank has a locked lid on it. It's how it's done. It takes 3 people to lift the lid, with equipment. ..

For plenty of reasons, one being evaporation, and among other reasons it's locked securely, a steel cover, to prevent anyone from putting anything inside it. !! whoda thunk it!... but the saga of the tank must go on......

 

[Dezzie]

A question for the more experienced and regular sleuthers..
Do you find it strange at all, that PS family has managed to stay clear of any media?
Since the arrest, I am aware of the few articles on the girfriend with the horse pics etc, but has there been anything more about the family that anyone is aware of?
I recall some mention of them fleeing town or something to that effect, around the time of the arrest, but they seem to have done well IMO to avoid the media circus thats not usually so easy to avoid?
Im well aware we are not to sleuth family, and not in anyway trying to encourage anyone to do so, but the media is not usually so...respectful?
Could it be due to the fathers potential position/standing, or another reason?Could, or would, they be/have been given some kind of protection from the media? (Or others?)

 

[Deleted member 293720]

Timeline of Samantha Murphy's disappearance​

Sunday February 4, 7am: Mum-of-three Samantha Murphy is last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East heading off on a run.
7.16am: She is captured on a neighbour's CCTV wearing a brown singlet and black half-length leggings.
11am: Ms Murphy fails to show up at a planned brunch with family. She is reported to police as a missing.

Monday February 5: Victoria Police launch a public appeal to find Ms Murphy. A search area is established just outside the suburb of Buninyong, about 14km from where Ms Murphy was last seen, as well as near her home. Police revealed Ms Murphy's mobile phone had pinged in Buninyong

Tuesday February 6: Ms Murphy's husband, Mick, tells media that he's 'not too bad under the circumstances. He was pictured speaking with police as the desperate search continued. The search extended to more than 100 specialised police officers, SES crews and teams from Forest Fire Management Australia and Parks Victoria.

Wednesday February 8, 12.30pm: A search party found possible evidence near a walking trail in Woowookarung Regional Park
1.45pm: Mick Murphy turns up at the cordoned off scene in Woowookarung Regional Park and appeared visibly stunned as he was turned away by officers. Police said the items found in bushland were not related to her whereabouts.
Police later released what they initially thought was CCTV of Ms Murphy leaving her property and heading off in a north-easterly direction toward Yankee Flat Road near the intersection of Warrenheip Road.

Thursday afternoon February 8: A runner came forward to reveal they are the person seen in the CCTV footage, ruling out a key line of inquiry.

Friday February 9: Victoria Police ramp up its efforts with the arrival of officers from the missing persons unit.

Saturday February 10: Investigators scale back the search and say that a full scale search will only resume if fresh information emerges.

Sunday February 11: As police down grade the search, locals continue their own search by scouring the area in small groups.

Monday February 12: Cin Hobbs, administrator of 'Find Samantha Murphy' Facebook group - which garnered thousands of members within days announced she was removing the group as it 'has served its purpose'.

Tuesday, February 13: Daily Mail Australia reveals that Ms Murphy's beloved dog, Ruby, had gone missing.

Wednesday, February 14: Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirms detectives are treating Ms Murphy's disappearance is suspicious.
Detectives from Victoria Police's Missing Persons Unit spend an hour at the Murphy family's property.
It is revealed Ruby has died.

Friday, February 16: Ms Murphy's uncle and aunt, Allan and Janice Robson, tell Daily Mail Australia they believe their niece was a victim of foul play.
Ms Robson theorises the mother was targeted by a deranged stalker, saying: 'I would say that somebody would have been watching her. I can't think it would be anything else.'

Monday, February 19: Mick Murphy issues public plea, saying: 'We want Sam home please.'
He claims his family are 'doing the best we can under the circumstances'.

Thursday, February 22: Dozens of detectives from specialist units are assigned to the case.

Friday February 23: Police admit 'one or more parties' are most likely behind her disappearance as the hunt shifts to a fresh location at Mount Clear based on new phone data analysis. Detectives also reveal that Samantha Murphy's husband Mick and 'everyone' close to her have been named as persons of interest.

Wednesday February 28: The Inland Motor Body Works, a smash repair business in Ballarat owned by Ms Murphy and her husband becomes a focus of the investigation, amid speculation outlaw motorcycle gangs were among customers.

Monday March 4: Investigators begin reviewing mobile phone tower data to identify the movements of people in the area where Ms Murphy vanished.

6am Wednesday March 6: A man, 22, is arrested at a Scotsburn home in Ballarat in connection to Ms Murphy's disappearance.

Thursday March 7: The man is charged with one count of murder and was due to face court later that afternoon.
Ms Murphy remains missing and the hunt to find her body continues.

Wednesday March 20: Police launch a new search in Buninyong Bushland Reserve, 10km from original search efforts. It's been 45 days since Ms Murphy vanished
Police call off the search by mid-afternoon. They hope to continue the search over the coming weeks.

 

[Fabre17]

Has anyone seen how busy the thieves are in Ballarat? Could PS have stolen a vehicle to move SM's body? <modsnip - not an approved source>

 

[LozVic]

IMO I don’t think this was planned I think it was wrong place wrong time for Sam sadly the part that gets me thou is he didn’t have long to cover up his crime it seems MM was out looking for her fairly quickly and knew her route so the question is did he see perhaps a damaged vehicle leaving the area but at the time thought nothing of it ? has moved quickly he only had a few hrs before police where searching the area let alone when her family started to search they did obviously before police and he has apparently left the scene at mount clear looking completely normal if it took 2 week to determine foul play and a search of the area has apparently turned up nothing substantial I don’t think anyone else is involved imo I think police need people to come forward with his movements over the 2 weeks prior to him becoming a suspect eg gf friend parent’s siblings imo

 

[Warshawski]

In all fairness to the legal system , the defence has access to the horse's mouth, so to speak. Which the police only have at certain times, and then only if the suspect wishes to express him/herself. Which Our Bloke seems not to want to. But his Lawyer, and his Barrister can yarn with him anytime, about everything, in private. for weeks. Day in , day out. No restrictions. He could tell them everything, and they could be way ahead of the police for all we know.

But somehow.. I have my doubts.. I think he is playing footsie with his legal rep, as well. Silly, but there it is.

I wonder does he even have a legal rep ?

Re the suggested Legal Aid, I’ve my doubts that he will qualify financially for that service.

 

[tiff]

IMO I don’t think this was planned I think it was wrong place wrong time for Sam sadly the part that gets me thou is he didn’t have long to cover up his crime it seems MM was out looking for her fairly quickly and knew her route so the question is did he see perhaps a damaged vehicle leaving the area but at the time thought nothing of it ? has moved quickly he only had a few hrs before police where searching the area let alone when her family started to search they did obviously before police and he has apparently left the scene at mount clear looking completely normal if it took 2 week to determine foul play and a search of the area has apparently turned up nothing substantial I don’t think anyone else is involved imo I think police need people to come forward with his movements over the 2 weeks prior to him becoming a suspect eg gf friend parent’s siblings imo

Whilst not “planned” per say, I think it - a murder- had been thought about before hand (possibly from watching his favourite film over and over again - his Netflix account etc may highlight to LE what he’s watched most often) - and disposal locations thought out and identified before hand. So when he’s chosen to carry through with it, he had his ducks all lined up. Probably identified Sunday morning as the quietest time to to do it too.
I’m not sure about the drugs…might have been the final contributing factor.
All my opinion, of course.

 

[jjleroche]

I also thought of the possibility of SM and PS's father... SM being away from her family for Christmas and the usual annual holiday is very odd. Who doesn't want to spend Christmas with their family?

I would much prefer she uncovered something at the family business relating to OMGs/illicit substances and this led to her demise, rather than an affair. If it was something at the family business, does this mean MM could be involved?

IIRC it was stated by Vicpol early on, that all aspects of the crash repair business were scrutinised very carefully.
I had wondered at that time about the possibility of an OCMG making them "an offer (to rebirth vehicles) too good to refuse", which they refused...,which would not gone down particularly well IMO.

IMO the business was and is 'clean', and both SM and MM were/are people of integrity - based on various accounts, but also, the business has associations with all major auto insurance companies - IMO if there were just a whiff of the "dodgy" stuff commonly associated with crash repair businesses, at least some would have severed those association with
Inland Motor Repair. JMO

 

[Deleted member 293720]

A question for the more experienced and regular sleuthers..
Do you find it strange at all, that PS family has managed to stay clear of any media?
Since the arrest, I am aware of the few articles on the girfriend with the horse pics etc, but has there been anything more about the family that anyone is aware of?
I recall some mention of them fleeing town or something to that effect, around the time of the arrest, but they seem to have done well IMO to avoid the media circus thats not usually so easy to avoid?
Im well aware we are not to sleuth family, and not in anyway trying to encourage anyone to do so, but the media is not usually so...respectful?
Could it be due to the fathers potential position/standing, or another reason?Could, or would, they be/have been given some kind of protection from the media? (Or others?)

Yes its interesting

Maybe they have gone overseas, gone right away

They would be fearful for their safety as well

 

[Deleted member 293720]

Yes its interesting

Maybe they have gone overseas, gone right away

They would be fearful for their safety as well

Will be interesting in August if they turn up to support the accused

 

[LozVic]

Whilst not “planned” per say, I think it - a murder- had been thought about before hand (possibly from watching his favourite film over and over again - his Netflix account etc may highlight to LE what he’s watched most often) - and disposal locations thought out and identified before hand. So when he’s chosen to carry through with it, he had his ducks all lined up. Probably identified Sunday morning as the quietest time to to do it too.
I’m not sure about the drugs…might have been the final contributing factor.
All my opinion, of course.

Yes I agree not planned in the detail as in Sam was probably not stalked and his intended victim but the crime was definitely thought about prior and I believe it was just a set of unfortunate circumstances that put Sam in his path on that day , for a 22 year old to commit a deliberate act of murder as the police say I believe this would have to be an escalation of his behaviour surely not his first crime imo

 

[Whatson]

If the accused's family really did flee, you have to wonder what they already knew or what words were spoken/evidence presented to them by police...

Parents don't just pack up and leave. They would have had to have been so certain in their minds and hearts that the accused was guilty.

All JMO!!

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes I agree not planned in the detail as in Sam was probably not stalked and his intended victim but the crime was definitely thought about prior and I believe it was just a set of unfortunate circumstances that put Sam in his path on that day , for a 22 year old to commit a deliberate act of murder as the police say I believe this would have to be an escalation of his behaviour surely not his first crime imo

Yeah, if the accused is guilty of this crime against Sam, I don't think it came out of a vacuum.
I feel sure that the police will be asking girlfriends if he was ever violent toward them. And will be looking to see what kind of things he looked at online.

imo

 

[Detective Willy]

Most of us are guessing what PS was “thinking” that morning and none of us know.

What we do know for sure is that he has shown zero remorse and is not admitting anything.

The town of Ballarat is much safer with him behind bars IMO.

He would be very dangerous on the loose to possibly try to replicate something down the track if he got away with this alleged murder.

 

[LozVic]

I am from Geelong and have family in Ballarat all I can say is the area has so many vast spaces coming in and out of the area I really hope they have a Digital foot print or some witnesses other wise our guess would be as good as theirs and on another note just catching up on the thread his dad was not a well know football player I had heard of that name but couldn’t place him or remember anything about him I only remembered him because his name is orren <modsnip>

 

[Deleted member 340727]

If the accused's family really did flee, you have to wonder what they already knew or what words were spoken/evidence presented to them by police...

Parents don't just pack up and leave. They would have had to have been so certain in their minds and hearts that the accused was guilty.

All JMO!!

I agree with your statements. If they have done this then there is a very good reason for their actions. MOO

 

[Deleted member 293720]

If the accused's family really did flee, you have to wonder what they already knew or what words were spoken/evidence presented to them by police...

Parents don't just pack up and leave. They would have had to have been so certain in their minds and hearts that the accused was guilty.

All JMO!!

If it's true and the accused has some history
And with the police telling the parents what they think has happened to Samantha, without going into police investigation details
They have probably wiped him
I wonder if the accused has found a new lawyer, as the first one I think has gone ?
Maybe the original lawyer has asked him to reveal where Samantha is to the police, and he's not co-operating with the lawyer either, so the lawyer said that's it, I'm off !
If his parents aren't involved in organising the accused, a new lawyer
and one has been chosen for the accused
well then his parents have given up, plus if they don't turn up for his court case in August

 

[tiff]

Yes its interesting

Maybe they have gone overseas, gone right away

They would be fearful for their safety as well

Doubtful they’ve gone overseas. Possibly to one of OS’s or his wife’s families empty family rentals. Or to a big family farm. And they are entitled to their privacy. I imagine there’s a back entrance to the remand centre so they can gain access without MM taking pix of them too.
IMO we should leave them alone. They are going thru their own hell.