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

[Curiousobserver]

BBM

Better late than never, TBH, I would have assumed they were already working the case, behind the scenes… from Monday onwards …

The timing of this announcement, of homicide detectives now joining the investigation is interesting …


Today the Victorian Police admitted they had mishandled the investigation when they released CCTV footage on Wednesday and identified a jogger in it as Ms Murphy, only to retract that on Thursday afternoon.

Paraphrased from :

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/missing-ballarat-jogger-samantha-murphy-missing-for-five-days/news-story/ed8742d89773d81e5a790604c08b8e0d

Paywalled for some.

IMO

Its a forgivable error, they obviously hoped it would alert the public and possibly generate more leads or CCTV footage.

Glad the investigation is intensifying. Any sort of non-criminal accident/event and she would have been found near a trail or main rd by now.

 

[SLouTh]

I think its interesting that some CCTV footage was released to the media without a confirmation that it was actually her.

With all due respect, the incorrect CCTV vision was supplied by the Police.

Investigators have also released updated CCTV footage of Samantha in the hope that someone can provide information on her whereabouts.

The footage was captured at about 7:16am on Eureka Street near the intersection of Warrenheip Road and captures Samantha running in a north easterly direction toward Yankee Flat Road.

PM pays tribute to search for Sam Murphy as investigation continues

Extensive searches have failed to find any whereabouts.

www.thecourier.com.au

 

[SLouTh]

Its a forgivable error, they obviously hoped it would alert the public and possibly generate more leads or CCTV footage.

Yes agree totally …

But have we learned nothing in this Country, about not running concurrent homicide investigations along side a missing persons (appearing to be lost) cases ???

I had thought we were getting better at that … but JMO

 

[Bats]

With all due respect, the incorrect CCTV vision was supplied by the Police.

That's what i find interesting!
Police are normally better than this...or did it serve a purpose? Was it an accident?

 

[StillDiggin]

https://www.news.com.au/national/experts-warn-armchair-investigators-could-hinder-search-for-missing-woman-samantha-murphy-similar-to-britains-nicola-bulley/news-story/d4a75a5aa334998844effe2070217b70

 

[Trooper]

Gosh, the daughter looks distraught..... big diff between her and Ms Ristevski... IMO..

and Maria Korps, daughter, too, she looked utterly terrified sitting next to Joe ( the murderer) for the plea to the public, I will never forget her poor face. She knew he was right in the thick of it.

Temp around Ballarat hitting about 23 C today, cloud cover, same tomorrow. still.. not weather to be out and in stress....

 

[Algorithm]

In the case of Russell Hill & Carol Clay VPOL kept things very quiet till Greg Lynn‘s arrest. Same with the mushroom women Erin Patterson

Exactly. I’m thinking they are going through mountains of cctv, surveillance and other evidence as we speak.

 

[Karin1974]

Yes agree totally …

But have we learned nothing in this Country, about not running concurrent homicide investigations along side a missing persons (appearing to be lost) cases ???

I had thought we were getting better at that … but JMO

IMO - It is incredibly frustrating to watch. Literally hundreds of people have been trampling all over the ‘area’ they believe she went missing. Any actual evidence would probably be tainted, that’s if she actually went for a run. I’m still not convinced she left the house. MOO

 

[andyroo]

I can't believe that the father and daughter didn't look at the CCTV and say, hey, that's not her.. Is it possible the police knew it wasn't her, but released the footage playing along that she went for a run, to see how the husband would react?

I still think it's possible she was hit by a vehicle, hit and run, and just hasn't been found in a roadside ditch as they didn't know what route she was taking. Really feel for the kids.

 

[pipj]

Yes, snakebite is a definite possibility IMO. If Samantha had been running, and was bitten, venom would circulate throughout her body very quickly, incapacitating her almost immediately. MOO

Only if she moved around/kept walking after she was bitten without binding up the limb. Venom doesn’t go straight into the blood stream. It actually enters the blood through lymph glands in your joints. (A lot of people don’t know this). If you are bitten and stay still/don’t bend your limbs, and at least bind up the place you were bitten, you can remain alive for a considerable amount of time.

In addition, if she was still in the area, the K-9 unit would’ve easily tracked and found her id say.

 

[nightrider17]

I am just a bit confused about the dog droppings bag that is seen in the photo? IMO

Do you normally carry dog bags with you on every run - in your pocket? if you are not taking a dog walking?? JMO

Did she set out for her run - see some dropping in her driveway and go get a doggy bag?? had one on her?? MOO.

I am trying to understand is that a normal thing people do?? who have dogs? Have the bags continually with you even if not going walking with your dog?? IMO


I am guessing she must have a dog to have the bags? MOO

 

[leopink74]

I understand the low blood pressure or potential snake bite theories, however if that was what had happened then surely they would have located Samantha by now - she would not have just vanished..
Also, people have asked if her children were home that day - I imagine they were given they are not old (I do not know their ages but her daughter in the press conference is her eldest and she looks to be in her mid-late teens) - even if they were home chances are they were sleeping at 7am on a Sunday.. So, they may not have heard their Mum leave….
I have no strong opinion on what has happened, it is all very odd…

 

[brjakj]

I am just a bit confused about the dog droppings bag that is seen in the photo? IMO

Do you normally carry dog bags with you on every run - in your pocket? if you are not taking a dog walking?? JMO

Did she set out for her run - see some dropping in her driveway and go get a doggy bag?? had one on her?? MOO.

I am trying to understand is that a normal thing people do?? who have dogs? Have the bags continually with you even if not going walking with your dog?? IMO


I am guessing she must have a dog to have the bags? MOO

She may have taken her dog to the toilet before her run and not taken the dog with her?

 

[bearbear]

That's what i find interesting!
Police are normally better than this...or did it serve a purpose? Was it an accident?

yes was it a strategic mistake, and what would be the hoped for result?

 

[nightrider17]

Another question??

Concerns grow for Ballarat woman last seen leaving for morning run

Police and SES personnel are searching an area of state forest near the Victorian city in search of the missing 51-year-old.

www.abc.net.au

The Buninyong Golf Club - would SM or her husband be a member of this club? JMO

Is it usual for Golf to be played on a Sunday Morning? IMO

The article says Police were checking the bushland behind the Golf Course? Is that due to the ping of the phone only?? MOO

 

[MrJ]

Very strange case. Did initially suspect the husband as unfortunately it is quite common for spouses/partners to be involved in such cases, but I'm trying to not be so quick to judge now as anything could have happened. Her poor daughter in the press conference, you can feel the emotion in her voice, absolutely. I hope that Samantha is found soon. Not familiar with the Ballarat area but being in Victoria as well, it does hit particularly close to home and I hope for Samantha's and her family's sake that we see a good outcome. Sadly though the longer she's missing the less hope I have of that. JMO

 

[MollyHarps]

The incorrect CCTV being released is the first time my suspicion levels in this case have risen.

Surely the husband would have looked at this CCTV numerous times and zoomed in etc and realised it wasn’t her? Before the police released it to the media.

Also thank goodness the women actually on that CCTV came forward to correct the record.

 

[SouthAussie]

Is it usual for Golf to be played on a Sunday Morning? IMO

Yes, golf early on a Sunday morning is usual for some/many golfers ... and especially when the rest of the day is going to be very hot.

The club's opening times are a good indication of the popularity of early morning golf.


Google search

imo

 

[SouthAussie]

The incorrect CCTV being released is the first time my suspicion levels in this case have risen.

Surely the husband would have looked at this CCTV numerous times and zoomed in etc and realised it wasn’t her? Before the police released it to the media.

Also thank goodness the women actually on that CCTV came forward to correct the record.

I could barely see the person in the CCTV. The runner was a long way away, behind a gate, and seemed to have blonde hair is what I could see.

I don't think it was particularly good CCTV vision. But it seemed to align with the time that Samantha may have run past that point if she ran that way.

imo

 

[Cedars]

I could barely see the person in the CCTV. The runner was a long way away, behind a gate, and seemed to have blonde hair is what I could see.

I don't think it was particularly good CCTV vision. But it seemed to align with the time that Samantha may have run past that point if she ran that way.

imo

It's a terrible image, unrecogizable as anyone.
You can't even see what color shirt she's wearing (Skynews linked above has it, labelled as NOT her).

IMO, LE released it precisely in case it was someone else, in order to rule it in or out.
However, I haven't checked the text accompanying its release.

IMO, people may be expecting this case to follow a script from some different case and are blaming LE for not being on the same script - as happened with Nicola Bulley's case in the UK.

JMO