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

[roh]

Yes - but no doxing, sorry. If anyone else knows, please keep it to yourselves - the family (children in particular) should be allowed privacy

And no - by the looks of it - there is only one way out of the property

From my google maps exploration, it seems there is a second driveway at the back. Not sure about CCTV coverage though.

 

[JLZ]

From memory, Trooper stated 'Money, Sex and Religion'.

I like to say 'follow the money'.

I can see a lot of money, but I can't see who has it or which way it's flowing.

 

[olaselo]

From my google maps exploration, it seems there is a second driveway at the back. Not sure about CCTV coverage though.

Yes - I just did a double take, and fixed my original post. There does appear to be a second exit around the back, with no CCTV.

 

[JLZ]

Wouldnt the first thing you do is actually go and search for her yourself along the path she jogs? Would seem to be my first instinct to go there personally. He would know where she jogs surely, after so long. Once i could not find her, i would call police after a while. The thing is, I don't think it would be cause for immediate concern losing contact with an adult at that time of the morning. She could have just gone shopping, decided a new change of plans, etc. You would not panic just because she missed a brunch date surely? Its not like she went missing late at night or for a whole day, its just a few hours.

I think if I was among the brunch friends I'd be seriously concerned. Sam was known to be planning a 14km jog that morning, possibly in unpeopled bushland, she had ample time to be back, she had planned to be back, and she had recently been sick with COVID which is known to have longer-term effects. Her husband doesn't know where she is.

Edit: Oh, and while it was cool enough at 7am, it's becoming a very hot day.

 

[JLZ]

Yes - I just did a double take, and fixed my original post. There does appear to be a second exit around the back, with no CCTV.

Or some people might like to take a shortcut over a fence.

The other point is, it seems to be possible to be captured on the camera we know about, supposedly leaving the property, without actually leaving.

 

[mirage1]

I think if I was among the brunch friends I'd be seriously concerned. Sam was known to be planning a 14km jog that morning, possibly in unpeopled bushland, she had ample time to be back, she had planned to be back, and she had recently been sick with COVID which is known to have longer-term effects. Her husband doesn't know where she is.

Hmm ok. I didn't know it was a planned 14m that's a pretty long trek. Is that her normal routine, 14km?

 

[mamamama9873]

I

Accident is what many would think first - call the hospitals and police department. Was that done first by friends and husband? If so, it doesn't sound like anything unusual happened, although I am surprised that her friends were immediately concerned. She must be 100% on time reliable all the time.

Yes. I would think that my husband must have broken a leg or something and his phone out of charge or unable to answer the phone for a medical reason if it rings out. I would first go to the trek myself with family to locate him and only think more of it once I can’t locate him anywhere there and then contact authorities.
It seems out of character for the husband to call authorities straight away (I read he did after being told that she didn’t appear for brunch) but then not go and search for her and be so blasé about the disappearance later. If he came across as being anxious in front of the media and his statements, I could see why he would have contacted authorities so early. His words and actions (what we know about them) don’t align IMO

 

[carbuff]

Has it been definitely said that the husband was at the house while she was jogging? Or did he go out to work in the yard or a shed, or to work, or on his own run, where he wouldn't know whether she was home or not?

 

[JLZ]

Hmm ok. I didn't know it was a planned 14m that's a pretty long trek. Is that her normal routine, 14km?

I understand that she told her guests the night before that she was planning 14km the next morning.

Edit: reference this post by Slouth with link to paywalled article

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

so in a case like this even though family arent poi, would the house be searched and gone over with cadaver dogs and luminol etc, to rule family out?

www.websleuths.com

 

[mondayschild]

@carbuff i don't recall seeing anything that clearly stated that anyone else was at home. In order to be able to say what she was wearing, you might think someone saw her leave the house in the particular outfit?

 

[mamamama9873]

Has it been definitely said that the husband was at the house while she was jogging? Or did he go out to work in the yard or a shed, or to work, or on his own run, where he wouldn't know whether she was home or not?

To my understanding, it hasn’t been stated where he actually was at time (or where he said he was). The information that was made public was that he contacted police when her friend alerted him that she hadn’t come to their arranged brunch date.

 

[Mandala]

It’s not looking good for this case. What I don’t get is how she hasn’t been found. Most trails have designated paths for walking/running. Most runners stick to the paths. Surely they have been searched. So where is she?

 

[CoffeeHug]

Wouldnt the first thing you do is actually go and search for her yourself along the path she jogs? Would seem to be my first instinct to go there personally. He would know where she jogs surely, after so long. Once i could not find her, i would call police after a while.

The thing is, I don't think it would be cause for immediate concern losing contact with an adult at that time of the morning. She could have just gone shopping, decided a new change of plans, etc. You would not panic just because she missed a brunch date surely? Its not like she went missing late at night or for a whole day, its just a few hours.

I would find it very strange if someone reliable missed a lunch date without word. I am sure not many people would stand up friends to go shopping or do something else non-urgent. I wouldn't let my friends down like that.

It might not be as easy as following the path she ran. Chances are she doesn't run the exact same route every time. That gets boring. A more general idea of vicinity would be more likely.

The purpose of calling the police is when you know something is odd and you need the SES or search and rescue to give you more people power to search than one person can do. Time can be important.

I don't find it unusual that you'd call for help if someone reliable didnt' show for brunch late the same morning. If it was someone who was a bit more unreliable, maybe then you'd not worry so much.

 

[mamamama9873]

@carbuff i don't recall seeing anything that clearly stated that anyone else was at home. In order to be able to say what she was wearing, you might think someone saw her leave the house in the particular outfit?

For the outfit description, they could just go off the CCTV footage and also by what was missing from her wardrobe (although if I put myself and my husband in this scenario, neither of us would have much clue what was missing from the other’s wardrobe)

 

[mondayschild]

For the outfit description, they could just go off the CCTV footage and also by what was missing from her wardrobe (although if I put myself and my husband in this scenario, neither of us would have much clue what was missing from the other’s wardrobe)

they could just go off CCTV footage. Kids (teenage) may be on sleepovers. Lots of unknowns about who was at home and if anyone in her family actually saw her leave or whether it was just CCTV.

 

[mamamama9873]

I would find it very strange if someone reliable missed a lunch date without word. I am sure not many people would stand up friends to go shopping or do something else non-urgent. I wouldn't let my friends down like that.

It might not be as easy as following the path she ran. Chances are she doesn't run the exact same route every time. That gets boring. A more general idea of vicinity would be more likely.

The purpose of calling the police is when you know something is odd and you need the SES or search and rescue to give you more people power to search than one person can do. Time can be important.

I don't find it unusual that you'd call for help if someone reliable didnt' show for brunch late the same morning. If it was someone who was a bit more unreliable, maybe then you'd not worry so much.

Yes definitely would think it was unusual that someone reliable doesn’t show up for brunch and doesn’t reply to text message or call (I’m sure they tried).

What strikes me as unusual is the husband alerting the authorities very early on which I see as somewhat panicked. A panicked reaction is understandable, everyone reacts differently in these situations. BUT having an immediate panicked reaction and alerting the authorities but then not joining a search party and being seemingly quite relaxed about the disappearance of a spouse seems very unusual to me.

 

[CoffeeHug]

Yes definitely would think it was unusual that someone reliable doesn’t show up for brunch and doesn’t reply to text message or call (I’m sure they tried).

What strucks me as unusual is the husband alerting the authorities very early on which I see as somewhat panicked. A panicked reaction is understandable, everyone reacts differently in these situations. BUT having an immediate panicked reaction and alerting the authorities but then not joining a search party and being seemingly quite relaxed about the disappearance of a spouse seems very unusual to me.

You don't know how he is behind closed doors though, or if he was advised not to join the search himself. If you've never been in the position of having a missing spouse, you don't know what you'd do. Maybe he let the many people out there search because the children needed his presence? I think it's best not to assume anything based on appearances.

 

[Lukey2121]

This is in no way a judgement of anyone who would take alternative actions but I've been trying to think what I would do if my husband didn't come back from a run.

First, I'd probably think he was taking a while and not think too much of it. I think it would take at least three hours before I became concerned enough to send him a text. If it was very hot I might be a bit more concerned. I'd also not know exactly what direction he'd have gone in at least some of the time. He tends to run where his whim takes him. He doesn't take water. He's once got lost in a bit of bush land I know better than him and I've talked him back to a path that would take him out - with his phone at 2% charge, so the possibility of his phone having gone flat, if he didn't reply, would be there too. When would I call the police? I don't know. Definitely by later afternoon, if not sooner. Possibly I'd go look first if I were sure of his route. My first concern would be accident or unexpected medical problem. I haven't actually been in this situation, so don't know exactly how I'd react, but that's what I think I might do.

If he was due to meet someone and they told me he hadn't come, I'd get onto things a lot faster. Not showing up would be out of character and my mind would go straight to accident or medical issues that might have cropped up. I wouldn't ignore that, as SM's family and friends didn't.

Good lesson to always let someone know your route in the scrub. Injure yourself and break your phone - then just lay and wait for your loved one to find you.

 

[mamamama9873]

You don't know how he is behind closed doors though, or if he was advised not to join the search himself. If you've never been in the position of having a missing spouse, you don't know what you'd do. Maybe he let the many people out there search because the children needed his presence? I think it's best not to assume anything based on appearances.

Yes I agree with you, valid points. But how he came across in his statements he had no panicked vibe to me at all, very relaxed and emotionally distanced from his spouse I found him to be. This does not align with an immediate reaction to contact authorities IMO

 

[T-dawg420]

I would find it very strange if someone reliable missed a lunch date without word. I am sure not many people would stand up friends to go shopping or do something else non-urgent. I wouldn't let my friends down like that.

It might not be as easy as following the path she ran. Chances are she doesn't run the exact same route every time. That gets boring. A more general idea of vicinity would be more likely.

The purpose of calling the police is when you know something is odd and you need the SES or search and rescue to give you more people power to search than one person can do. Time can be important.

I don't find it unusual that you'd call for help if someone reliable didnt' show for brunch late the same morning. If it was someone who was a bit more unreliable, maybe then you'd not worry so much.

I agree about the usual routes get boring. I am an avid walker/jogger and while I can’t speak for everyone, I certainly get bored easily and have multiple routes in all different directions. It seems that particular area Samantha went missing offers a multitude of different paths to take which would just make it so hard when Trying to locate her. Unless she specifically told someone the exact route, but short of that she could have even decided to mix it up on her way as well.

I also don’t find it particularly strange the police were called when They were. If I didn’t come back from my usual walk/jog and missed a prearranged engagement then for sure my family and loved ones would be on the blower trying to get assistance in locating me in case I was injured or incapacitated etc.

If she was doing a 14km route (which JLZ commented and linked above) then it’s such a large area to search. A 7km circle encompasses down past Navigators, down to Mt Helen, over to Delacrombe, up and well past ballarat north and glen park. It’s a huge area. With the lack of cctv footage and dashcam, available as well as lack of eye witnesses, one might assume she didn’t take well beaten routes. One could also assume on a Sunday morning the surrounding areas may well have quite a lot of people going about their business, which would make it a high probability she would have been seen by someone. IMO