Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #11

[Rocket333]

Thanks for this article Rocket. It provides the info I’d been searching for re the timeline of when Police were notified :
Murphy was supposed to be back at around 9am, according to Allan. By 11am, two hours after her scheduled return home, Allan said her husband Mick made the phone call to police to report her missing.

I recall that Mick did some searching himself before calling police, which indicates there was not much time to disappear with SM & remove all trace of her from the suggested crime scene.

The activity in the forest comes across as fast and tidy don’t you think? If Sam was bleeding on the ground, or her shoe fell off in the bush for example, they would have found that and raised the alarm about it being suspicious or a crime scene etc from the get go you’d think. Vicpol’s quite early inference that Sam probably didn’t leave the forest alive, if in fact there was no physical evidence at the site (is that even possible?), would have needed to have come from some other intel, like the metrics from her phone which we’ve already covered.

A car close by would’ve been essential because of the time-frame and clean up. jmo

“Det Acting Supt Mark Hatt said there was nothing to indicate that Murphy left the area of her own accord and ruled out a medical incident.”

Search for missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy postponed due to fire danger

Volunteer-led group cancels Saturday’s search as 30,000 Victorians told to evacuate amid bushfire warnings

www.theguardian.com

 

[SouthAussie]

The activity in the forest comes across as fast and tidy don’t you think? If Sam was bleeding on the ground, or a shoe fell off in the bush for example, they would have found that and raised the alarm about it being suspicious or a crime scene etc from the get go really. Yet she’s said to have most likely died there in the forest with nothing apart from probably metrics from her phone.

“Det Acting Supt Mark Hatt said there was nothing to indicate that Murphy left the area of her own accord and ruled out a medical incident.”

Search for missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy postponed due to fire danger

Volunteer-led group cancels Saturday’s search as 30,000 Victorians told to evacuate amid bushfire warnings

www.theguardian.com

He had at least two hours, I think. Not really "fast". imo

He didn't have to clean himself up in that time. Or dispose of Sam and her belongings. He had plenty of time to do that once he was away from Mt Clear.

All he "had to" do in that two hours was murder Sam, get her into his vehicle, check around for evidence on the ground, and scarper.

 

[Rocket333]

He had at least two hours, I think. Not really "fast". imo

He didn't have to clean himself up in that time. Or dispose of Sam and her belongings. He had plenty of time to do that once he was away from Mt Clear.

All he "had to" do in that two hours was murder Sam, get her into his vehicle, check around for evidence on the ground, and scarper.

Two hours between 8 and 10 do you mean?
He wouldn’t have known that though and surely others would’ve been walking & jogging around that area. Nevertheless you’d want to be gone with your car far away as soon as possible to avoid witnesses and detection, and that’s what I mean by fast. Unless he loitered and his (damaged?) car was in fact seen there by witnesses.

 

[mrjitty]

I am interested to follow this trial. As usual, lots of the case is opaque to us until opening arguments.

 

[mrjitty]

As to whether the phone was found via active radio chip even though switched off - interesting that it's technically possible, but equally I assume they did ground searches anywhere a perp might try to throw evidence away?

 

[SouthAussie]

Two hours between 8 and 10 do you mean?
He wouldn’t have known that though and surely others would’ve been walking & jogging around that area. Nevertheless you’d want to be gone with your car far away as soon as possible to avoid witnesses and detection, and that’s what I mean by fast. Unless he loitered and his (damaged?) car was in fact seen there by witnesses.

Yes, I mean between 8 and 10 (not that he knew that).

I can't imagine that he killed Sam out on the public track. I think it more likely that he knocked her down/out (maybe a bit like Sissy), and then dragged/carried Sam into the bush or tall grasses. Because I think SA was likely the motive.

No-one is going to think much about an empty vehicle sitting wherever his vehicle was, at the time. But there may (or may not) be someone who remembered seeing an empty ute somewhere that morning .... once he was arrested.

imo

 

[SouthAussie]

..... think about what’s being offered to us and what’s its purpose?

Just going back to this suggestion by you @Rocket333.

Remember the very staged police "search" at Mt Clear, where the police allowed the media to film them. Investigating something on the ground, and also walking back into the bush/long grasses?

I think it is possible/probable that Sam was dragged back into that bushland, assaulted and killed. Having been knocked down/out prior to that. Then brought back to PS' vehicle and driven away.

imo

 

[Rumination1]

Seems there is a swing in the chat to thoughts he may not have done it?

 

[callmehenry]

Seems there is a swing in the chat to thoughts he may not have done it?

Really? That surprises me

 

[SouthAussie]

Seems there is a swing in the chat to thoughts he may not have done it?

No. I think there is thought by some that he didn't do it alone, or was forced to do it, or something. Haven't seen any evidence or real-life indication of such a thing though.

 

[Rocket333]

Just going back to this suggestion by you @Rocket333.

Remember the very staged police "search" at Mt Clear, where the police allowed the media to film them. Investigating something on the ground, and also walking back into the bush/long grasses?

I think it is possible/probable that Sam was dragged back into that bushland, assaulted and killed. Having been knocked down/out prior to that. Then brought back to PS' vehicle and driven away.

imo

Yes I remember that. That search, the technology detecting dogs search, and the dam search came across as quite performative, especially as the police has not hesitated in telling the public to stay away from other searches. Who’s the desired audience and what’s the message?
I agree with all of your thoughts. Either in the bushes or the back of the ute. I think the ute is going to prove critical here.

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes I remember that. That search, the technology detecting dogs search, and the dam search came across as quite performative, especially as the police has not hesitated in telling the public to stay away from other searches. Who’s the desired audience and what’s the message?
I agree with all of your thoughts. Either in the bushes or the back of the ute. I think the ute is going to prove critical here.

Audience and message .... PS and anyone (parents, girlfriend, friends, fellow inmates) who can put pressure on him to tell them where Sam is.

imo

 

[Rocket333]

No-one is going to think much about an empty vehicle sitting wherever his vehicle was, at the time. But there may (or may not) be someone who remembered seeing an empty ute somewhere that morning .... once he was arrested.

True. Or once the police mentioned looking out for a damaged vehicle. Someone might have seen his vehicle at Mt Clear and it might have had pre-existing damage that was memorable once the memory was jogged.