Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #12

[LozVic]

I wonder if the NSW police are involved because he crossed the border at some point ? Or if they are just extra helping hand

 

[SouthAussie]

I wonder if the NSW police are involved because he crossed the border at some point ? Or if they are just extra helping hand

I think they used NSW cadaver dogs in past searches. (VicPol doesn't have any.) I suspect that is their involvement.


This is from a previous search for Sam, where NSW supplied the cadaver dog resources ..... Police have ended their search for the day after bringing in specialist cadaver dogs from New South Wales to scour the Victorian bush at multiple locations in the hunt for missing mother Samantha Murphy. Link

 

[iamshadow21]

I wonder if the NSW police are involved because he crossed the border at some point ? Or if they are just extra helping hand

NSW is a bigger state with a higher population and more resources. It's possible NSW has people with specialist skills that Victoria doesn't.

MOO

 

[Trooper]

I was thinking of the Matthew Leveson case when I said that. Because the location was a bit murky, and it took them a while to find Matthew.
But they didn't bring in specialists from the AFP. VicPol are obviously needing specialist help in one form or another.
Which makes me think it is possible that no-one is talking.

I am hoping Mick Murphy does not have to go down the same hideous trail as Mathew's parents have had to, ..

I , also , think this is independent of any sudden pouring out of info from Stephenson. Something else has triggered it, some tiny detail, some sighting of something out of the ordinary. They would boost him out of remand and make him tramp around the bush , like Brett Cowan, and stand in front of the grave or at what ever happened and photograph him for the record, if it was his info.

 

[SouthAussie]

I am hoping Mick Murphy does not have to go down the same hideous trail as Mathew's parents have had to, ..

I , also , think this is independent of any sudden pouring out of info from Stephenson. Something else has triggered it, some tiny detail, some sighting of something out of the ordinary. They would boost him out of remand and make him stand in front of the grave or at what ever happened and photograph him for the record, if it was his info.

If they are using AFP specialist resources, it might be further data refinement from them. Possibly.

One thing is for sure, they are now not deviating far from the Bunninyong-Mt Mercer Road ... so it is highly likely Sam is somewhere off that road.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

The AFP deal, specialise in a lot of different crimes as well. This could be very straight forward or complicated.
There is also a river which runs through there, which would help dispose of her body and personal items.

And would have been a better outcome in disposing of Samantha's phone, rather than in someone's private dam which was easily found, including all her cards, ID etc, but incredibly they all stayed intact in the slots without falling out!

Another possibility, this could also be staged.

We will know more tomorrow. Hopefully it will bring great news to her loved ones and Investigating police

 

[Oona]

Mt Clear to Grenville via Buninyong -Mt Mercer Road appears to be about 20 kilometres in a southerly direction.

This fits in with the average distances and travel direction of victim body disposal from murder site, identified in this 2023 QLD study (where there is no known relationship between the offender and victim).

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland​

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland

Not finding a murder victim poses challenges for homicide investigators in solving crime, including determining where to search for the deceased's body. Existing literature focuses on locating offenders through criminal profiling; however, this is largely ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I think it is reasonable to believe the alleged offender would have wanted to dispose of Sam’s body and belongings as quickly as possible and is likely to have done so in the same trip, most likely in the vicinity of the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Rd.

I hope her body is found this week.

 

[SouthAussie]

Mt Clear to Grenville via Buninyong -Mt Mercer Road appears to be about 20 kilometres in a southerly direction.

This fits in with the average distances and travel direction of victim body disposal from murder site, identified in this 2023 QLD study (where there is no known relationship between the offender and victim).

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland​

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland

Not finding a murder victim poses challenges for homicide investigators in solving crime, including determining where to search for the deceased's body. Existing literature focuses on locating offenders through criminal profiling; however, this is largely ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I think it is reasonable to believe the alleged offender would have wanted to dispose of Sam’s body and belongings as quickly as possible and is likely to have done so in the same trip, most likely in the vicinity of the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Rd.

I hope her body is found this week.

That is an interesting study. If PS is a 'typical' stranger-murder perpetrator, there is a good chance that Sam will be found between 10 & 30 metres off a track, covered in leaf litter and local debris. Although possibly a bit more scattered by now.

I so hope they find her this week, too!

 

[Dotta]

I think it is reasonable to believe the alleged offender would have wanted to dispose of Sam’s body and belongings as quickly as possible and is likely to have done so in the same trip, most likely in the vicinity of the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Rd.

I hope her body is found this week.

Fingers crossed!

I also think the victim was concealed during the trip when the phone was discarded.

Samantha is there waiting to be found
And put to rest like a human being with proper final farewell from her family and friends.

Keep searching please!

JMO

 

[BreakingNews]

Count me in, on the bat business. Ballarat coppers were inundated with murder that fortnight, Mrs Murphy, while the first, was not the last, 2 more women were murdered in the two weeks following, one murderer had the brains to bow out under his own steam after killing the mother of his 5 children, but the other , a 21 yr old, has today decided to skip a Committal and go straight to the Supreme court on a not guilty plea of murdering his girlfriend, placing her body in her car, taking this car down the road, setting fire to it, then writing, on behalf of the dead girl, suicide notes intending to deceive people into thinking she did all this to herself., ( Lachlan Young ) .

All up, for the Ballarat contingent, it was all hands on deck and heads down, helped along somewhat by the IQ (or lack of ) of the killers, the three of them. .. Stephenson, who is accused of murdering a stranger to him, yet somehow managed to be caught, most unusually with stranger on stranger killings, the hardest crimes to solve, in a few weeks. Lachlan Young is a prime suspect, he having motive and opportunity, plus, he involved himself in the search for her car, and could not stop himself from directing searchers towards it. Ian Butler, the other killer in Ballarat, that month, a devotee of the Bandito's bike gang, a man who preferred to be called 'Sherrif'..( who actually called him that is up for grabs but that was how he introduced himself ) didn't bother to either hide her body or his own, and made sure his kids saw it all. ..

Busy times for VICPOL, Homicide Squad, MissPer, and every constable on the beat. mountains of paperwork.

Stephenson, and his Barristers, no doubt, would be watching how Young is going with his chess move of skipping a Committal trial, and going straight on up to the Supreme Court, on a Not Guilty plea, it's highly likely that Young's trial will take place before Stephenson's , even though the crimes were in the opposite order. But anything can happen, in criminal trials, many a slip twixt cup and lip, but the Court is inexorable and rolls right on regardless of feelings and wishes and hopes.

I don't think that VICPOL has made mistakes in these matters , as far as I can see... I go into bat for them with bells and whistles,... VICPOL will never give up searching for Mrs. Murphy's body, Police orgs in AU are not given leave to give up on that kind of stuff, SA police still actively search for the Beaumont children, even now.

Troops, who exactly makes the decision to go straight to trial? Is it the defendants lawyer, or the judge, or do they all have to agree. I thought the Committal trial was where a judge listens to the evidence and decides if there is enough evidence for a Supreme Court trial.

 

[Kemug]

Fingers crossed!

Or as I believe South Africans say "We hold thumbs!"

 

[Dotta]

Or as I believe South Africans say "We hold thumbs!"

In my country also
Holding thumbs,
not crossing fingers.

 

[Curiousobserver]

Mt Clear to Grenville via Buninyong -Mt Mercer Road appears to be about 20 kilometres in a southerly direction.

This fits in with the average distances and travel direction of victim body disposal from murder site, identified in this 2023 QLD study (where there is no known relationship between the offender and victim).

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland​

Where are homicide victims disposed? A study of disposed homicide victims in Queensland

Not finding a murder victim poses challenges for homicide investigators in solving crime, including determining where to search for the deceased's body. Existing literature focuses on locating offenders through criminal profiling; however, this is largely ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I think it is reasonable to believe the alleged offender would have wanted to dispose of Sam’s body and belongings as quickly as possible and is likely to have done so in the same trip, most likely in the vicinity of the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Rd.

I hope her body is found this week.

This study is very interesting, especially the striking preponderance to hide victims in a due easterly direction. All the other correlations make sense and really are not that surprising- close to a trail or road covered in leaves is about what you would guess.

I don't know Queensland at all so perhaps there is something about the geography there that makes this correlation so strong.

 

[Porky1]

Not always. In the highly publicised case in Sydney earlier this year, the defendant in that case told police where to look for the bodies. They didn't road trip with him.

MOO

While that case was sad, it was interesting as it was carried out by a Policeman (also mother and sister were ex police officers). He knew how the investigation would play out as an insider. It also moved quickly and he was arrested that same week from memory. It’s almost like he wanted to get caught as it was very sloppy, you’ve got to wonder.

They weren’t buried in the bush, they were in surfboard bags on the side of the road, covered with sticks, etc, and probably relatively easy to find once he divulged the location.

 

[SouthAussie]

Troops, who exactly makes the decision to go straight to trial? Is it the defendants lawyer, or the judge, or do they all have to agree. I thought the Committal trial was where a judge listens to the evidence and decides if there is enough evidence for a Supreme Court trial.

Erin Patterson elected to skip a committal hearing and fast track to trial.
Instead of a committal hearing, she pleaded not guilty and they are undergoing a Sec 198 hearing in Supreme Court to test the evidence.

Erin Patterson pleads not guilty to all charges over alleged mushroom murders

Victorian woman elects to ‘fast track’ case involving murder and attempted murder charges relating to Leongatha lunch

www.theguardian.com

 

[Lemony]

I wonder if the NSW police are involved because he crossed the border at some point ? Or if they are just extra helping hand

Sly was speaking on 3AW this morning and was asked the question on why NSWPol and the AFP were involved, his response was that NSW had specially trained dogs.

Sly said the AFP have equipment. I think he said "for finding things". It was a very brief segment.

 

[drsleuth]

 

[Trooper]

Troops, who exactly makes the decision to go straight to trial? Is it the defendants lawyer, or the judge, or do they all have to agree. I thought the Committal trial was where a judge listens to the evidence and decides if there is enough evidence for a Supreme Court trial.

On the surface, BN , Stephenson makes the decision. In the technical sense. But he is 22, his total knowledge of Victorian law would be somewhat underwhelming, it is fair to say, that his Barristers, in consultation with the head of Chambers, and paralegals in the office would have advised him to agree to this procedure. ..

SA up a few posts has mentioned Erin Peterson, 'electing' to do the same thing. Back a few threads I mentioned that Victoria has different processes, eg. a defendant cannot choose to have a judge only trial, that matter has to be adjudicated before a judge and it is decided in the public interest, not so much in the defendants interest. Likewise, in Victoria, the Committal phrase of a trial can be removed, at the choosing of the defendant,

There are various reasons for that choice. Cost, time, witness availability, ... if I could venture a guess, in these two defendants, I could be persuaded that their barristers are publicly funded and cost is a very big factor , in so far as the cost has to be accounted for, but that's just a guess, I don't have any insider info.

This site gives some more detail, plus the general direction of plans to reform the process, if you are still curious!!!

5. Objectives and options for reform of committals in Victoria - Victorian Law Reform Commission

Introduction 5.1 The Commission is considering changes to Victoria’s committal system and related pre-trial procedures that could: • reduce trauma experienced by victims and witnesses • improve efficiency in the criminal justice system • ensure fair trial rights. 5.2 The first section of this...

www.lawreform.vic.gov.au

((P.S.).... Stephensons 'neighbor', ( a Ballarat boy ) Mr Lachlan Young, 21 , who is accused of removing his girlfriend from this earth, and posturing as a grieving boyfriend has also chosen to slide past the Committal phase and go straight to the Supreme Court, and I add him into my venture guesses as to why, )...

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Please let this be the search that finds her and allows her family to give her a proper, dignified burial. If finding her gives more evidence against her alleged killer, all the better.
The weather today is not as conducive to searching as yesterday. It's raining where I am, and has been set in for several hours. Ballarat is not that far away and tends to be wetter and colder. Hopefully it's a quick and successful search for all involved.

 

[Dotta]

"Police gathered at Grenville Recreation Reserve on Wednesday.

The search areas are believed to be taking place in mountainous terrain west of Enfield Plantation,
which has been previously searched over the seven months since Ms Murphy went missing.

A large police force has gathered at the Grenville Recreation Reserve,
with officers seen preparing to head out with the aid of
horses, dogs and motorbikes.

Inspector Dunstan said search crews faced dangerous conditions,
which had only been compounded by the bad weather.

'The danger is there are a lot of mines here as well
and that's one of the reasons we've brought out
Search and Rescue',
he said.

'There are a lot of unidentified mines ...
so it's super dangerous'.

Police are understood to be searching different areas
spanning up to a three kilometre radius of rugged terrain."

The desperate hunt for Samantha Murphy's body takes a dramatic twist

Dozens of police will this morning converge on bush where they believe the body of missing mother-of three Samantha Murphy has been hidden, after revealing details about secret new searches.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org