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

[Trooper]

It’s called off isn’t it?

That should teach me to read the date /time carefully, AND before shiraz with the lamb. Either way, again, Police have stated they are not getting info from Stephenson .

 

[Rocket333]

A very rogue bear, half a world away from where they're native.

We have native rogue bears too.

 

[SouthAussie]

Have you watched it now? I wanted to comment on it, particularly the ending, but can’t without spoiling it for people who haven’t seen it.

I wasn't able to watch it, but I read up about it. I wasn't sure of the correlation because the circumstances seem quite different. But there isn't a lot of detail in the more general articles about the crime.

 

[Rocket333]

I wasn't able to watch it, but I read up about it. I wasn't sure of the correlation because the circumstances seem quite different. But there isn't a lot of detail in the more general articles about the crime.

The netflix doco shows Bowman’s jekyll & hyde character in a fair bit of depth and getting him to confess and do some truth telling was quite excruciating. Reckons he didn’t want to admit to anything or give up his secrets as he didn’t want to upset his wife. The site of the grave was a surprise and speaks to suggestions here that many murderers stay local & close to home. Mental illness can be hard to see.

 

[australianwebsleuth]

In sticking to the facts, what was said was "one OR more parties".
AFAIK police never committed to 'more parties involved' they kept it broad. It's smart policing as it keeps the suspect guessing and if there is anyone on the periphery of the crime or if someone holds a piece of information, they may feel pressured to come forward. It's police covering all bases IMO.

Hatt said the most likely scenario is that Murphy’s disappearance involves “one or more parties”.

“Given the extensive and detailed search that has already been undertaken, and the fact no sign of Samantha or her personal belongings has been located, we have ruled out any type of medical incident,” he said.

“There is also nothing to indicate that Samantha left the area of her own accord.

“Based on our elimination process we do think that another party has been involved, whether it be one person or a number of people.”

‘Looking for a body’: Police provide grim update in case of missing mum

Detectives are now focusing their search for Samantha Murphy on an area 5km from her home after receiving new phone data information.

7news.com.au

It’s always one or more parties. A statement of the bleeding obvious.

 

[emirates1957]

Have you watched it now? I wanted to comment on it, particularly the ending, but can’t without spoiling it for people who haven’t seen it.

Yes I have watched the ending and agree.

 

[Rocket333]

It’s interesting how some are presented with the evidence and fold (eg Adrian Bayley) and others persist with their steadfast silence (Patrick Stephenson). Makes me wonder about the nature of the evidence and if PS still holds hope, feels unable to confess, or just does not care. In remand he would have access to a tv and/or newspapers or social media etc wouldn’t he? He’d surely know about the searches, and the massive effort being spent trying to find Sam. I reckon if he’s trying to protect anyone it’d be his family. Thats why the initial name suppression occurred wasn’t it? To protect his parents.

 

[SouthAussie]

It’s interesting how some are presented with the evidence and fold (eg Adrian Bayley) and others persist with their steadfast silence (Patrick Stephenson). Makes me wonder about the nature of the evidence and if PS still holds hope, feels unable to confess, or just does not care. In remand he would have access to a tv and/or newspapers or social media etc wouldn’t he? He’d surely know about the searches, and the massive effort being spent trying to find Sam. I reckon if he’s trying to protect anyone it’d be his family. Thats why the initial name suppression occurred wasn’t it? To protect his parents.

I think he probably has never made things easy for anyone. He sure hasn't made things easy for his family. No matter how hard they have tried to set him up with a decent life and decent future.

 

[Warshawski]

One of the reasons we do know, quite categorically, that he was short on time is that the Brunch folks set up the hue and cry around 12.30. - 1pm. and between Mick and the Brunch folks, VICPOL immediately took on the urgency, the inexplicability of her non appearance at the brunch and a large scale search commenced , police, fire brigade, SES, and assorted searching people from the tennis club and the dog walkers club, this was around 1.15pm.

It is an error to think that everything revolved around the 'ping'.. there was a lot going on that afternoon, and the traffic of people, dogs, horse riders, police vans, motor cycles etc, all out in the combined effort, the news of Mrs Murphy being missing , was spread by phone and facebook stuff, the temperature rising galvanized a hell of a lot of searchers on that afternoon, professional and amateur. Mrs Murphy was a registered missing person by 1pm that day.. not 5pm.

He was short on time in the context that by 1.15pm, the track, the forest was becoming somewhat crowded, traffic on the track was steady, he did not have the forest to himself, nor the track, nor any other tracks, both firetracks, and cattle tracks.. People were OUT there all afternoon and night from 1.15 on.

Murder 8am, - Brunch ladies hue and cry 1pm. 4 hours. = short on time.

I was of the belief that it was Mick who triggered the alarm. Sam wasn’t home as expected by 9.30 /10.00 am, and when he tried to call her, her phone was switched off (her Uncle reported that she never turned her phone off).

Police suggest that SM was murdered at 8.00am. IMO she was removed from the area pretty much at that time / in as much time as it took to get her into a vehicle; plus it seems, to remove any tell tale signs, given that people combed the area searching for her & supposedly found nothing.
And I think it’s a fair bet that she’s in a mine shaft. The area is littered with them; I can’t imagine that anyone who knew the area well would opt to ‘dig a hole’, when thousands of them have previously been dug & lie waiting.