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 #2

[Black-Cat]

I very much agree with this. I think most people think of a very Hollywood-esque stereotype when they imagine a professional hit, but I think the non professional clumsy type is far more common. If you live the kind of life where you regularly come into contact with the seedier elements of society, and you have enough money (or drugs, or something else they want), it's probably not as difficult as most of us would like to imagine to find someone to help you get rid of someone in your life who has become inconvenient to you.

I'm not saying that's what I think happened to Samantha, but I don't think it can be ruled out, either, especially considering the complete lack of evidence left behind.

Yes I agree doesn't have to be a 'professional' it could be anyone prepared to do a hit for money. Someone somebody met in jail or down the pub. Cash payment, not traceable.

 

[Naobh]

@mondayschild

What has been interesting is learning that there have been a few other unsolved murders in roughly the same area - but these occurred in the late 90's. Unsure if it has been previously mentioned, 36 yr old Belinda Williams 'vanished' from home and her body was not found for 11 days (Mt Buninyong Access Road). Police discuss the possibility that the body was in another location prior to being left in the bush. Episode here. Described as an active 'cold case'.

I wonder if it would be helpful to make cold case threads here at WS of the missing or deceased women from the same sort of area. I've seen a couple of others mentioned elsewhere from less than 15 years ago too.

 

[Poirot's niece]

Dogs were brought in early … there are images of them at forest trails.

We would have to search for images to see if they were used at the house / driveway ?


I think that may have been the plan ..but I think she may have fought back hard, resulting in her possible demise …



I also think this has happened … maybe even in the lane …. ???

When the Police said they don’t know which way Sam went …. IMO, they saw her enter the lane from the driveway CCTV … but don’t know which way she went onto Eureka Street ??? Left or Right?? She may not have even made it to Eureka Street ….???

All IMO

Yes to all these. Dedicated cycle lanes on Eureka road and nobody saw her on a Sunday morning early? Cyclists main form of worship are tarmac cycle lanes in semi rural areas on a Sunday morning. The lycra parishioners in their mobile sky covered church.

 

[inkpink]

What if she was preparing to go for her run outside, putting on an SPF moisturiser, checking shoelaces etc and she heard something, or saw something nearby and walked up the driveway to check? Maybe her dogs were barking at something, a car, or another dog? She intended on going for a run but was waylaid following a stray. My dogs often bark if foxes are about and that is often around dawn/sunrise. I'm trying to find good reasons (or non sinister reasons) she didn't get to the usual forest trails. She may have followed a stray in bushland on or adjacent to her property (not running trails).
I'm sure this has all been theorised before and the search was thorough, sometimes its useful to place yourself back at zero and reconsider every possibility.
The many Ballarat towers being offline that day is a really horrid coincidence.
Perhaps she went North on foot? The towers all being scrambled how would we know? I saw early searches were around Brown Hill. Ditchfield Reserve is an hour walk, Gong Gong, or somewhere north east where you can still walk in a semi rural area until you reach the western highway. You should see the whiteboard in my head!

To me the photo looks like she has come back from a run/walk because her hair has become a bit loose.

She may have went out earlier that day due to having to be somewhere at 10am as well as factoring in breakfast and a shower.
Edited due to quoting incorrect times...

 

[BoysTown]

I believe in the case of Karen ristevski both her and Borces ph pinged in the area where she was eventually found

And the same with Jill Meagher and Adrian Bailey.

 

[SLouTh]

Yes to all these. Dedicated cycle lanes on Eureka road and nobody saw her on a Sunday morning early? Cyclists main form of worship are tarmac cycle lanes in semi rural areas on a Sunday morning. The lycra parishioners in their mobile sky covered church.

They often ride with Go-Pro or similar nowadays ..and Strava … So they could tell Police exactly where they rode and if they did or did not see her??
Hopefully they may have footage …

 

[Warshawski]

Her Aunty and uncle say in this article she regularly did a 20km run, however on this day she was only going for a 10km run cos she wanted to be home by 9am because has a meeting/appointment later in Ballarat (the brunch I assume) as well as it being a real hot day.

It also says her husband raised the alarm at 11am.

Inside the frantic hours after Samantha Murphy went missing

The family of missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy have revealed how her husband tried to find her on the morning she went missing.

www.dailymail.co.uk

This is a much better article imo - clears up a lot of things for me & sounds very ‘real’.

 

[borderline444]

p

Unfortunately you probably wouldn't be wise to deeply believe that... To keep in line with WS rules I won't mention other cases but I've seen my share over the years, I know the area well and it's surrounds, grew up in country Vic. A lot of stuff happens, a lot of stuff that if your not exposed to/catch wind of or not actively paying attention and following the threads you won't have any clue it's happening in your own backyard. Jmo.
Not saying the suggested theory has any substance though, just giving my thoughts and experience on the country town comment.
It's a very large country town and densely populated around the suburbs of the cbd, holding about 1/10th of Victoria's rural population, very close to Melbourne which holds 5/6th of Victoria's population, stuff like the aforementioned theory happens in Melbourne, happens in the sticks, and happens in large regional cities. Doesn't have to be a "professional" hit person, non professional clumsy hits have a history in this country.

perhaps you could suggest a reason why a 'hit" would be made on a 51 year old mother of 3

 

[bearbear]

Mr Robson says this like he knows 100% "...so she only did 10km" past tense. He doesn't say that was her intention, he says that she 'did'

he could mean like she only ever did, like her normal routine?

 

[SLouTh]

To me the photo looks like she has come back from a run/walk because her hair has become a bit loose.

There is not an ounce of sweat on her in that photo … IMO

If the husband contacted Police at 9am and she apparently left at 7.16am, that's pretty quick to be feeling alarmed.

Her husband reported her missing at 11am, and she left home at 7:00am
Other runner was captured at 07:16… incorrectly .

Referenced earlier in the thread ..
IMO

 

[Naobh]

p

perhaps you could suggest a reason why a 'hit" would be made on a 51 year old mother of 3

People say some pretty wild things here

 

[Poirot's niece]

To me the photo looks like she has come back from a run/walk because her hair has become a bit loose.

If the husband contacted Police at 9am and she apparently left at 7.16am, that's pretty quick to be feeling alarmed.

She may have went out earlier that day due to having to be somewhere at 10am as well as factoring in breakfast and a shower.

They often ride with Go-Pro or similar nowadays ..and Strava … So they could tell Police exactly where they rode and if they did or did not see her??
Hopefully they may have footage …

Exactly, all the gear, some idea. They're a gear obsessed cleat cult.

 

[DK007]

Quoting her uncle from article : Inside the frantic hours after Samantha Murphy went missing

(Allan said his niece routinely ran 20km on a weekend, but this time she planned to run a shorter distance so she could attend her appointment)'

I have read this on a number of websites, one said meeting or appointment.

It would be helpful, if a meeting or appointment took place at 10am !

 

[otto]

What about one going north out of her lane exit ?

This map shows trails in the area near Eureka St. From everything I've read, including information about the other jogger, it sounds like she intended to go to Eureka St and then continue on to the marked trails.

OpenTopoMap - Topographische Karten aus OpenStreetMap

direkt zur Karte...

opentopomap.org

 

[pipj]

How close are this Aunty and Uncle to Samantha, I wonder? How did they know about an appointment but hubby didn’t? It might be a bit strange they are talking to the media when hubby is not?

If hubby thought she had been taken, or run off of her own accord, SURELY he would’ve done another presser by now, pleading for her return, letting her know she’s loved, the kids miss her etc etc.
For what reason would he NOT do another presser?

It’s been mentioned already but no clips of the CCTC video have been released. Why?
In addition, the only still picture we have is not great.
Was there only literally one second where she passed by the camera or might there be another reason why a clip is being held back by police?

There’s something we are all missing here, because putting everything we know all together…it doesn’t sit right.
What are we missing? What are the things that are missing from the investigation that would /usually/ be public knowledge by now?

Oh…I have no answers by the way. Just turning things over in my head!

 

[Witness 28]

The tv footage of that shot of MM seated in a deep blue Ford Ranger Raptor shows a rear number plate ‘INLAND’.
Also of interest was the unusual small hole in the driver side rear passenger door .

Dr Samoht you're right I'm looking at the photo now very strange.
What would make such a hole? Small calibre bullet..... or maybe air conditioning for the door

 

[Warshawski]

Or into a property.
If she were abducted I imagine it would have to be by either someone she trusted or someone that incapacitated her quickly. I say this because the Apple Watch and iphone have features that allow you to contact emergency services very quickly.
I wonder if it has been determined what time her devices were turned off (if they were).

I’m wondering if the tower pings were from her phone or her watch ? Would she necessarily take her phone with her on a run ..

 

[SouthAussie]

I’m wondering if the tower pings were from her phone or her watch ? Would she necessarily take her phone with her on a run ..

The officer in the Day Six presser confirmed, a couple of times, that Sam took her phone with her, and her watch - in response to questions from reporters.

imo

 

[Deleted member 293720]

Superintendent Hatt told cameras positioned on the Murphy homestead had captured her walking up the driveway.
It captured her leaving the address,' he said.

Detectives return to home of missing mum Samantha Murphy

The disappearance of mum-of-three Samantha Murphy has officially been declared 'suspicious' by Victoria Police.

www.dailymail.co.uk

The 51-year-old was last seen by her family as she left her home on Eureka St, Ballarat East, for a run at 7am on Sunday morning.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/homicide-police-set-to-be-called-in-to-investigate-in-search-for-samantha-murphy/news-story/7148bcd84899c77ef740b4caee9a2937

Not too much elaboration of that. It seems her ext family are saying a lot without facts as well, and love speaking to the Daily Mail. I want facts from the police given to the media

 

[Dr Samoht]

Currently there is a VPol chopper doing circuits in the Woowookarung forest in the vicinity of the Mt Clear college on Olympic Ave … no idea if it’s related to the search for Sam.