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

[Dotta]

In her last cctv picture,
SM looks relaxed, smiling.
Dressed for jogging.
I don't believe in her voluntarily vanishing and leaving kids in terrible turmoil.

JMO

 

[jjleroche]

Do you mean ransom?

I'm starting to wonder about this possibility also.

 

[Zanzibar]

Which bits stood out to you Zanzibar?

I’m going to preface this with the fact I don’t know these people and what their normal is, not have I ever had to contemplate what they are going through or have any background to analyse or presume anything from their body language.

What doesn’t sit well with me is three fold …

1- The distance between father and daughter and the patting on the back during her statement, I would have thought I would be closely holding and hugging my daughter and holding her up during such a soul destroying statement.
2- The fathers facial expressions during the statement ie tongue in cheek and running the tongue around his lips, but then his chin is quivering and he may well just be trying to control his emotions publicly.
3- The police officers side eye when certain things were being said or done, especially when the father and daughter changed places.
MOO

 

[olaselo]

Hate to admit but I am slightly confused. Is this thread about SM (Samantha Murphy) or the case relating to Madeleine McCann (MM). I am having trouble understanding and keeping it straight. MOO

MM = Michael Murphy. This is a Samantha Murphy thread.

 

[514Caledonia]

I have never known anyone to go for a run with a water bottle. It's heavy and annoying to hold something. The water/no water is not part of the mystery here IMO

In the USA, we have all kinds of gadgets for water. The lightest are the small water filters, which you can fill up from any water source, and it filters it so it's potable. Some can be carried in a light backpack with a straw to your mouth. It is mostly unheard of for people to go on a hike without water, with so many ways to carry it with a lightweight. Better to have water in case of an emergency than none at all.

 

[olaselo]

And no real evidence that she even left the property at that time.

Yeah - I agree, I find the words that Superintentendant Mark Hatt said something like - "We have CCTV of her leaving the property - but we have no idea which way she went" (from his press conference).

I can only gather there is some video footage that shows SM walking down the driveway - but if there is no CCTV that shows past the driveway - there can't be any evidence that she actually left the driveway IMO.

 

[514Caledonia]

I’m going to preface this with the fact I don’t know these people and what their normal is, not have I ever had to contemplate what they are going through or have any background to analyse or presume anything from their body language.

What doesn’t sit well with me is three fold …

1- The distance between father and daughter and the patting on the back during her statement, I would have thought I would be closely holding and hugging my daughter and holding her up during such a soul destroying statement.
2- The fathers facial expressions during the statement ie tongue in cheek and running the tongue around his lips, but then his chin is quivering and he may well just be trying to control his emotions publicly.
3- The police officers side eye when certain things were being said or done, especially when the father and daughter changed places.
MOO

I don't see it this way. This does not mean much unless we know how this family typically acts and reacts. Some people do not hug. They love each other but do not hug. I have a well-adjusted, loving adult child who is uncomfortable hugging and works successfully in a helping profession. I did not see #2 and #3. I also believe that he did not search because he may have told the truth when he said that he likes others to search and come back and tell him about it. I thought that SM had been described as strong, and I had no idea if he was strong or if he sat back and she was the strong one in the family. I am in no way saying that he is innocent. He could be 100% guilty. I don't have enough information to determine how he acts or reacts to situations since I have never seen him in any situation to determine how he is under normal circumstances. MOO

 

[Kemug]

I'm not ruling out a freak asteroid impact. JMO

Or little green men.

 

[Dotta]

Better to have water in case of an emergency than none at all.

Better to carry a flask
Than
Be forced to ask.

(others for water)

How is that???

 

[borderline444]

I have never known anyone to go for a run with a water bottle. It's heavy and annoying to hold something. The water/no water is not part of the mystery here IMO

you need water in Australia. It is summer and although Ballarat is one of the cooler cities down here, it still gets very hot, which is why SM went running so early, to beat the heat.

 

[BreakingNews]

 Facts: (My comments in brackets)
1. SM was seen leaving her home 7am on Sunday 5/2. No one knows if she turned right or left. (Maybe police have CCTV of her actually leaving, but only the still has been released with SM holding the doggy Doo bag. So did she actually leave the property?)
2. She did not turn up for brunch at 11am.
3. Family contacted police that she was missing sometime after 1pm.
4. Her phone pinged at 5pm.
5. No sighting of her since 7am. (Back lane off property?)
6. Police call off search of extensive bushland only after a few days. (They must have had Intel to call off the search at such as early stage.)
7. Now being considered as suspicious. (That means foul play! Not suicide, not a run-away, not an accident. But 'suspicious'.)

So that leaves a whole lot of speculations. Taken as hostage? No ransom note? Were they rich enough for someone to expect monetary gain? Is this related to their business? Motives for someone known to her to want her gone? Financial? Revenge? Police not saying much makes me think they know a lot more and are getting their ducks in a row. MOO

 

[Poirot's niece]

In the USA, we have all kinds of gadgets for water. The lightest are the small water filters, which you can fill up from any water source, and it filters it so it's potable. Some can be carried in a light backpack with a straw to your mouth. It is mostly unheard of for people to go on a hike without water, with so many ways to carry it with a lightweight. Better to have water in case of an emergency than none at all.

I never leave the property without water, or even the house but I live on 20acres bushland/forest. Mostly I use a light flask on a shouder strap that hooks to my shorts or pants waistband. Friends go for brisk walks and interval jogs in a semi rural area with a superlight metal flask. Especially if you know where to fill or half fill. Most taps in Victoria the water is safe.

 

[BreakingNews]

Mr Bezzina said there were some “unnerving circumstances” surrounding how a woman from a respected family could go missing.

A bizarre comment.

"Unnerving circumstances" like he knows something we don't.

 

[blushcherry]

you need water in Australia. It is summer and although Ballarat is one of the cooler cities down here, it still gets very hot, which is why SM went running so early, to beat the heat.

I know - i'm very local to Ballarat - I'm just saying i think most runners won't bother

 

[SouthAussie]

<RSBM>

Better to have water in case of an emergency than none at all.

I actually don't understand why Sam didn't take water with her. Some think it is a bother for a runner, yet there are ways where it is less bother.

And it has been reported that Sam has extremely low blood pressure. One would think that maintaining good hydration (on a walk/run) would assist the body to keep her blood pressure at a better level.

But maybe she 'knew' (from her own experience) that a run for a couple of hours in the cooler morning might not affect her blood pressure too much.
Though that wouldn't help her in an emergency. Having grown up in the outback, we were taught to always have water/fluid with us when we "went bush", just in case.

imo


Loved ones grow weary of a good outcome as Ms Murphy suffered from extremely low blood pressure, and temperatures on the day she went missing were in the high 30s.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/new-footage-of-missing-ballarat-mum-steers-search-to-new-suburb-as-concerns-for-the-51yearold-grow/news-story/993522b706666576cf37f3b676eaebb0

 

[DK007]

And no real evidence that she even left the property at that time.

I would imagine that by now VPOL would at least have gathered some information to lead them to a particular line of enquiry or at least hopeful, other than what has been published in the press ?

 

[whitelilac]

Do we know if it was Samantha's routine to run in the mornings? Regularly, at that time ?
Might someone have been waiting at the end of the driveway, after the bend, so as not to be seen on camera? Someone knowing her habit to run?
Was she stalked, was someone out for revenge of some sort?

Does it appear that she didn't go further than after she disappeared around the driveway bend, or just that it's not known in which direction she went?
Obviously there was no sign of struggle anywhere, right? ...that's been reported at least.

Are the "unnerving circumstances" relating to this complete mystery, or something factual? Guess we don't know.

 

[Trooper]

I am presuming the neighbors have been checked out thoroughly.. Because you never know.. Karen Chectuti's neighbor turned out to be a sadistic pysycho , living with his elderly mother, growing strawberries and tomato's, keeping a low profile after being released from prison for rape, who captured Karen when she accepted some home grown tomato's from him. Took weeks to find her body, and this killer somehow managed to team up with an equally crazed ex - con, who helped him!.. in a small Victorian country town, smaller than Ballarat. ..

 

[CoffeeHug]

And I am not sold on self harm - I imagine she would leave a note so her family do not have the added trauma of looking for her and wondering what happened..

So I am back where I just don’t know….

I also have no idea and it could be anything at this stage. As far as a note, only about 40% of suicides maximum involve a note (or that was the figure we were given when I learned about this stuff). The thinking you mention here assumes a rationality people who are in the space where they take their life might not have. I read a friend's suicide note and it was quite clear that while they were coherent, there was a lack of logic and rationality in their thoughts.

I wouldn't have a clue what the answer is here but I aren't leaping to any conclusions based on anyone's body language. I've worked with some difficult situations in a support role and, sometimes, that tension in the body or face might just reflect the effort to keep my own emotions in check so I can do my role. I can't imagine what it's like to go through this, let alone having to do it in the face of judgement and media attention.

 

[mamamama9873]

I know - i'm very local to Ballarat - I'm just saying i think most runners won't bother

Agreed, I live in a warm part of Australia and most runners don’t carry water with them (hikers do, not runners), especially if training for a half marathon (as I believe SM was) a water bottle or backpack would add weight and slow you down.