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

[suspicious]

For those to whom no amount of detail is ever enough, this site below gives a lot of information about sentences that have already been passed down on charged, accused, and consequently, convicted people , in Victoria. Also, it has what the judge gave as his reasoning behind the sentence, the components of the crime presented that attracted the elements of the sentence..,

Recent sentences

Summarising sentences from the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria

www.supremecourt.vic.gov.au

Thanks heaps!

 

[Voluspa]

Question- is a Ute more like a truck with an open bed in the back or an SUV and is all enclosed?

The accused owns a ute / pickup truck with an enclosed canopy.

Samantha Murphy update: Suppression order lifted for alleged killer Patrick Orren Stephenson

 

[Deleted member 296739]

The accused owns a ute / pickup truck with an enclosed canopy.

Samantha Murphy update: Suppression order lifted for alleged killer Patrick Orren Stephenson

Thank you for the link

 

[jjleroche]

No.. it was reported when he was arrested... . How far away did they move? far, far away, is how it was put.. I don't know if they have attended any court appearances, but that would signify nothing as his appearances have been by zoom. ,.. I mean, they would see him, but he would not see them, and perhaps it would be too confronting, press wise, to rock up to Ballarat court to see a zoom call hearing. It was not reported that they did attend , even so. His sisters did attend this latest one.

If you go back thruu the threads to where the arrest was made, then a few days further on from that will get you where you want to be on this matter. Meanwhile, I will search for links on it. Anyone else is invited to join in that search!!

It disturbed me because I don't think Australia is a vigilante nation. At least, not yet, in these circumstances. If that was the reason they left Ballarat. Because it was too uncomfortable for them.. most people have tremendous sympathy for them.. It could have been entirely fortuitous, also, I suppose, an unfortunate coincidence.

However.... I do think VICPOL has told Mick Murphy the nuts and bolts of their case, because he has ,to a certain extent , giving up that hopeless endless searching for Samantha.. and I think, I don't know, it is theory so far, that VICPOL explained their case to Stephensons family also, which may have been a factor.

This is such a tragedy for both the Murphy, and the Stephenson families.

Your last sentence jumped out at me Trooper. From everything which I've read so far, the Stephenson family are held in very high regard, and both parents have operated a business/worked in a responsible teaching position for many years.
The decision to leave, if permanently, would mean the loss of many connections built up over the years, but IMO, to stay was untenable, for whatever reason. I think it will become clear as the trial proceeds.

Hopefully, being away from Ballarat will give them the opportunity to process their grief privately, away from community
scrutiny. JMO

 

[CredibleSauce]

This is such a tragedy for both the Murphy, and the Stephenson families.

Your last sentence jumped out at me Trooper. From everything which I've read so far, the Stephenson family are held in very high regard, and both parents have operated a business/worked in a responsible teaching position for many years.
The decision to leave, if permanently, would mean the loss of many connections built up over the years, but IMO, to stay was untenable, for whatever reason. I think it will become clear as the trial proceeds.

Hopefully, being away from Ballarat will give them the opportunity to process their grief privately, away from community
scrutiny. JMO

It wouldn’t surprise me if part of their decision to leave was out of respect for the Murphy family in a way too - not that they are in any way responsible, but I feel like if (god forbid) a situation was presented to me that left no doubt that my child or one of my siblings had caused someone insurmountable pain through their actions, I’d *feel* deeply responsible and want to do whatever I could however small to ease the suffering of their loved ones (including leave the community if my absence meant not having to worry about bumping into the accused’s family in the supermarket was one less thing they’d have to endure). IMO of course etc etc

 

[Whatson]

My guess is it would be best for the accuseds siblings to be elsewhere, to continue schooling, perhaps even remote/home-schooling.

Schools are awful places at times. I don't think the siblings peers would be gathering around to support them too much, but rather distance themselves and gossip behind their backs etc etc.

 

[Macha]

My guess is it would be best for the accuseds siblings to be elsewhere, to continue schooling, perhaps even remote/home-schooling.

Schools are awful places at times. I don't think the siblings peers would be gathering around to support them too much, but rather distance themselves and gossip behind their backs etc etc.

The accused's sisters are too old for school.

 

[australianwebsleuth]

Hypothesis:

Senior Counsel advised him to plead guilty after reviewing the Police evidence. decides to plead not guilty. Senior Counsel resign from case. As officers of the court they cannot be party to a lie.

Next counsel into firing line.

 

[olaselo]

Hypothesis:

Accused is pleading not guilty to keep his mouth shut.
His family left town just in case he opens his mouth.

 

[JLZ]

Hypothesis:

Senior Counsel advised him to plead guilty after reviewing the Police evidence. decides to plead not guilty. Senior Counsel resign from case. As officers of the court they cannot be party to a lie.

Next counsel into firing line.

No, to plead not guilty is not to lie or to mislead the court. It is saying, "You are going to have to prove this."

 

[Trooper]

Stephenson has been ordered by the court to submit his Notice of Alibi. What this means is, having pled Not Guilty, he has to give notice to the court that he has , and intends to produce ,witnesses who can testify to his movements on that day, that he has evidence that precludes his involvement, that he has evidence that rejects and repulses the evidence that VICPOL has produced to his legal advisors. He also has to give an estimation of how long his witnesses may testify, and in what order, and the since this is part of Full Disclosure, this info has to be passed onto VICPOL.

It does not need to say what his Alibi is, in this Notification, just that he has one, and will have testimony given about it, in court. Does not have to say that he , himself , will be giving evidence, just that he has a rebuttal to the charge, hence, he pleads Not Guilty.

This info is for the court to estimate the time frame for the upcoming trial of an accused who pleads not guilty.

 

[Trooper]

Hypothesis:

Accused is pleading not guilty to keep his mouth shut.
His family left town just in case he opens his mouth.

hypothesis...

He intends to hang in Remand as long as is humanly possible , because Remand is , in comparison to prison, quite comfortable, awaiting trial, meetings with barristers, hobnobbing with the mates in Remand, growing a beard, making a not guilty plea, awaiting full Supreme Court trial, going thru the appeal process, however long it takes, that's how long he wants it to be.

Also.. . he does not want known what he did to Samantha Murphy. That part has to be denied and denied until the end of time. Whatever it takes.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

hypothesis...

He intends to hang in Remand as long as is humanly possible , because Remand is , in comparison to prison, quite comfortable, awaiting trial, meetings with barristers, hobnobbing with the mates in Remand, growing a beard, making a not guilty plea, awaiting full Supreme Court trial, going thru the appeal process, however long it takes, that's how long he wants it to be.

Also.. . he does not want known what he did to Samantha Murphy. That part has to be denied and denied until the end of time. Whatever it takes.

We don't know what the story is, no one knows..

His family could be under protection, they were whizzed away very quickly, not a word, not a photo etc, before this got out to the press, and he's keeping his mouth shut until the trial and staying safe inside, the less he says now the better.

If there is a third party, they will be 'sweating bullets' now, knowing this is going straight to trial and what could come out

 

[Trooper]

We don't know what the story is, no one knows..

His family could be under protection, they were whizzed away very quickly, not a word, not a photo etc, before this got out to the press, and he's keeping his mouth shut until the trial and staying safe inside, the less he says now the better.

If there is a third party, they will be 'sweating bullets' now, knowing this is going straight to trial and what could come out

Who says they where 'whizzed away'??? no one has said that, either in the press, or TV or radio. They left of their own volition. 'Staying safe ' in remand, anyone can get themselves into remand. Carl Williams wasn't even safe in Port Philip Correctional Centre.. much less safer in Remand. \\

And VICPOL has missed entirely this third person? I just don't think so. That is not in the interest of VICPOL.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Who says they where 'whizzed away'??? no one has said that, either in the press, or TV or radio. They left of their own volition. 'Staying safe ' in remand, anyone can get themselves into remand. Carl Williams wasn't even safe in Port Philip Correctional Centre.. much less safer in Remand. \\

And VICPOL has missed entirely this third person? I just don't think so. That is not in the interest of VICPOL.

They left quickly before his name was released. That's your opinion, I don't share it..!
If there is more to this, it's a lot safer where he is now

 

[Porky1]

No, I believe it was reported right around the time of his arrest. It seems they up and left almost before news broke that he had been arrested, and from memory he was interviewed for roughly 30 hours before the arrest was made. (It has been reported he was uncooperative, so I guess a lot of police talking, suggesting, questioning, maybe a bit of good cop/bad cop etc.) It's believed they moved states, to NSW. I don't think any family members were there for court appearances, but I'm not sure. I do know that his mother and 1 sister logged on to this last appearance, but didn't appear in person. If you search this site, and news articles, that were around the first week in March you may get answers.

Nice find Marg.

I read it was WA

 

[Deleted member 83851]

It will all come out eventually. Whether he is an innocent law-abiding citizen who had been wrongfully accused of murder and callously abandoned by his family, or is an alleged murderer who is sadistically withholding crucial information.

You’re almost selling remand to me as a lifestyle Trooper.

 

[Bats]

DBM

 

[Scooby-Doo]

Hypothetically Scooby-doo, if there was an accessory to the murder of Samantha, and after PS's arrest he co-operated and dobbed that person in, the Police wouldn’t charge the accessory on the word of PS.

It's the prosecution's trial and there is no one else charged.

If Samantha's body is found before the trial, i expect it will only strengthen the prosecution's evidence at trial.

Wait and see

It could be simple or could be more complicated.

<modsnip: Speculative theories or opinions that are not based on some known fact are not allowed>

 

[Rocket333]

I didn’t realise how close the family home is to the site in the forest. It’s around 2kms away and a 3 minute drive. Maybe the accused went straight from or to his folks house.