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

[Marg944]

The magistrate at the previous hearing in Ballarat notified the press that the hearing in the SC in Melbourne for the Notification would be closed to the press.. So it was no surprise to the press.

,... no indication that the next hearing, Feb 18th is closed... As I read it, it seems that VICPOL can table more evidence they may find up until that hearing...

Thanks for explaining that Troops, but was that in the media, that the SC Directions hearing last Friday was closed to the press? I have never seen that.

 

[Trooper]

Thanks for explaining that Troops, but was that in the media, that the SC Directions hearing last Friday was closed to the press? I have never seen that.

''''
Directions hearings are the first stage in the trial process and allow a judicial officer to oversee the management and direction of the case. ( last Friday was a DIrections Hearing. ) ..

Details of what was discussed cannot be reported under Victorian law.''''' <----------

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/patrick-stephenson-man-accused-of-murdering-ballarat-mother-samantha-murphy-makes-first-appearance-in-supreme-court/news-story/862ca7d5af8178c900aedebcc9348abe

( Last Friday's news )..... But the press would have known this already, because the magistrate made it clear at the Mention at Ballarat, when he sent the case on to the SC in Melbourne for the overdue Notification of Alibi that was not produced )... what we know of Friday's hearing, that is , that the trial will probably be held in Ballarat would have come from the Clerk of Courts, who would have been delegated to shed some light, as much as the judge would allow.

 

[browneyes]

With the holidays upon us, I pray for a resolution for Samantha’s family.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I seem to have missed a lot of this thread somehow. Where are we up to in relation to legal matters? Any chance the case will get to trial before April? My husband just got called up for jury duty in Ballarat some time before the end of April.

 

[Trooper]

I seem to have missed a lot of this thread somehow. Where are we up to in relation to legal matters? Any chance the case will get to trial before April? My husband just got called up for jury duty in Ballarat some time before the end of April.

Mr HoneyBun might be in the running for Lachlan Young's trial.... .. ! He has chosen to go straight to trial as well... ( skipping Committal stuff, etc ) ..

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Mr HoneyBun might be in the running for Lachlan Young's trial.... .. ! He has chosen to go straight to trial as well... ( skipping Committal stuff, etc ) ..

So what time period do you think this case will make it to trial?

 

[Trooper]

So what time period do you think this case will make it to trial?

How long is a piece of string..... anyone's guess. If pushed , I 'd say not before Easter, . how long after, ... ( shrug emoji)

 

[mrjitty]

How long is a piece of string..... anyone's guess. If pushed , I 'd say not before Easter, . how long after, ... ( shrug emoji)

i am going to take. my own advice and check out of the pretrial phase. 99% nothing of interest will happen in the next 4 months that one can’t just catch up on at trial.

MOO

 

[Kemug]

i am going to take. my own advice and check out of the pretrial phase. 99% nothing of interest will happen in the next 4 months that one can’t just catch up on at trial.

MOO

Are you tempting fate?

 

[mrjitty]

Are you tempting fate?

I don't expect so. Maybe there is going to be some highly interesting pretrial evidential hearings but if so, i will tune back in for them!

While lots of interesting stuff will happen in prep for trial, we don't get to find out about much of it, and in general, you can just tune in at trial is my point.

 

[SouthAussie]

Thanks for explaining that Troops, but was that in the media, that the SC Directions hearing last Friday was closed to the press? I have never seen that.

I don't think it was closed to the press, they just can't report on what was discussed.

The media know who represented PS in the Supreme Court for the directions hearing. (Moya O'Brien and Michael Allen)

The Ballarat Courier knows PS appeared at this hearing by video link.

They know that the hearing was "brief".

imo

Alleged killer Patrick Stephenson makes first appearance in Supreme Court

Stephenson is charged with murdering Samantha Murphy in February.

www.thecourier.com.au

 

[SouthAussie]

I seem to have missed a lot of this thread somehow. Where are we up to in relation to legal matters? Any chance the case will get to trial before April? My husband just got called up for jury duty in Ballarat some time before the end of April.

The DM thinks that even with the fast-tracking the trial may not happen until late next year.


Even with the matter fast tracked to court, the actual trial might still not get underway until late into next year.
A lengthy pre-trial is expected to take place throughout the opening months of next year in the hope of ironing out any potential issues before the main trial begins.

Major update in Sam Murphy case as family faces Christmas without her

 

[SouthAussie]

Was reading about another senseless murder on WS today, in the US (Melody Hoffman).... "Investigators said Hoffman was at Morgan Creek Park when her Apple Watch recorded her “heartbeat intensify before it either stopped or the device deactivated”. Link

Seems like more and more, devices are assisting investigators to know what happened to a person and when they died. Very likely how the police know when Sam died.

imo

 

[KathPlumber]

Was reading about another senseless murder on WS today, in the US (Melody Hoffman).... "Investigators said Hoffman was at Morgan Creek Park when her Apple Watch recorded her “heartbeat intensify before it either stopped or the device deactivated”. Link

Seems like more and more, devices are assisting investigators to know what happened to a person and when they died. Very likely how the police know when Sam died.

imo

I just had the same thought when reading about the same case and I wondered if anyone here would post about it!

 

[Rocket333]

Was reading about another senseless murder on WS today, in the US (Melody Hoffman).... "Investigators said Hoffman was at Morgan Creek Park when her Apple Watch recorded her “heartbeat intensify before it either stopped or the device deactivated”. Link

Seems like more and more, devices are assisting investigators to know what happened to a person and when they died. Very likely how the police know when Sam died.

imo

How do you pull data off a watch though? Is it reliant on cloud backup? If Stephenson ditched her phone (which could have been out of sight in her pocket), he’d be onto the watch immediately too (pink, on her wrist and more obvious). Unless the watch fell off in the bush during a struggle and was found during the February searches in Mt Clear, or was thrown in the dam with the phone (maybe).
I agree that the watch biometrics will be a crucial factor in determining her reaching the turn around point, and evidencing a dramatic change in her wellbeing and welfare, and that Dr Sorrell will be all over this.
JMO

 

[HoneyBunOne]

How do you pull data off a watch though? Is it reliant on cloud backup? If Stephenson ditched her phone (which could have been out of sight in her pocket), he’d be onto the watch immediately too (pink, on her wrist and more obvious). Unless the watch fell off in the bush during a struggle and was found during the February searches in Mt Clear, or was thrown in the dam with the phone (maybe).
I agree that the watch biometrics will be a crucial factor in determining her reaching the turn around point, and evidencing a dramatic change in her wellbeing and welfare, and that Dr Sorrell will be all over this.
JMO

I have never had any Apple products, but I think it syncs to the cloud unless automatic syncing is turned off, or at the very least to an app (which is usually on the phone of the owner). I wonder if you can also access the data from a website/app on a desktop computer or tablet, if so she would possibly have had one/both at home. I do believe that police have had access to some phone/watch data regarding her health and wellbeing since the fairly early days. I think it plays a very big part in LE saying that she died at this place at this time. How they pinned it on PS is a different story.

 

[Rocket333]

I have never had any Apple products, but I think it syncs to the cloud unless automatic syncing is turned off, or at the very least to an app (which is usually on the phone of the owner). I wonder if you can also access the data from a website/app on a desktop computer or tablet, if so she would possibly have had one/both at home. I do believe that police have had access to some phone/watch data regarding her health and wellbeing since the fairly early days. I think it plays a very big part in LE saying that she died at this place at this time. How they pinned it on PS is a different story.

I have both an Apple watch and an Apple phone that share data, including their locations, when Bluetooth is turned on. My devices aren’t connected to the cloud or iTunes so no data is externally uploaded or stored. You would need my watch to find my phone and vice versa. My watch can also continue to function for around 30 minutes in not too deep water.

If Samantha’s data (health and location) was able to be accessed early on, either she had the cloud or iTunes turned on, or her watch was found. Through the cloud or her watch they may have been able to discover information about her activity and even the location of her phone. Maybe her family assisted accessing GPS data through Google.

The photo here is from my Apple watch with the “Backtrack” function able to record someone’s route. Also of course, the watch can detect falls and call emergency services.

Where is her pink watch? It’s visible in the only photo (which was also cropped) released of Samantha on the morning of her disappearance. A replica was on the table in the UI show which aired just prior to the arrest, and I thought it’s placing and presence was intentional.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

I have both an Apple watch and an Apple phone that share data, including their locations, when Bluetooth is turned on. My devices aren’t connected to the cloud or iTunes so no data is externally uploaded or stored. You would need my watch to find my phone and vice versa. My watch can also continue to function for around 30 minutes in not too deep water.

If Samantha’s data (health and location) was able to be accessed early on, either she had the cloud or iTunes turned on, or her watch was found. Through the cloud or her watch they may have been able to discover information about her activity and even the location of her phone. Maybe her family assisted accessing GPS data through Google.

The photo here is from my Apple watch with the “Backtrack” function able to record someone’s route. Also of course, the watch can detect falls and call emergency services.

Where is her pink watch? It’s visible in the only photo (which was also cropped) released of Samantha on the morning of her disappearance. A replica was on the table in the UI show which aired just prior to the arrest, and I thought it’s placing and presence was intentional.

The placement of the watch, the discussion of a damaged vehicle and the mentioning of Meta data accuracy within 3 meters was not lost on me either rocket…knowing now what I didn't know then I’d say that all forms of intel have been meticulously used build a solid case.. and I’d also say his phone is a big part of it.

 

[Marg944]

News article today, not telling us anything new unfortunately.

“Why Samantha Murphy’s case is at a standstill​

Samantha Murphy’s disappearance quickly became one of Australia’s high-profile missing persons cases – but the progress of the case has the nation frustrated.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/why-samantha-murphys-case-is-at-a-standstill/news-story/016ccf57c55b7c48b78245c80761e394

 

[HoneyBunOne]

News article today, not telling us anything new unfortunately.

“Why Samantha Murphy’s case is at a standstill​

Samantha Murphy’s disappearance quickly became one of Australia’s high-profile missing persons cases – but the progress of the case has the nation frustrated.”

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/crime/why-samantha-murphys-case-is-at-a-standstill/news-story/016ccf57c55b7c48b78245c80761e394

I found this line from the above article interesting:

“I’m not going to identify what has specifically led us to this man other than to say it has come about from painstaking detective work with GREAT assistance from the public,” he said. (Bold/capitalized by me)

I wonder what that assistance was? Random strangers with CCTV footage? Random people reporting persistent rumours? Or did it come from his inner circle? Does great mean good in this instance, or a huge volume?