Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #13

[BreakingNews]

Yes. I always thought finding the phone when they did was odd.

Like a lot of this case so far, we can only speculate. My guess is they had Intel to search in the dam. Even surprised themselves when it was found.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Like a lot of this case so far, we can only speculate. My guess is they had Intel to search in the dam. Even surprised themselves when it was found.

I think from an early stage in the investigation they enlisted the help of a prominent expert in digital forensics ( Dr Sorrel ). His statements will no doubt be crucial to the prosecution case. Months prior to the phone being found, VICPOL visited the owner of the property the dam was located on…they obviously had intel early on that the phone was in the vicinity…did it ping, did the accused’s ping, was vehicular data used to place a car in that vicinity?

I think when this all comes out we will all be surprised at just how much VICPOL actually have!

 

[Rocket333]

I think from an early stage in the investigation they enlisted the help of a prominent expert in digital forensics ( Dr Sorrel ). His statements will no doubt be crucial to the prosecution case. Months prior to the phone being found, VICPOL visited the owner of the property the dam was located on…they obviously had intel early on that the phone was in the vicinity…did it ping, did the accused’s ping, was vehicular data used to place a car in that vicinity?

I think when this all comes out we will all be surprised at just how much VICPOL actually have!

Agreed Ron. An unprecedented amount of evidence that VicPol has kept very close to their chest this entire time. It’s interesting in itself that this has been such a tightly managed case with no sharing, leaks or scoops almost at all. With one single exception; the phone find. That had a helicopter circling and it was openly celebrated, televised and well reported.
Sorrell will have digitally mapped the whole grim journey by now and eventually hearing about how it all unfolded and played out will be compelling.
Will the plea change? Can it still change?

 

[Mandala]

Sorry, haven't listened to the podcast.

JMO, but I think most probably the phone emerged from the water and dried out as the dam dried up, and starting sending out the bluetooth signals, which were seen on the family's Find My Phone app.

JMO

I would have thought the phone would be so damaged from being in the water it wouldn’t send out any signals. Maybe the search was based on ping data from months prior. However, why did LE wait so long to search if they knew where it last pinged?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Agreed Ron. An unprecedented amount of evidence that VicPol has kept very close to their chest this entire time. It’s interesting in itself that this has been such a tightly managed case with no sharing, leaks or scoops almost at all. With one single exception; the phone find. That had a helicopter circling and it was openly celebrated, televised and well reported.
Sorrell will have digitally mapped the whole grim journey by now and eventually hearing about how it all unfolded and played out will be compelling.
Will the plea change? Can it still change?

Good question Rocket… he’s probably in too deep now.

 

[Whatson]

The most likely answer is that the landowner walked down to a drying/receding water body on their property, saw a phone exposed on the bank, put two and two together and called the police.

 

[SouthAussie]

Will the plea change? Can it still change?

A plea can change at any time, I believe. Even during a trial.

But I can't see this plea changing any time soon. PS is up for murder. Deliberate. Doubtful that he will admit to that. I mean, who would? I think most people would go to trial and hope that their legal team could instill reasonable doubt.

If there is any chance that there is reasonable doubt that it was deliberate (such that a prosecutor couldn't feel fairly confident about a guilty verdict), maybe his legal team could wangle a plea deal for manslaughter (as Borce Ristevski did).

imo

 

[Ron Jeremy]

The most likely answer is that the landowner walked down to a drying/receding water body on their property, saw a phone exposed on the bank, put two and two together and called the police.

Maybe, but that particular area was on the radar of police prior to phone being found due the proximity of the final ping and land holders in the area were advised a week or so before that a renewed search was going to take place..I’d say VICPOL had a pretty good idea of where it was and Dr Sorrels handy work was a factor.

 

[Bats]

The most likely answer is that the landowner walked down to a drying/receding water body on their property, saw a phone exposed on the bank, put two and two together and called the police.

I believe the Police did a line search down the road before reaching the dam and finding the phone.

Article here...
MSN

 

[Rocket333]

I believe the Police did a line search down the road before reaching the dam and finding the phone.

Article here...
MSN

That’s what I was thinking. That well reported and photographed line search down the road, through long grass and into neighbouring properties, but no other dams were as targeted as that specific one IIRC.
They had their eyes on that area, perhaps even that dam, from early on. Maybe they hesitated due to the amount of water in the dam at the time and concerns that a phone could get more lodged and lost if divers started stirring it up. Can’t wait to find out.

 

[Rocket333]

Today’s directions hearing has apparently been adjourned to 26 Feb at 10am.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Today’s directions hearing has apparently been adjourned to 26 Feb at 10am.

Any reasons given?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Any reasons given?

If I had to guess putting a case together for amnesia brought on by accident last year!

 

[Rocket333]

Any reasons given?

The remand barber is on leave?
Seriously, no idea. Something hatching like Ron said maybe?

 

[Rocket333]

What do you make of Shane Patton’s resignation?

Shane Patton resigns as Victoria Police chief commissioner after no-confidence vote

Victoria will start the hunt for a new top cop after Shane Patton called time on a 45-year policing career following a no-confidence vote.

www.sbs.com.au

 

[Trooper]

What do you make of Shane Patton’s resignation?

Shane Patton resigns as Victoria Police chief commissioner after no-confidence vote

Victoria will start the hunt for a new top cop after Shane Patton called time on a 45-year policing career following a no-confidence vote.

www.sbs.com.au

I am saddened by it, as much as I was by Simon Overland's resignation... still, VIctoria manages to somehow come up trumps with Police Commanders, as a general rule, they've had some real straight as a dye blokes and one woman over the decades... 45 years in the one job is a terrific record, though... In contrast, my state, NSW, has had some shockers, and QLD has had some real rogues in the job....

 

[Melt71]

Any reasons given?

There's no requirement for the court to give the public a reason. It's only a directions hearing - the best direction that we could expect would be the future court date. At this stage it's more likely to just direct the activities that need to come before that step.

 

[Rocket333]

Crown prosecutor Raymond Gibson KC is leading the prosecution against Stephenson.
What do we know?

Raymond L Gibson KC - Tasmanian Bar Association

Raymond has been a long-standing member of the Victorian Bar, a Crown Prosecutor for over 20 years and Senior Crown Prosecutor for Victoria for 6 years. He is Vice President of the Australian Association of Crown Prosecutors. He is the author of “Prosecuting”, 2nd Edition, Thomson Reuters. He...

tasbar.com.au

Prosecuting Second Edition - Book + eBook

store.thomsonreuters.com.au

 

[Trooper]

Crown prosecutor Raymond Gibson KC is leading the prosecution against Stephenson.
What do we know?

Raymond L Gibson KC - Tasmanian Bar Association

Raymond has been a long-standing member of the Victorian Bar, a Crown Prosecutor for over 20 years and Senior Crown Prosecutor for Victoria for 6 years. He is Vice President of the Australian Association of Crown Prosecutors. He is the author of “Prosecuting”, 2nd Edition, Thomson Reuters. He...

tasbar.com.au

Prosecuting Second Edition - Book + eBook

store.thomsonreuters.com.au

Crown prosecutor Raymond Gibson KC is leading the prosecution against Stephenson.
What do we know?

Raymond L Gibson KC - Tasmanian Bar Association

Raymond has been a long-standing member of the Victorian Bar, a Crown Prosecutor for over 20 years and Senior Crown Prosecutor for Victoria for 6 years. He is Vice President of the Australian Association of Crown Prosecutors. He is the author of “Prosecuting”, 2nd Edition, Thomson Reuters. He...

tasbar.com.au

Prosecuting Second Edition - Book + eBook

store.thomsonreuters.com.au

Raymond wrote the book on prosecuting.. the DPP Barrister rockstars , as a rule, avoid all publicity, unlike defence Barristers for whom it is their bread and butter, Mr Gibson has been a stalwart of Victorian justice for a very long time, a mentor , a teacher, an author, a man for all seasons.... I am looking forward to his presentation of this case, his manner in court is one of stately progression, from logical point to the next logical point, with an undertone of high drama and tension..

He will have a few paralegals and a junior as well, and that will just as interesting to me, because it will be an indicator of Raymonds choice of assistants, the pick of the crop, most likely.

 

[Trooper]

i did mention Mr Gibson a while back, he really is the gun Barrister at the DPP Victoria, but his influence is AU wide, ,,,

• Nov 14, 2024

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• #569

Just in case it gets a bit lost, the defence doesn't have all the rockstar barristers, the DPP has a few of their own, and one of them is the Crown Prosecutor for this case.. Raymond Gibson KC, he wrote the book on Prosecuting, a teaching tool in law lectures throughout AU,

'it never gets weird enough , for me'.. Hunter S. Thompson.

• 

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