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

[Porky1]

One benefit to him might just be to get out of remand for a while. See his home territory, smell the fresh air, listen to the birds, maybe see a kangaroo, feel the sunshine.

He has been in remand for over a year. It is possible that he is wasting police time, but they are hoping for a psychological reaction to wherever they take him and whatever they say or do while there.

imo

“It is certainly not abnormal, but I’m not surprised by this development. They are trying to talk to him to get as much information to help them with the investigation as possible,”

Top criminologist breaks down new development in Samantha Murphy case

The man accused of the 51-year-old mum’s murder has been pulled from jail and taken to Victorian bushland.

7news.com.au

Do you think that potential lack of trust of Police, listening devices in interview rooms, etc may put him on edge. Maybe removing him from that environment and taking him to a place where he feels ‘safe’ and calm, may be beneficial. Maybe they think he’s hiding something bigger and potentially others, maybe coercion by others? His demeanour might be telling. Perhaps they’re angling for a plea deal, witness protection, etc. Lots of ‘maybe’s’…….

Perhaps the underlying strategy is to give him a taste of his home environment in the hope he will fess-up, before he goes away for 20+ yrs.

 

[Scooby-Doo]

We don't know for sure, and we don't know how much cooperation the accused is giving police

They could want him there to observe his behaviour, demeanor

Maybe he / his lawyers want him to explain his movements, or provide further alibi evidence

It's been a tip-off to the media.

Including when they found her phone, when all parties were sealed, is Interesting

They are releasing carefully chosen pieces of information in a very public and selective manner.

This surely must be part of some strategy, and not just random decisions being made.

Possibly, they want to see who turns up, if anyone is hanging around, without the location being specifically disclosed

At times, it can be a strategic move by the cops to try and get someone on the outside to talk

 

[Sor Juana]

Don't forget he's only 23. He is still at the age where some young guys feel invincible, and don't think all the bad stuff is going to happen to them. He didn't seem to learn from his last traffic accident, so maybe he's just too cocky for his own good?

Sure, he’s young, and maybe there was a time when he felt invincible but not anymore. Honestly, I don’t think he’s the type with the grit it takes to stay silent; if he had that kind of backbone, he probably wouldn’t have turned to substances. Let’s face it, he’s never exactly been the sharpest tool in the shed. So no, I don’t see this stubbornness coming from him. If it were truly his call, his family (assuming they’ve got some moral values) might’ve been able to sway him, get him to spill where Sam's body is. Family means a lot to him. But this feels like something bigger, like coordinated teamwork between his family, his lawyers, and him. And to me that seems more shady than anything else. JMO

 

[suspicious]

Sure, he’s young, and maybe there was a time when he felt invincible but not anymore. Honestly, I don’t think he’s the type with the grit it takes to stay silent; if he had that kind of backbone, he probably wouldn’t have turned to substances. Let’s face it, he’s never exactly been the sharpest tool in the shed. So no, I don’t see this stubbornness coming from him. If it were truly his call, his family (assuming they’ve got some moral values) might’ve been able to sway him, get him to spill where Sam's body is. Family means a lot to him. But this feels like something bigger, like coordinated teamwork between his family, his lawyers, and him. And to me that seems more shady than anything else. JMO

How do you know his family mean a lot to him?

 

[kurtneverdied]

I doubt PS would go just for a nice day out. This is a murder case. It was either a court order that he had to go or his barristers didn't object or even asked for it to happen. From Vic Police point of view they don't have much to lose. They lose nothing or gain a lot of if he slips in anyway. For PS and barristers to agree to go is harder to explain unless forced by court. I'm not even going to speculate as the scenarios are endless with the info the public has.

There still could be another party involved which is being monitored. Which is also perhaps a reason he doesn't want to talk or reveal body location, if he even knows.

So much we don't know. Can only really interpret what police have said like a jigsaw puzzle with 90% pieces missing.

 

[Cliff Hardy]

There still could be another party involved which is being monitored. Which is also perhaps a reason he doesn't want to talk or reveal body location, if he even knows.

Agreed, and PS might be holding out to protect that other party or on the other hand it might be fear of reprisals.

 

[Rumination1]

Absolutely. He must see that it somehow helps him and his defence. I doubt he’d do anything against his will (he comes across as quite wary) so this could be interpreted as him seeing the trips as advantageous for him (as would his defence team you’d think).


Just my opinion but I doubt he’s shifted at all and I bet he’s continuing to do what he wants and what only benefits him. Given that, he probable views these trips as helping him to wriggle out of it all. He’s had a long time to sit and plot, and he’d know those forests and parks like the back of his hand.

I recollect he was charged w murder via a deliberate act which may mean there was no vehicular involvement at all. Yes a vehicle before or after the fact as transport etc . What if it was a gun or a knife or strangulation that killed her. Could there be proof he even for example sat on her to point of not being able to breathe??
Whatever it was , it happened in that bush and they have gone there to get him to confess or explain a scene . His story will need to be hole proof to defend him or riddled w errors to further implicate him. Give it time … no this has happened maybe he ll plea

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I recollect he was charged w murder via a deliberate act which may mean there was no vehicular involvement at all. Yes a vehicle before or after the fact as transport etc . What if it was a gun or a knife or strangulation that killed her. Could there be proof he even for example sat on her to point of not being able to breathe??
Whatever it was , it happened in that bush and they have gone there to get him to confess or explain a scene . His story will need to be hole proof to defend him or riddled w errors to further implicate him. Give it time … no this has happened maybe he ll plea

The only issue I have with a gun or knife type object is that it would cause a messy scene. Unless the police have kept it very quiet, there's been nothing (IMHO) to suggest they found a scene like that, even one covered up really well by the perpetrator. Something like strangulation or blunt force trauma may be more likely, with less evidence left. Don't forget though, one of the key witnesses is a road crash reconstruction expert.

 

[Spectrix]

I recollect he was charged w murder via a deliberate act which may mean there was no vehicular involvement at all. Yes a vehicle before or after the fact as transport etc . What if it was a gun or a knife or strangulation that killed her. Could there be proof he even for example sat on her to point of not being able to breathe??

It's puzzling. The crash reconstruction expert being called as a witness for the prosecution is the only information in the public domain on a vehicle being involved at all, so it raises the question whether it's alleged SM was run over and killed on purpose, or that the "deliberate act" followed a pedestrian accident, possibly to silence the victim.

 

[Rumination1]

It's puzzling. The reason that some have speculated on vehicular involvement is that a crash reconstruction expert is to be called as a witness for the prosecution. That's the only information in the public domain on a vehicle being involved at all, so it raises the question whether it's alleged SM was run over and killed on purpose, or that the deliberate act was performed afterwards, possibly to silence the victim.

That’s what I lean towards. A vehicle incident which she witnessed and then he murdered her to prevent her attesting too. Foolish foolish escalation that then he regretted and had to hide the body .

Or could she have seen two vehicles involved and the second removed the body after all there’s been no trace of her in his vehicle ( eg him and his dealer)

 

[Spectrix]

Or could she have seen two vehicles involved and the second removed the body after all there’s been no trace of her in his vehicle ( eg him and his dealer)

Yes, it is also possible that she was a witness to an external vehicle accident. As far as DNA or otherwise being found on his car, there's a difference between no evidence existing and evidence not being made public.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

That’s what I lean towards. A vehicle incident which she witnessed and then he murdered her to prevent her attesting too. Foolish foolish escalation that then he regretted and had to hide the body .

Or could she have seen two vehicles involved and the second removed the body after all there’s been no trace of her in his vehicle ( eg him and his dealer)

How do we know there was no trace of her in his vehicle? Did I miss something?

 

[Spectrix]

How do we know there was no trace of her in his vehicle? Did I miss something?

We don't know. You raise a point that posters on WS ought to be careful about making assumptions on what evidence actually exists (or not).

One of the more peculiar pieces of evidence that IS in the public domain is the iPhone, which was found in a dam many months after SM's disappearance.

The fact that the police made it very public, with helicopter footage of them pulling the phone out of the mud, and hugging each other in glee, raises some questions.

How did they know the phone was there - was it a tip off from a third party?
And why did they make such a public song and dance about it when they've shared so little of the other evidence?

 

[BreakingNews]

Agreed, and PS might be holding out to protect that other party or on the other hand it might be fear of reprisals.

Can't see him protecting anyone but himself. Fear of reprisals more likely

 

[BreakingNews]

It's puzzling. The crash reconstruction expert being called as a witness for the prosecution is the only information in the public domain on a vehicle being involved at all, so it raises the question whether it's alleged SM was run over and killed on purpose, or that the "deliberate act" followed a pedestrian accident, possibly to silence the victim.

This expert might be called to disprove that it was a simple crash.

 

[Sor Juana]

How do you know his family mean a lot to him?

That's quite clear - they're funding his defence. Even if other sentiments aren't factored in (which seems unlikely), the financial argument is self-evident. JMO

 

[HoneyBunOne]

That's quite clear - they're funding his defence. Even if other sentiments aren't factored in (which seems unlikely), the financial argument is self-evident. JMO

Again, I don't believe we know this for sure, unless I missed it.

It could be a pro-bono case, or maybe even a legal aid luck-of-the-draw situation. (I believe someone mentioned it pages ago - that all lawyers go in the pool to do their share of free legal aid for those that can't afford it) Maybe he's got a rich sugar mummy/daddy out there, or a reclusive billionaire who's paying for it. Who knows?

 

[Spectrix]

Maybe he's got a rich sugar mummy/daddy out there, or a reclusive billionaire who's paying for it. Who knows?

Wow, that's a theory I hadn't considered yet

 

[Rumination1]

We don't know. You raise a point that posters on WS ought to be careful about making assumptions on what evidence actually exists (or not).

One of the more peculiar pieces of evidence that IS in the public domain is the iPhone, which was found in a dam many months after SM's disappearance.

The fact that the police made it very public, with helicopter footage of them pulling the phone out of the mud, and hugging each other in glee, raises some questions.

How did they know the phone was there - was it a tip off from a third party?
And why did they make such a public song and dance about it when they've shared so little of the other evidence?

You are right I can’t find that proof it was just a recollection which I’m not sure I had read now

 

[Rumination1]

How do we know there was no trace of her in his vehicle? Did I miss something?

I just tried to locate that in the press and cannot