Veteran criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said certain inferences can be drawn from the latest update.
Though police have remained tight-lipped on the investigation, veteran criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said certain inferences can be drawn from the latest update.
Dr Watson-Munro said there are two possible reasons for leading Stephenson on a second walk-through.
'One possibility is that they don't have a lot of evidence. And, using the colloquial term, it's a bit of a shakedown,' he said.
You know, it's the whole audio visual trip, in many ways, to maybe put pressure on the accused person to give up more information.'
'You have well-trained people who would be looking for all sorts of cues in terms of [Stephenson's] body language, what he may or may not have said.'
The second, and more likely possibility, he said, is the police are acting on information not yet known to the public.
'I think it's more likely that the police, in fact, do have more information, and they're acting on that,' he said, adding it was impossible to know what form any new information may take.
'There's obviously some strategy behind it.'
In June of last year, police discovered Ms Murphy's credit cards, driver's licence and phone in near-perfect condition on the bank of a dam in Buninyong.
The discovery is considered by many the most significant public breakthrough in the investigation.
Dr Watson-Munro agreed for two reasons.
Firstly, the unlikely find suggested police had a 'broader spectrum of information than we're aware of'.
Secondly, he said it suggested there could be a third party involved - either in the crime itself or its aftermath.
'It suggests, possibly that [police] are of the view that there's a third party involved.
'Not necessarily involved in the commission of the crime, but somebody that may have assisted in terms of disposal of evidence and so on.
'The phone was in pristine condition, and it was close to the lake. Now the likelihood of that occurring, I think it's very remote view would normally predict natural degradation of anything like that.
The discovery is considered by many the most significant public breakthrough in the investigation.
Dr Watson-Munro agreed for two reasons.
Firstly, the unlikely find suggested police had a 'broader spectrum of information than we're aware of'.
Secondly, he said it suggested there could be a third party involved - either in the crime itself or its aftermath.
'It suggests, possibly that [police] are of the view that there's a third party involved.
'Not necessarily involved in the commission of the crime, but somebody that may have assisted in terms of disposal of evidence and so on.
'The phone was in pristine condition, and it was close to the lake. Now the likelihood of that occurring, I think it's very remote view would normally predict natural degradation of anything like that.
[Sharing the breakthrough with the public] builds momentum, but it also potentially puts pressure on third parties if they exist.'
Tim Watson-Munro, an expert criminal psychologist, said there are two possible reasons behind the most recent update in the case of missing Ballarat mum, Samantha Murphy.
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