Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat 100km NW of Melbourne, 4 Feb 2024 #4

[nao]

Moo...if I read "keeping her/him in line..in public advertisement, I take it as a joke. If I hear it in a private person conversation, not so funny...moo

 

[blushcherry]

it may be an important insight into the dynamics of their relationship?
if sm was tired of some behaviours and wanted to move on, it can cause a lot of stress in a relationship?

IMHO This one sentence on the website is perfectly normal for a family-run Aussie business. I doubt we will be able to hang the resolution of this case on it.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Keeping in line is something you read and hear frequently and it's always meant in a caring, loving manner.

It's not demeaning, it shows the love for the person.
I've even read and heard it as said by a male partner, that his wife had kept him in line, always said with a smile and even a wink.
There are sayings that males say about their female partners. None is meant to demean the other

 

[Detective Willy]

The Runner - a special edition of Under Investigation with Liz Hayes - Nine for Brands

In a special edition of Under Investigation on Wednesday night, Liz Hayes and a team of experts travel to the Victorian regional city of Ballarat to delve into the mysterious disappearance of 51-year-old Samantha Murphy.

www.nineforbrands.com.au

"Under Investigation" are doing a special edition on this case tomorrow night.

 

[bearbear]

IMHO This one sentence on the website is perfectly normal for a family-run Aussie business. I doubt we will be able to hang the resolution of this case on it.

no, highly doubtful, but possibly a little insight into their relationship, personalities, all these small things add to the bigger picture

 

[Dotta]

a little insight into their relationship, personalities, all these small things add to the bigger picture

Especially THIS picture.
The case's picture.

 

[bearbear]

Hello fellow sleuthers… really enjoying and valuing the many theories and ideas presented here…. Thank you… just a quick question from a new keen but bumbling detective… is there a way to get directly to the most recent thread (in this case 4) rather than starting at the first thread and having to scroll through each time? I’m hoping there may be a shortcut way of getting straight to the most recent post? I look forward to sharing some ideas as they develop… been following this thread avidly so far!

i always bookmark the last thread im on so its easy to find

 

[Dotta]

To add again...
It might show who is the real BOSS.

And, if as some say here this crime is connected to Business,
it might explain why SM is the victim, and not the husband.

Nothing is of NO importance in a criminal case.

Even a seemingly unimportant detail can solve a case.

In general sense, that is.

JMO

 

[Chestnutsunfish]

You could be onto something there @SouthAussie! An altercation early morning with someone dumping rubbish - it's a possibility.

Brittain Street is mentioned in the photograph, is that a street Samantha would be running on that Sunday morning?

The doubts I have about this are that even if you are a woman with a strong personality who would normally feel comfortable calling out these situations I don’t think you would be likely to alone in an isolated bush area.

That being said, if I saw this happening and I did want to report it first thing I would do is start recording on my phone for evidence. If there was a similar scenario maybe Samantha would have done the same?

 

[Cedars]

Hello fellow sleuthers… really enjoying and valuing the many theories and ideas presented here…. Thank you… just a quick question from a new keen but bumbling detective… is there a way to get directly to the most recent thread (in this case 4) rather than starting at the first thread and having to scroll through each time? I’m hoping there may be a shortcut way of getting straight to the most recent post? I look forward to sharing some ideas as they develop… been following this thread avidly so far!

Once I've commented on a thread, it shows up under 'Forums' as "Threads with your posts", which will be highlighted if there's new postings, and will take you to all the unread comments since your last visit.

Another way is to put the thread on your Watch List. Top right of any page on the thread has a button says 'Watch'. Again, threads with news posts will be highlighted on your Watched Threads list.

 

[Poirot's niece]

VicPol chopper up above Ballarat, Smythesdale area.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I certainly would not even think of calling a stranger out if I was running alone in a forest area.
I doubt that I'd want to provoke them by getting out my phone and recording them.

I would try and remember what they looked like and waited til I was well out of the area and away from them.
Some people would report them, others might do nothing.

And I don't think any less of people for deciding to do nothing.
Maybe they thought as people often do that as others run past here, it must be already known.

It doesn't make you any less of a person for not reporting it.

 

[Leafy]

I have just been reading about how the bushland at Mt Clear has become a dumping ground for people's hard rubbish.

It is a very big problem, and costs the council about $100,000 a year to go and remove all of the rubbish periodically.
People just keep dumping there, despite the council providing hard rubbish pickups as most/all councils provide.

They considered putting CCTV in the area, to capture the identity of the dumpers, but it doesn't sound like they did that.

April 2023 article (paywalled for some)
Road through Mount Clear pine plantation littered with illegally dumped refuse

I read or watched somewhere early on (can’t find it sorry) that the community was against having CCTV in the area when it was suggested so was never implemented.

 

[SLouTh]

is there a way to get directly to the most recent thread (in this case 4) rather than starting at the first thread and having to scroll through each time?

Welcome to the thread ..

At the top of the page where the current discussion starts… on the right hand side… is a “Watch” …. Click on that ….. and you will receive notifications when some one posts something new to the thread …

PS I would suggest you elect not to receive email notification of every post …… JMO

Hope that helps …
Image …. Mine is already set to “Watch” so it says “Unwatch”

 

[Cedars]

The doubts I have about this are that even if you are a woman with a strong personality who would normally feel comfortable calling out these situations I don’t think you would be likely to alone in an isolated bush area.

That being said, if I saw this happening and I did want to report it first thing I would do is start recording on my phone for evidence. If there was a similar scenario maybe Samantha would have done the same?I

I have followed many missing person cases now, and my main conclusion is that anyone who abducts another person into their vehicle and kills them, or kills them and removes their body in their vehicle - is some type of psychopath. Whether it's a husband, a sexual predator, a guy looking to steal the vehicle or other valuables, someone who had an argument with them, or even just Leopold and Loeb looking to commit the perfect crime, is very hard to predict.

I see it as a more sophisticated criminal than the one who just kills the person on the spot and runs away.

Something brought the psychopath and the victim together at that place and time, and the psychopath had an issue that they resolved by killing the person and removing their body, or, even more chillingly, removing them from the scene alive in order to kill them later.

IMO the scenario cannot ever make sense to anyone but the psychopath themselves, because no normal person would behave that way.

JMO

 

[SouthAussie]

I read or watched somewhere early on (can’t find it sorry) that the community was against having CCTV in the area when it was suggested so was never implemented.

Thanks.

The article I linked said - according to the mayor - that the problem (illegal dumping) was spread over a wide area, so CCTV might not be effective.

Not sure of the reason why the community don't want CCTV on the bush trails, and it is a shame that CCTV would even need to be considered anyway.

In light of Sam's disappearance, maybe they will change their minds about that.

imo

 

[fawlty towers]

I have just been reading about how the bushland at Mt Clear has become a dumping ground for people's hard rubbish.

It is a very big problem, and costs the council about $100,000 a year to go and remove all of the rubbish periodically.
People just keep dumping there, despite the council providing hard rubbish pickups as most/all councils provide.

They considered putting CCTV in the area, to capture the identity of the dumpers, but it doesn't sound like they did that.

April 2023 article (paywalled for some)
Road through Mount Clear pine plantation littered with illegally dumped refuse

Yet another great thought SA. People who engage in that sort of behaviour IMO have no morals and are also committing a crime by doing it. So if someone calls them or they out. They will not be happy, especially if the dumpers outnumber the person who called them out. And especially if it is a lone woman in a secluded area.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I read or watched somewhere early on (can’t find it sorry) that the community was against having CCTV in the area when it was suggested so was never implemented.

Maybe it meant an increase in their rates ?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

An increase in rates is why home owners in my town have often spoken out against many things that could have been beneficial for the town.

CCTV around the CBD (central business district" was only finally put in when the council went half and half with business owners.
Before that only the larger businesses had paid for their own CCTV.

The council had talked about paying for it all but it was not popular with ratepayers.

 

[carbuff]

Seems like if there's a lot of rubbish like that around, it would make a good place to dispose of a phone, or anything else.