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 #7

[Whatson]

A satellite image could place him at the scene of the crime. Maybe enough to charge with murder. Perhaps that's why 20 weeks is needed for the brief. To compile more evidence. No doubt the effort to comb through CCTV they have in a logical manner would be mammoth.

 

[JLZ]

A satellite image could place him at the scene of the crime. Maybe enough to charge with murder. Perhaps that's why 20 weeks is needed for the brief. To compile more evidence. No doubt the effort to comb through CCTV they have in a logical manner would be mammoth.

Nope. They say they have enough to charge him with murder--they need to give him what they've got. If more evidence turns up later, they can hand that over as additional down the track.

 

[Sher Lock]

Nope. They say they have enough to charge him with murder--they need to give him what they've got. If more evidence turns up later, they can hand that over as additional down the track.

Could they have possibly obtained the images/information prior to his arrest hence the police being so sure that SM was murdered at an early stage of the investigation? From memory, I think LE were saying she'd been murdered at around the 2 - 2.5 week mark after SM went missing. Incidentally, that point is where the suspect was 'officially' under surveillance too.

 

[Cedars]

"This was not a hit and run, but a deliberate attack" - interesting that police chose these words.

Where did you find that quote? Can you link that please?

At the press conference, the police chief commissioner was very clear that he could only say "This was a deliberate attack", and that's because that's what a charge of murder, by definition, means.

During the media questioning, they lobbed many speculative questions about the crime, to all of which he answerered that he was not going to discuss the case, only reiterate that 'this was a deliberate attack'.

For example, at 9:42 of the linked video, a journalist asks, "are police going to allege this was a hit and run". He says, "No" and waits for the next question.

I would recommend viewing this short video in order to appreciate the difference between what the police very carefully and precisely say, versus how those words may be carelessly spun or misquoted elsewhere.

JMO

 

[blushcherry]

From what is being played out so far the clear impression is that the accused is not sitting on the fence between manslaughter and murder.

You can hit someone with your car and have it be murder. And not a hit and run.
Deliberate hit = murder. Taking the body somewhere else afterwards = not a hit and run.
They are alleging it was a murder (and charged it as such). AND they have said not a hit and run.
Yet her body wasn't around Boak road where it's alleged to have occured.
Therefore... most likely hit with the car, then transported away.

 

[BGirl88]

Hmmm...
If the evidence (possible cctv, DNA) is so damning (murder charge),
why to ask for 20 weeks?

Now, I know nothing about court, going to court, all of that stuff… I’m just a weirdo with a strange hobby of delving into true crime. So on 8 August, there is an accused of the same name (no middle name mentioned) on the Ballarat court list for 9.30am for a traffic offence. This is followed straight away at 10am for the committal mention for murder, for the accused .

Could it be that the date of 8 August was set so that it is AFTER any other hearings / charges which were already set?

Or is this not something that would happen? Just curious.

 

[SouthAussie]

"This was not a hit and run, but a deliberate attack" - interesting that police chose these words.

I wonder... Are the words offered by police indicating what actually happened?

I was wondering the same thing about Comm Patton stressing that Sam "made her way on foot" ... I wondered if her alleged killer made his way on foot too.

 

[bearbear]

I was wondering the same thing about Comm Patton stressing that Sam "made her way on foot" ... I wondered if her alleged killer made his way on foot too.

i think so too, likely the car was used later on for removal of sms body

 

[BGirl88]

I'm now wondering if any satellite imagery was available to police and if so, were they able to see certain events at around 8am that morning (or any time after 7am when SM left for her morning run). If they were able to get images I would think this would take at least a week or more due to paperwork etc etc.

I’ve wondered the same. There are a lot of amazing mapping programs and software out now far superior to GoogleMaps.

 

[Rocket333]

There's a committal mention in August--not even the committal hearing. The trial is a couple of years away probably.

Do they stay in remand all of that time? Where are they “housed” while they wait?

 

[Rocket333]

i think so too, likely the car was used later on for removal of sms body

Aren’t some of those paths through the forest known as bike tracks, and if so, does that mean too narrow for cars? On the UI show the paths they wandered down seemed suited to foot or bike traffic only. Is the turn around point for Sam’s run a spot where cars can park or travel?

 

[SouthAussie]

Do they stay in remand all of that time? Where are they “housed” while they wait?

They stay on remand unless they apply for, and are granted, bail by the Supreme Court.

I think right now he is in a Melbourne prison.

imo


He fronted court on Thursday with a short beard, scruffy hair and still in hi-vis workwear.
On Friday, he was taken from Ballarat to a prison in Melbourne.

Item belonging to Samantha Murphy’s accused killer seized by police

7NEWS understands police had been keeping an eye on Patrick Stephenson for two weeks before he was arrested.

7news.com.au

 

[DetectiveStanleyBuganski]

I hadn't realised before now that Samantha was attacked on the anniversary of Sissy's attack. I wonder if this date has some type of significance to PS.

This is incorrect. Sissy was attacked on the 11th of Feb 2023. SM went missing on the 4th of Feb 2024.

First Nations advocate hit with 'rock tied to the end of the stick' in weekend run attack

Sissy Austin, a former member of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria has been brutally attacked by a man wielding a makeshift club during a weekend run through a state forest near Ballarat.

www.abc.net.au

 

[JLZ]

They stay on remand unless they apply for, and are granted, bail by the Supreme Court.

I think right now he is in a Melbourne prison.

imo


He fronted court on Thursday with a short beard, scruffy hair and still in hi-vis workwear.
On Friday, he was taken from Ballarat to a prison in Melbourne.

Item belonging to Samantha Murphy’s accused killer seized by police

7NEWS understands police had been keeping an eye on Patrick Stephenson for two weeks before he was arrested.

7news.com.au

Thanks. I also found this: Understanding remand in Victoria — Vanessa Ash Law

 

[SouthAussie]

Thanks. I also found this: Understanding remand in Victoria — Vanessa Ash Law

No wonder some would rather stay on remand (than apply for bail) and use that time as time served off their sentence.

Things are a bit easier for them when on remand.

 

[Trooper]

Do they stay in remand all of that time? Where are they “housed” while they wait?

If you are on remand, in Victoria, you are taken down to Melbourne, and placed in the Melbourne Remand Centre, which is in William St, Melbourne. Up near the corner of Lonsdale and William, ( Lonsdale doesn't have a tramline, Bourke St. does, ) It's up a fair way from Bourke St. If you walk past it, it's a grim building, 30 stories, maybe, and it is central to all the courts of Victoria, the Supreme court ( just over the road, ) the Magistrates Court, ( just across Lonsdale St,) and the County Court, which is kitty korner to the Remand Center..

On your court day, you are removed from your cell, spruced up a bit, shaved, showered, togged up the suit your mum bought for you, and then with all the other chaps, you board a sort of horse float truck and in order of which court you go to, ( depending on your crime ) the horse float truck stops outside each court and you are escorted in by a couple of armed blokes, in boots and cammo stuff, to wait for your case number to be called. You get a cut lunch, and cups of tea.


That''s life in remand. Cell, Brekky, Horse float, Court, tea, , horse float, dinner, cell.

 

[BreakingNews]

Hmmm...
If the evidence (possible cctv, DNA) is so damning (murder charge),
why to ask for 20 weeks?

The courts and prisons are overloaded in Oz. And police are so overworked and have to get stuff to the Dept of Prosecutions which are also overloaded. Then it will go to a Magistrates Court (overloaded) for a committal hearing to see if there is enough info to go to trial. Then to trial in the Supreme Court (overloaded). Could take about 4 years. Unless the accused pleads guilty. Then none of this. Just goes to sentencing - when there is court time. Saves lots of money and mostly gets less time for cooperation to plead guilty. Unless you are innocent.

 

[nightpaw]

dbm
Unable locate reference at this point.

 

[ZombieKittie]

The courts and prisons are overloaded in Oz. And police are so overworked and have to get stuff to the Dept of Prosecutions which are also overloaded. Then it will go to a Magistrates Court (overloaded) for a committal hearing to see if there is enough info to go to trial. Then to trial in the Supreme Court (overloaded). Could take about 4 years. Unless the accused pleads guilty. Then none of this. Just goes to sentencing - when there is court time. Saves lots of money and mostly gets less time for cooperation to plead guilty. Unless you are innocent.

They were overloaded before Covid now they're at breaking point

 

[jjleroche]

If you are on remand, in Victoria, you are taken down to Melbourne, and placed in the Melbourne Remand Centre, which is in William St, Melbourne. Up near the corner of Lonsdale and William, ( Lonsdale doesn't have a tramline, Bourke St. does, ) It's up a fair way from Bourke St. If you walk past it, it's a grim building, 30 stories, maybe, and it is central to all the courts of Victoria, the Supreme court ( just over the road, ) the Magistrates Court, ( just across Lonsdale St,) and the County Court, which is kitty korner to the Remand Center..

On your court day, you are removed from your cell, spruced up a bit, shaved, showered, togged up the suit your mum bought for you, and then with all the other chaps, you board a sort of horse float truck and in order of which court you go to, ( depending on your crime ) the horse float truck stops outside each court and you are escorted in by a couple of armed blokes, in boots and cammo stuff, to wait for your case number to be called. You get a cut lunch, and cups of tea.


That''s life in remand. Cell, Brekky, Horse float, Court, tea, , horse float, dinner, cell.

Trooper, I always find your posts very entertaining to read. You can turn what could be a potentially very dry piece of information into something very interesting using a wonderful turn of phrase.
Life in remand - I had no idea it could be so fascinating. JMO