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 #8

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He could have been at the pub just having a few, carrying on as normal, mates have gone to get the next round, perfect time to re-live last weekends activity, and a complete stranger walking passed also saw it. And reported it, which is how they got onto him so early.
A run of the mill footballer isn’t an Einstein and I think he mucked up big time in a simple situation as above.
"A former Damascus College student, who went to the school with Stephenson for two years, said the accused was interested in IT, science and robotics, even comparing him to Elon Musk."
Doesn't really sound like the interests of your "run of the mill" footballer, does it? I think is significantly more intelligent than people are giving credit for. JMO
 
IMO I think police are starting closest to home and in the general vicinity of leads pings/CCTV footage they have before moving outwards with their searches. I think PS left SM's body on Boak Rd initially, a quiet track with thick vegetation right next to the road that is heavily rutted and rough for the average car, his car being more than capable. He leaves and thinks more carefully about where to properly conceal her body. I think PS destroys and disposes the remnants of SM's belongings that afternoon (the 5pm ping being either a red herring or complete accident). I think he moves SM that afternoon/night, either alone or with the help of someone, leaving his phone at home. I feel he has headed somewhere more remote to bury her body, under an hour away. I'm unsure about trophies.. If he decided to keep a trophy I think it's not a piece of technology and likely a piece of jewellery, clothing or snippit of hair? However, given his age I think PS is more likely to have taken a photographic keepsake at the initial scene. Only my opinion and "the vibe of the thing" Prof!
Really good Voluspa. So you could infer that if he had his phone with him at 8am and left it behind later, the attack in the morning may have been more opportunistic than premeditated. I doubt he kept a physical trophy too, apart from footage.
 
This would definitely require more than one person to hoist them up to the top of a water tank. The sink hole, not so much. It would also need to be preplanned.

I'm still wondering if the reporting of the dogs that can smell electronic items is more to strike fear into someone. I'm not saying the canines can't do it, it may however be a bit of a ruse to elicit a response from someone.
Expansion of Australian-first Technology Detection Dog program

it appears they are legitimate, although perhaps not for this intended purpose.
 

Inside the Missing Person’s Squad: the unit with a record of giving grieving families closure​

It has been more than six weeks since Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy was last seen, but the unit tasked with finding her has an enviable success record when faced with some unenviable tasks.
The cost of searches is enormous, as seen by photos: dogs, officers, different means of transport.
Thankfully we have the wonderful skills of the Victoria Police, unlike many other places.
Then housing PS, possibly further cost for Defence.
Whilst PS sits back, safe after the Sunday actions.

Surely all this is included towards the case against PS: his not
admitting where SM's body has been hidden.
The above, if PS is guilty of SM's murder.
 
Does anyone remember the names of the streets in Mount Clear that were searched by police after PS was arrested? There has been no more mention about it.

I only remember that the police requested CCTV from homes and businesses on Elsworth, Joseph and Butt streets in the suburb of Canadian.
And that they had also searched that area.

Thread 6, post 621
 
"But finding anything is incredibly important here, it may be the earbuds, it may be the mobile phone, anything which can give the authorities the information they need to be able to really reopen that search.

It's been 47 days since Samantha went missing and Jake [Cassar] said it was important no stone was left unturned.

"Somebody has got to know something, something's got to turn up," he said.

'Something's got to turn up': Tech detector dogs called in for Samantha Murphy search
 
Expansion of Australian-first Technology Detection Dog program

it appears they are legitimate, although perhaps not for this intended purpose.

Definitely legitimate. In Erin Patterson's case, Georgia found one USB, a micro secure digital card and a SIM card. And Alma found a mobile phone, five iPads, a trail camera, a secure digital card and a smart watch. It took the dogs 6 hours to find these items.

The police had already searched and found none of these items.

 
Wow, welcome on board Andymoz! :) I’d be super interested to hear any insights, opinions, hunches, “vibes” etc you may be able to offer Re what could potentially be occurring in the “dance” between media and police?! (hypothetically, theoretically…. ;) )
Thanks. I can't offer any hunches or opinions regarding this case, other than to say what is an obvious thing, the police have a lot more going on than the public and the media are aware of. Most reporters will have a police contact they deal with formally or informally and may discuss a case, and are respectful of each others role. Very rarely are there any "leaks". (Must be careful here) Police can use some very interesting techniques to obtain information and a lot of it is overt. You wouldn't even know it was happening .
 
The cost of searches is enormous, as seen by photos: dogs, officers, different means of transport.
Thankfully we have the wonderful skills of the Victoria Police, unlike many other places.
Then housing PS, possibly further cost for Defence.
Whilst PS sits back, safe after the Sunday actions.

Surely all this is included towards the case against PS: his not
admitting where SM's body has been hidden.
The above, if PS is guilty of SM's murder.
I think how it generally works , is like this. .One gets a discount on the sentence for co operation, and significant demonstrations of remorse, and regret, and apology for the offending. And no doubt about it, Murder is offensive. One's eligibility for a discount on the sentence is dramatically reduced the more intractable and recalcitrant one is once arrested.

It all counts in the end.

There is a price to pay and it most likely should he be found guilty, would be in his eventual eligibility for parole, he may get no discount there at all and may have to serve out his full sentence without the possibility of ay parole. Mr. S, should he be found guilty, will pay that price. At 22, it probably doesn't matter that much, but it will. In time. And not that far into his serving time.


( a little reminder to those outside AU, AU does not have the death penalty, the last person executed for murder in AU was in 1965, although the penalty is still on the books, but only for treason.)
 
I only remember that the police requested CCTV from homes and businesses on Elsworth, Joseph and Butt streets in the suburb of Canadian.
And that they had also searched that area.

Thread 6, post 621
Thank you. I knew one began with an E. Elsworth. I think we have overlooked this search as there has been no more mention of it. Did the accused hide Samantha in a lock-up in one of those streets for a few hours whilst he sobered up and developed a plan in his head to dispose of her body? Just some thoughts of mine.
 
Thank you. I knew one began with an E. Elsworth. I think we have overlooked this search as there has been no more mention of it. Did the accused hide Samantha in a lock-up in one of those streets for a few hours whilst he sobered up and developed a plan in his head to dispose of her body? Just some thoughts of mine.
He could not know how much time he had, really. He had no way of knowing that the ladies at the brunch would set up a hue and cry, so whatever he did, he did without any foreknowledge of how much time he actually had to accomplish everything he had to do.

As things turned out, he did not have much time at all before the whistle blew and things kicked off, I think that may have surprised him, perhaps. It was certainly quick from an observers point of view, the alarm sounding part of this crime..
 
I apologise in advance for the graphic nature of this question Websleuthers, but can anyone comment on how a deceased body would theoretically decompose in water? And how quickly? What would the chances be of detecting a decomposing body in a large waterway? Sorry this question is so revolting but I’m just wondering what the police’s chances would be of detecting and retrieving Samantha’s body from a waterway? Would water creatures (ie., amphibians, leeches etc) potentially ingest and destroy tissue? I’m guessing traces of dna, body fluids etc would be impossible to identify? And most likely also physical injuries?
I could have sworn someone posted an article on how bodies decompose in different locations, but I've gone back through the entire thread and can't find reference to it. Perhaps I googled on my own? Regardless, what I recall from the article is a body in water leaves less clues than one in the elements, but clues can still be gained after a reasonable amount of time.
 
He could not know how much time he had, really. He had no way of knowing that the ladies at the brunch would set up a hue and cry, so whatever he did, he did without any foreknowledge of how much time he actually had to accomplish everything he had to do.

As things turned out, he did not have much time at all before the whistle blew and things kicked off, I think that may have surprised him, perhaps. It was certainly quick from an observers point of view, the alarm sounding part of this crime..
He didn't need to know about people raising the alarm. He had just murdered Samantha and needed time for himself to think of a plan and sober up imo.
 
He didn't need to know about people raising the alarm. He had just murdered Samantha and needed time for himself to think of a plan and sober up imo.
It has not been established that he was drunk. People kill other people stone cold sober, all the time. Daily, around the world. No one knows if he was using other mind altering substances either, at this point, but it is an understandable reaction to think the must have been to do such a thing, but it is not necessarily so. He may have been , in his own mind, clear as a bell, and operating with all faculties at peak.

Certainly, his capacity to stonewall the police for this long while in remand, under custody, points to a young man quite used to operating on another level without any assistance from drugs or alcohol.
 
It has not been established that he was drunk. People kill other people stone cold sober, all the time. Daily, around the world. No one knows if he was using other mind altering substances either, at this point, but it is an understandable reaction to think the must have been to do such a thing, but it is not necessarily so. He may have been , in his own mind, clear as a bell, and operating with all faculties at peak.

Certainly, his capacity to stonewall the police for this long while in remand, under custody, points to a young man quite used to operating on another level without any assistance from drugs or alcohol.
Yes I agree. I wonder is his obstinacy to speak to the police due to protecting someone else? More will be revealed with time.
 
Yes I agree. I wonder is his obstinacy to speak to the police due to protecting someone else? More will be revealed with time.

I am not sure that alleged killers worry too much about protecting someone else.

He is an alleged killer of a random stranger. He allegedly deliberately attacked a lone woman that he didn't know. That alone says that his care for other humanity likely ranks pretty low. imo
 
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