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 #2

[bearbear]

hasnt it always been suspicious though or do they mean criminally suspicious, someone else involved rather than voluntary disappearance?

 

[Chestnutsunfish]

View attachment 483062
From 6 News Australia on Twitter: "#BREAKING: Police are now treating disappearance of Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy as suspicious."

What does declaring it as suspicious mean in an official sense? From the start hasn’t it been suspicious? Is this a less direct way of saying they’re looking at it as a homicide?

 

[Voluspa]

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/samantha-murphys-disappearance-now-treated-as-suspicious/news-story/0b2c32d8c4923cc3f790d5c67f918701

Now declared 'suspicious' ...

I hope we get more information soon.

Such a dreadful time for the family. I feel for Sam's children... Missing their mother and now their beloved pup sadly being hit by a car. Absolutely heartbroken for them

 

[BGirl88]

7 News has reported a change in direction for the investigation, which had been led by the Missing Persons Squad.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/samantha-murphys-disappearance-now-treated-as-suspicious/news-story/0b2c32d8c4923cc3f790d5c67f918701

 

[Voluspa]

What does declaring it as suspicious mean in an official sense? From the start hasn’t it been suspicious? Is this a less direct way of saying they’re looking at it as a homicide?

Initially there was zero evidence to back up any indication of foul play, LE stated there weren't any suspicious circumstances involving her disappearance. It makes me think they've found new evidence and aren't releasing what they've found at this point in time. Getting their ducks in a row first!

 

[BreakingNews]

This quote just blows my mind,
"Forensic psychologist Tim Watson-Munro told Sky News that despite his expertise in criminal forensics, he has “never encountered” a case like Murphy’s. What has baffled Watson-Munro about the Murphy case is that there has been “no evidence” to examine, explaining there is usually a small clue left behind for investigators to work with."

As if he would be privy to evidence!!!! He has just the same access to info as we do! And as if they would share with him if they had a small clue. Far out!

AND other cases have been run the same way, Karen Ristevski, is a case in point. GUH!

Exactly. No evidence that police have released. MSM struggling to write anything new. I'll just twiddle my thumbs until I next hear major news from the police.

 

[Dotta]

What does declaring it as suspicious mean in an official sense? From the start hasn’t it been suspicious? Is this a less direct way of saying they’re looking at it as a homicide?

I guess that
Missing Persons' Team
is now officially replaced by Homicide Team.

JMO

 

[BGirl88]

It actually just sounds to me that the Police are saying yeah it is suspicious because we don't know what happened to her... not that it's suspicious due to criminality... (not sure if I'm making sense, but I know what I mean in my head LOL)... who knows!!

Throughout their investigation police have maintained they do not believe anything sinister happened to the 51-year-old, however on Wednesday Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said while there were no developments, the case was “suspicious”.

“It’s certainly unusual when we haven’t been able to locate any trace of her or any other evidence within that period of time,” he said during a press conference.

“It’s suspicious, whether that means there’s foul play involved, or not, I don’t know, but obviously detectives are investigating a matter where a woman’s been missing for a significant period of time.”

Major update in search for missing jogger Samantha Murphy

The mother-of-three has not been seen for more than a week.

7news.com.au

 

[SLouTh]

Now declared 'suspicious' ...

I think we all suspected this when the search was shut down so abruptly…
They didn’t even move into a “recovery” phase from the “search and rescue” stage .. they just stopped it altogether …

Victoria Police are now treating the disappearance of Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy as suspicious after she vanished 10 days ago.
Police have not commented publicly on the case since Saturday, when the force announced it was scaling back its search of bushland Ms Murphy was known to run in.

I feel like it was being treated as suspicious, as soon as Missing Persons Unit took over the case .. There was a sudden and obvious change of focus by Police … IMO

Hopefully the Police will give some sort of update soon…

Is this a less direct way of saying they’re looking at it as a homicide?

I suspect so ….

All IMO

 

[BGirl88]

Extract from Crimestoppers website...

There are so many different examples, but a general answer we like to give is that ‘suspicious’ implies the absence of the normal and presence of the abnormal, and we’ll explain what we mean by this.

Have you ever wondered…..What do we mean by 'suspicious'? • Crime Stoppers ACT

A question we often get asked at Crime Stoppers is ‘what do you mean by suspicious behaviour or activity, how do we know what that is or what it looks

www.crimestoppersact.com.au

 

[MrJ]

What does declaring it as suspicious mean in an official sense? From the start hasn’t it been suspicious? Is this a less direct way of saying they’re looking at it as a homicide?

Probably means that they can deploy more resources than simply the Missing Persons squad. No word yet if they're looking at a homicide case, but you'd think it's leaning more towards that way.

 

[BGirl88]

Case of missing Ballarat mother, Samantha Murphy now treated as suspicious​

Victorian police had earlier ruled out foul play, but today announced otherwise. The 51 year old was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East on Sunday February four. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

Case of missing Ballarat mother, Samantha Murphy now treated as suspicious

Victorian police had earlier ruled out foul play, but today announced otherwise. The 51 year old was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East on Sunday February four. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.

7news.com.au

 

[bearbear]

so have we heard official confirmation that police have cctv footage of her at the end of her driveway actually leaving the property and showing which direction she headed?
or it just assumed they know this ?
hopefully one of her children saw her leave that morning,
we know police still conduct massive searches using all available resources to search for missing people, without evidence, based soley on statements from friends relatives etc, so was this search based on actual footage?

 

[SLouTh]

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told reporters on Wednesday the investigation had reached a new stage.

His comments came as detectives from Victoria Police's MIssing Persons Unit attended the Murphy property on Wednesday morning, spending more than an hour inside before leaving.

Ms Murphy's husband Mick Murphy, who continues to be supported by family members, is understood to be co-operating with the specialised unit, which is attached to Victoria Police's Homicide Squad.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Murphy has anything to do with the disappearance of his wife.

Detectives return to home of missing mum Samantha Murphy

The disappearance of mum-of-three Samantha Murphy has officially been declared 'suspicious' by Victoria Police.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[OptimusLime]

Wow

 

[Hestia's Fire]

Four days ago it was reported that detectives would begin looking into Samantha's computer history, phone data, and her movements in the days leading up to her disappearance. I wonder if they found something that has now led them to declare her disappearance suspicious.

 

[carbuff]

Extract from Crimestoppers website...

There are so many different examples, but a general answer we like to give is that ‘suspicious’ implies the absence of the normal and presence of the abnormal, and we’ll explain what we mean by this.

Have you ever wondered…..What do we mean by 'suspicious'? • Crime Stoppers ACT

A question we often get asked at Crime Stoppers is ‘what do you mean by suspicious behaviour or activity, how do we know what that is or what it looks

www.crimestoppersact.com.au

In Samantha's case, it's been pointed out several times that they haven't found anything--as far as we know, nobody saw her, she didn't leave any traces, she doesn't show up on cameras, she didn't leave footsteps or drop a personal item. It sounds like there's not even much electronic footprint except for that late ping. None of the traces you would expect a person to leave.

That's unusual. Maybe even suspicious, in the sense of "absence of the normal."

 

[nightrider17]

This has really disturbed me.

I know that I am physically very strong - however other people wrongly assume I am not??

Who cares - right!!!

I have been followed numerous times over the years. Once in a very busy capital city street - the heart of the city. A few times in libraries - weirdly. And through a wooded area, which was not very large - not like where SM would have access to.

Each of these times - the person didn't engage with me - even though I was close to them at different points. I mean they never spoke or did eye contact. However on reflection they did want me to know what they were doing. I guess that was part of the thrill - making me aware and seeing my reaction(which was pretty much scared to hell).


Why did they choose me?? - I am thinking I give off - lack of confidence/goofiness maybe and they wrongly assume I am unfit.
But I am well aware fitness won't be of any value if I am caught by surprise or with a rock on a rope or worse.


Now with SM's disappearance I'm now wondering about those other individuals that track/follow you and don't want you to know and have a very different agenda. MOO.

If they are very familiar with the terrain, know shortcuts, know where CCTV is and how to avoid it or even befriended themselves to their target - who knows. JMO

 

[DFWNF]

What a thing to say
Retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina said he thought the decision to wind down search operations led him to believe police had information they had not shared to the public.

Mr Bezzina said there were some “unnerving circumstances” surrounding how a woman from a respected family could go missing.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/samantha-murphys-disappearance-now-treated-as-suspicious/news-story/0b2c32d8c4923cc3f790d5c67f918701

 

[DK007]

hasnt it always been suspicious though or do they mean criminally suspicious, someone else involved rather than voluntary disappearance?

IMOO someone else involved.. I think VPOL allowed for wasted time in the first few days of SM disappearance. Missing persons and homicide should’ve been working together with local police from the start.. I feel for her family, especially her children