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 #5

[ProfCluezo]

From what I understand the reason it was finally deemed “suspicious” was because of the lack of any evidence of Samantha’s “disappearance”… the ABSENCE of ANY leads qualified as being unusually “suspicious”, as opposed to the PRESENCE of information suggesting any specific “suspicious” circumstances… (if that makes sense??). It is a paradox. The complete absence of ANY info/leads/sightings WAS the suspicious factor…

 

[Black-Cat]

I spoke to a friend recently (a woman) who was a regular visitor to the Woowookarung Park for the purposes of gathering samples for scientific study. She said she did have an encounter with a man who loitered too long near to her, beyond what was socially reasonable. After asking what she was doing off the trail, he just stood silently watching her for ages and she did not even realise he was still there until she turned back around. At that point she felt panicked but some other people came along, and he left. Later on she looped back along a trail or something (not totally sure of the geography she described) and when he saw her, he seemed to alter his course to come towards her. She pretended to take a phone call loudly and changed her own direction.

I've never believed Samantha's was a stranger attack, but after I heard my friend's story I did wonder... On the other hand, I've had a lot of encounters like this over the years - a LOT. My friend and I agreed that as a woman you often feel so on edge and hyper-vigilant after many actual bad encounters that with the grey area ones like this half the time you don't know if it was a real threat or you imagined something. Does a story like this mean that area might have had a gross guy frequenting it, or do almost all public spaces present the same sort of risk to women and this is just a coincidence? My feeling is the second one.

My friend no longer collects samples in Woowookarung.

imo jmfs (just my friend's story!)

This is so interesting because I think there are threats all around us, a lot of the time .... some people are better at tuning into the environment, intuition, or their instincts, sixth sense .... unfortunately we need to be vigilant and if we are in the wrong place, at the wrong time, without all our senses present in the moment, we are vulnerable.

 

[Malibuandcoke]

I thought her route has been thoroughly checked.
But it seems Police still stick to it.
I'm beginning to return to my very first theory, the simplest and the most obvious:
Random attack.
And that Samantha might be hidden somewhere along this route.

But, of course, I might change my mind again

JMO

I think there would be signs, evidence, if it had been a random attack. It doesn’t seem that way

 

[TootsieFootsie]

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/a-volunteer-search-crew-is-calling-for-community-members-to-join-the-group-to-help-find-samantha-murphy/news-story/93eee5c0b7f4c767f56e9b4776b2bb4c

A volunteer search crew is calling for community members to join the group to help find Samantha Murphy​

5th March. Looking for members with specialised skills.

 

[mondayschild]

I wonder how LE are managing the high level of interest/volunteer searching in this case.

 

[Warshawski]

That explains the photos but how did DM know who the guide was etc...someone who knew all about the family trip must have leaked it don't you think?

Or maybe the Guide ..

 

[wecaff]

Assuming a heinous crime was committed, and the perpetrator(s) caught and successfully prosecuted, would it be wrong to impose a sentence of imprisonment not by the gravity or heinousness of the crime committed, but by the desire to 'cure' the offender(s) via rehab programs, education, psychiatry, psychology and thus deemed fit to re-enter society? If this is the case, the courts would probably impose a shorter sentence, especially if the perpetrator(s) are young.
Should the focus be rehabilitation for the criminal or redemption for the victim?

 

[ProfCluezo]

I wonder how LE are managing the high level of interest/volunteer searching in this case.

The continued interest in further searches for Samantha, (especially when considered alongside the complete ABSENCE of any concrete leads/evidence from extensive searches conducted thus far), is, indeed, quite extraordinary…

 

[TootsieFootsie]

The continued interest in further searches for Samantha, (especially when considered alongside the complete ABSENCE of any concrete leads/evidence from extensive searches conducted thus far), is, indeed, quite extraordinary…

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it in Australia.

I wonder if it's to do with more cases overseas when family, friends, volunteers do searches.
It does seem to be becoming more of a thing.

 

[ProfCluezo]

I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it in Australia.

I wonder if it's to do with more cases overseas when family, friends, volunteers do searches.
It does seem to be becoming more of a thing.

There seems to be something occurring, psychologically, as a consequence of the complete ABSENCE of any (publically known) leads that is creating a FRENZY of efforts to find/postulate SOMETHING… a good example of the saying “Nature abhors a vacuum…”. The realms of entries on websleuths alone is a testament to this urge we all seem to be feeling to do/offer SOMETHING….

 

[Warshawski]

Very good point - that has been discussed at large here . Women shouldn’t be warned about staying safe - men need to be told not to commit violence against women

100%

However, until men get the message, unfortunately women need to be careful ..

 

[Hats]

From what I understand the reason it was finally deemed “suspicious” was because of the lack of any evidence of Samantha’s “disappearance”… the ABSENCE of ANY leads qualified as being unusually “suspicious”, as opposed to the PRESENCE of information suggesting any specific “suspicious” circumstances… (if that makes sense??). It is a paradox. The complete absence of ANY info/leads/sightings WAS the suspicious factor…

I think you might be trying too hard to make sense out of a non-sense.

A bit like early astronomers coming up with weird looping orbits of every other celestial object to demonstrate how the Earth was the stationary centre of the universe.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

Someone at that dinner has passed on info to perps ... it has to be. How else?

The more people involved, the greater the ripple effect (ie., the more people that might know or notice something, like a partner being up early or acting differently, having unexplained bruises, masks etc). There must be layers of ripples at each stage of whatever has unfolded…. And layers of consequences…. Things that happen or don’t happen…. More or fewer ripples….

Let's hope someone speaks, knowing the police are getting close

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Hi y’all. I started a media thread for Samantha. Everyone can post articles to get it going. This disappearance is awful for her daughter. I hope there is news soon. thanks to @RobinCAL for the suggestion.

Australia - Australia - Samantha Murphy, 51, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *MEDIA, MAPS, & TIMELINES - NO DISCUSSION*

A desperate search continues for a mother-of-three who vanished without a trace after heading off on a 20km run during a heatwave. Samantha Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, about 100km northwest of Melbourne, at 7am on Sunday. It's understood she...

www.websleuths.com

 

[ProfCluezo]

100%

However, until men get the message, unfortunately women need to be careful ..

Based on recent events in Sydney, safety issues seem to extend well beyond the boundaries of any specific sex and/or gender… unfortunately it seems all human beings need to be careful…

 

[ProfCluezo]

I think you might be trying too hard to make sense out of a non-sense.

A bit like early astronomers coming up with weird looping orbits of every other celestial object to demonstrate how the Earth was the stationary centre of the universe.

Haha… perhaps… not the first time it’s been suggested that I try too hard to make sense of non-sense. However I must admit this is genuinely how I understood the police’s reasoning… I don’t have a link to provide but my memory is that a police spokesperson said something along the lines of that they’d been saying it wasn’t suspicious up until that point, but the absence of any leads whatsoever made it suspicious…. Can anyone else confirm this?

 

[ProfCluezo]

Haha… perhaps… not the first time it’s been suggested that I try too hard to make sense of non-sense. However I must admit this is genuinely how I understood the police’s reasoning… I don’t have a link to provide but my memory is that a police spokesperson said something along the lines of that they’d been saying it wasn’t suspicious up until that point, but the absence of any leads whatsoever made it suspicious…. Can anyone else confirm this?

“There’s plenty of sense in nonsense sometimes, if you wish to look for it…”. Cassandra Clarke

 

[Hats]

Very good point - that has been discussed at large here . Women shouldn’t be warned about staying safe - men need to be told not to commit violence against women

The type of men that commit these crimes against women would already know it is wrong to do so.

I am not sure what telling "all" men is going to achieve, other than making men like myself feel personal guilt or shame for something that is completely not in our nature, in fact it is inherently in our nature to protect women.

 

[Deleted member 293720]

What happened to Samantha, happened quickly as she couldn't get to use her phone or watch to call urgently,
Another possibility I think she was quickly ambushed at Mt Clear, by more than one person and taken away

 

[bearbear]

I spoke to a friend recently (a woman) who was a regular visitor to the Woowookarung Park for the purposes of gathering samples for scientific study. She said she did have an encounter with a man who loitered too long near to her, beyond what was socially reasonable. After asking what she was doing off the trail, he just stood silently watching her for ages and she did not even realise he was still there until she turned back around. At that point she felt panicked but some other people came along, and he left. Later on she looped back along a trail or something (not totally sure of the geography she described) and when he saw her, he seemed to alter his course to come towards her. She pretended to take a phone call loudly and changed her own direction.

I've never believed Samantha's was a stranger attack, but after I heard my friend's story I did wonder... On the other hand, I've had a lot of encounters like this over the years - a LOT. My friend and I agreed that as a woman you often feel so on edge and hyper-vigilant after many actual bad encounters that with the grey area ones like this half the time you don't know if it was a real threat or you imagined something. Does a story like this mean that area might have had a gross guy frequenting it, or do almost all public spaces present the same sort of risk to women and this is just a coincidence? My feeling is the second one.

My friend no longer collects samples in Woowookarung.

imo jmfs (just my friend's story!)

ive also had a lot of encounters like this, you know in your gut that person means harm, that look on their face, its terrffying, over the years you develop coping strategies and you do become hyper vigilant in alone situations, apparantly sm was very strong and probably fought hard if she didnt know the person, hopefully she scratched them,
i fear she may have known her attacker though so may have gone with them willingly or someone hit her from behind and she didnt have a chance