Australia Samantha Murphy, 51, last seen leaving her property to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest, Ballarat, 4 Feb 2024 *Arrest* #9

[Macha]

Left the State?? Not just the town, but the whole entire State? And seemingly immediately. Well no visiting Paddy then. Love to know what that’s about!

PS was reported as looking around the court. Was he looking for his parents or gf? It was then when he asked for the restriction on his name being published to be lifted. IMO he wanted to cause his family more pain.

 

[Rocket333]

What I want to know is, is he yapping on with the other blokes in remand? Is he just on no speakies with the police, or with everyone, ( which presupposes some mental handicap )... My friend, a nice person, generally, found himself on remand once, in Sydney, not Melbourne, but same thing really, and it was all chat and yip and barking all day long, and half the night.

There were people in there who could not shut up, something drove them to babble all day.

Exercise time was filled with the hollering and shouting across the courtyard. As far as is known he is not in solitary. He has to mix. He is not in danger from anyone in Remand, as far as I can see. A bit of shyacking would be the most he'd get.

I don't think they eat with each other, it depends on how many are there at one time, but meals are generally served in the cell, ,but if it's a full house, he has to share a cell, He surely must talk to someone, sometime. ..

And VICPOL would have put a 'dishevelled cranky ' straight from the ranks into Remand thru the back door, to sidle up to him during smoko.... 'what's on your mind, mate?'.' ... this sort of thing..

My uninformed guess is that at this stage he’s being friendly and chatty enough with the other blokes to fit in and be liked, but is cautious and sticking to safe subjects like footy and harmless banter. I doubt he’s going anywhere near the topic of Samantha Murphy with anyone, however he’s going to be in there for awhile and I think the quiet yearning for his life and people on the outside and some fear of the future will start to see him crack. What that will look like is anyone’s guess but if there’s latent rage in him, he could erupt with outbursts even. What can the police use of information gleaned from someone planted?

 

[Rocket333]

PS was reported as looking around the court. Was he looking for his parents or gf? It was then when he asked for the restriction on his name being published to be lifted. IMO he wanted to cause his family more pain.

I think he was looking to see if his parents turned up too, but I think he was trying to prevent further shame and hurt for his family. I suspect his father is his idol and the realisation of what he’s done, particularly to his father, has knocked him for a 6. I don’t think he expected to be caught and is now feeling stumped and at a loss about what to do, and how to return to the seemingly sweet and cruisy life he had going.

 

[callmehenry]

I think he was looking to see if his parents turned up too, but I think he was trying to prevent further shame and hurt for his family. I suspect his father is his idol and the realisation of what he’s done, particularly to his father, has knocked him for a 6. I don’t think he expected to be caught and is now feeling stumped and at a loss about what to do, and how to return to the seemingly sweet and cruisy life he had going.

I feel like that too. I think his dad was his best mate and now he realises he's seriously messed that relationship right up. I wonder if he will eventually tell all if his dad begs him to

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Can they escape the infamy though?
Is there a place in this country they can feel at peace?

I doubt it.
Peace can only be found at heart.

Leaving in haste always breeds unkind comments and suspicions.

Better stay at home and meet challenges straight in the eye.
Honourably.

Ooops!
Sorry, I'm in a teacher's mode...
AGAIN

ETA
I consider them as VICTIMS too, of course!

JMO

Can they escape the infamy? Possibly not, but they probably felt they had to try. I don't know just how much publicity this case has outside of Victoria. Certainly less than in Ballarat you would think. Maybe they felt the need to be near family who they could trust totally. As much as you can trust after a family member has been arrested for murder.

Leaving in haste is probably the best move. Why wait for angry, misguided locals or MSM to camp outside your house? It does give the feeling that it was a move made after the final straw so to speak. In this case they can't win. Damned if you stay, and damned if you leave.

Staying and facing the wrath of some members of the public may be seen as a noble move, but they have young adults daughters to consider too. They've already lost a son in a way, they need to ensure the well being of their other children now too.

All my own thoughts and opinions only.

 

[Dotta]

Can they escape the infamy? Possibly not, but they probably felt they had to try. I don't know just how much publicity this case has outside of Victoria. Certainly less than in Ballarat you would think. Maybe they felt the need to be near family who they could trust totally. As much as you can trust after a family member has been arrested for murder.

Leaving in haste is probably the best move. Why wait for angry, misguided locals or MSM to camp outside your house? It does give the feeling that it was a move made after the final straw so to speak. In this case they can't win. Damned if you stay, and damned if you leave.

Staying and facing the wrath of some members of the public may be seen as a noble move, but they have young adults daughters to consider too. They've already lost a son in a way, they need to ensure the well being of their other children now too.

All my own thoughts and opinions only.

Quoting OP:

"Damned if you stay, damned if you leave"

NO

Damned only if one doesn't face one's community and express profound sympathy for the victim and her family.

And try what is in one's power to help those affected by this tragedy.

But,
I guess, coming from a different culture,
I see things differently.

That is the beauty of the Forum -
to express our different points of view.

After all,
we are not clones echoing one another

JMO

 

[Hestia's Fire]

I wonder if the reason the family was able to get out of town so quickly, before the media hordes descended upon them, was because they knew what was coming because they were the ones who tipped police off to something strange going on with PS. We've speculated that it could have been his girlfriend or another friend, but he worked with his dad, so must have been close enough to him on a regular basis that dad may have spotted something unusual in his vehicle or some strange behavior right after Samantha vanished.

 

[Nifty]

Can they escape the infamy though?
Is there a place in this country they can feel at peace?

I doubt it.
Peace can only be found at heart.

Leaving in haste always breeds unkind comments and suspicions.

Better stay at home and meet challenges straight in the eye.
Honourably.

Ooops!
Sorry, I'm in a teacher's mode AGAIN

JMO

I think he was looking to see if his parents turned up too, but I think he was trying to prevent further shame and hurt for his family. I suspect his father is his idol and the realisation of what he’s done, particularly to his father, has knocked him for a 6. I don’t think he expected to be caught and is now feeling stumped and at a loss about what to do, and how to return to the seemingly sweet and cruisy life he had going.

You would think If he was lets say, not guilty

He would be doing everything to clear his name, help the police in what ever they want and needed

Like most people would, who would want to be sitting in prison ?

He is in protected custody and there would be a lot of prisoners just waiting to get their hands on him, especially if he's been found guilty and explosive evidence is produced on motive and what he did to SM

And to think of his own family what he's putting them through and of course SM family, the nightmare continues for them

Regardless of being advised by his legal team

It's not making him look good

And it doesn't look like his family are going all the way with a top legal team to represent him

Which says a lot ! Most likely, the court will provide his legal cover

His mates ? Not one turned up to support him in court, including his GF

He is hoping the police don't find SM body, and they don't have any strong damming evidence against the accused

And he will get an acquittal

 

[BreakingNews]

He would have had to leave his business, as well as his home, and his employees, all his clients, ... the mother, left the school she taught at... what a hell of a situation for them. And the sisters, they had careers in Ballarat, probably they also...

Guessing they didn't want to deal with the media. However, had this been me, I think I would have put on my big girl pants and stayed my ground. The family are victims too and are not responsible for actions of their adult son. JMHO.

The fight-or-flight or the fight-flight-freeze-or-fawn is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. It was first described by Walter Bradford Cannon. Wikipedia

 

[BreakingNews]

You would think If he was lets say, not guilty

He would be doing everything to clear his name, help the police in what ever they want and needed

Like most people would, who would want to be sitting in prison ?

He is in protected custody and there would be a lot of prisoners just waiting to get their hands on him, especially if he's been found guilty and explosive evidence is produced on motive and what he did to SM

And to think of his own family what he's putting them through and of course SM family, the nightmare continues for them

Regardless of being advised by his legal team

It's not making him look good

And it doesn't look like his family are going all the way with a top legal team to represent him

Which says a lot ! Most likely, the court will provide his legal cover

His mates ? Not one turned up to support him in court, including his GF

He is hoping the police don't find SM body, and they don't have any strong damming evidence against the accused

And he will get an acquittal

Goodness, and then how would he carry on a normal life after that???

 

[BreakingNews]

Can they escape the infamy though?
Is there a place in this country they can feel at peace?

I doubt it.
Peace can only be found at heart.

Leaving in haste always breeds unkind comments and suspicions.

Better stay at home and meet challenges straight in the eye.
Honourably.

Ooops!
Sorry, I'm in a teacher's mode...
AGAIN

ETA
I consider them as VICTIMS too, of course!

JMO

A bit ot, but to answer your question, the NT seems to have a lot of people living there who are hiding from something. No one much cares. You make new friends and ignore the past and move forward. This family has done nothing wrong, so they could easily live in Darwin.

 

[Trooper]

They are not loaded with infamy. Who knows who Brett Cowans parents are? who knows who Adrain Bayley's parents are. Who cares about Baden-Clay's ghastly lot? who mulls over Gittany's crew? no one, that's who. Who is hounding the family of Stephanie Scott's murder? It's not as if the family is being persecuted for their religion as happens in European countries, or have been driven out by the neighbors, it's not as if Ballarat is full of folks who could not be on a jury because of' 'bias' or ''partisanship' . Towns in Australia are just not that way inclined, it's too dreary and far too much to bother with. One has to be taught to do that. Most Australians would not have a bar of it.

Most people in the NT are hiding from the Tax office, usually. 8 out of 10.. It's an ATO sinkhole.

They must have believed it was the best solution for them, and who can argue with that? it's not as if they are not coming back, their house is not for sale, they are in the deepest shock, probably and need a quiet sanctuary to recover in. I'd do the same, probably get the first cruise to the Antarctic and a return ticket to Argentina, for a couple of years.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

Quoting OP:

"Damned if you stay, damned if you leave"

NO

Damned only if one doesn't face one's community and express profound sympathy for the victim and her family.

And try what is in one's power to help those affected by this tragedy.

But,
I guess, coming from a different culture,
I see things differently.

That is the beauty of the Forum -
to express our different points of view.

After all,
we are not clones echoing one another

JMO

Maybe it was a decision made in the spur of the moment, and in protection mode? Perhaps they now wish they'd stayed but it's hard to now come back? Regardless, I see it from a parent's point of view. Putting the accused aside for a second (if you can?) your thoughts are based on looking after your other kids. Why would you want to possibly put your kids in harms way? (And by "in harms way" I don't mean pitchfork wielding locals looking for revenge, I mean emotional and psychological damage that can come from the looks, the whispers, the snarky comments etc)

I wonder if the reason the family was able to get out of town so quickly, before the media hordes descended upon them, was because they knew what was coming because they were the ones who tipped police off to something strange going on with PS. We've speculated that it could have been his girlfriend or another friend, but he worked with his dad, so must have been close enough to him on a regular basis that dad may have spotted something unusual in his vehicle or some strange behavior right after Samantha vanished.

Would they be allowed to leave the state though, or does that not matter? Would they be needed to answer further questions, or would their statements be taken during the time the accused was being watched and that's it?

 

[Hestia's Fire]

Would they be allowed to leave the state though, or does that not matter? Would they be needed to answer further questions, or would their statements be taken during the time the accused was being watched and that's it?

Snipped by me

I really don't know, since I'm not a lawyer or a police officer or even, sadly, an Australian.
But as they did leave the state, I can't imagine there's anything wrong with them having done so. I imagine if they were the ones who brought their concerns to law enforcement, they would have been forthcoming about their plans and their contact information so it wouldn't be difficult for Victoria police to get more information from them if necessary, after they arrested PS.

 

[ProfCluezo]

Left the State?? Not just the town, but the whole entire State? And seemingly immediately. Well no visiting Paddy then. Love to know what that’s about!

JMO but I’m guessing they don’t want to be associated with the accused in any way…. ? That’s how I’d read it. Trying to draw a sharp line in the sand: “we do not wish to be associated in any way with the alleged actions of this party”…

Who can blame them really….?

As a number of WS’s have already said, unfortunately the ripples of these kinds of actions extend way beyond the direct parties involved.

I suspect the family’s quick exit is the only remaining thing they can do in these circumstances to minimise damage to other members of the family?

Unfortunately we don’t get to choose who our family members are. It isn’t pleasant being tarred with the same brush when a family members’ actions are drastically at odds with one’s own moral code.

Genetics and blood account for only so much…

Family members can be vastly different to one another….

JMO

 

[Trooper]

Snipped by me

I really don't know, since I'm not a lawyer or a police officer or even, sadly, an Australian.
But as they did leave the state, I can't imagine there's anything wrong with them having done so. I imagine if they were the ones who brought their concerns to law enforcement, they would have been forthcoming about their plans and their contact information so it wouldn't be difficult for Victoria police to get more information from them if necessary, after they arrested PS.

Of course they are allowed to leave the state, and the country if they want. The planet if they can. ... There is no right or wrong way to handle this, No one is braver for staying or braver for going or less brave either way, it just is what it is. People have to do what they have to do.

 

[Nifty]

Snipped by me

I really don't know, since I'm not a lawyer or a police officer or even, sadly, an Australian.
But as they did leave the state, I can't imagine there's anything wrong with them having done so. I imagine if they were the ones who brought their concerns to law enforcement, they would have been forthcoming about their plans and their contact information so it wouldn't be difficult for Victoria police to get more information from them if necessary, after they arrested PS.

If they were not persons of interest for the police

They can do what they want

If they want to move overseas etc, they can do that and let their son the accused can fight his own battle

The accused as well might not want to have anything to with his parents either

He might not want to talk to them

Would be very hard now with OS (father) home business working here

Most likely, there would be death threats and plenty of abuse, sadly onto the family

Especially If the accused is found guilty

I suppose it will be up to what the accused family what they want to do.

I am sure they have discussed it

 

[Dotta]

The prime victims are Samantha and her children, parents, husband and other family members.

It would be right to face them humbly and express the most sincere condolences, sympathy and apology, just in case the member of one's family is the murderer.

And if he is not the murderer, why to leave him alone in jail?

Can one just leave everything behind because the reality is not as perfect as one dreamt?

First thing first IMO.
And Samantha and her children are priority.
Her body is still out there.
Community searches for her.
It would be the right thing to join the members of this community.

JMO

 

[Trooper]

For all we know the parents may have written or even had a quiet meeting with the Murphy's , expressing their sorrow, and horror at what has eventuated. We don't know. It is not improbable. People in country towns do this kind of thing, it's normal, and rational.

Of course, this presupposes the idea that the Murphy's wish to hear from the Stephensons. That has not been established , and probably will not. It's their business. It just should not be assumed that there is a protocol for this, there is not, People do what they can and what they must and that's how it is.

 

[ProfCluezo]

I agree that Samantha and her family are the prime victims in the matter. And that such a statement as you are proposing, Dotta, would seem a gracious, dignified and compassionate possible response in the circumstances.

Unfortunately strong emotions such as shock and fear and disbelief frequently shut down our prefrontal cortex - the part of our brains we need to think through options clearly and with consideration.

In circumstances of shock people often react very primitively.

So I agree, such a statement could appear to some as a magnanimous, dignified and compassionate response. However I also think it’s understandable that few people would have the composure at the time to necessarily act with such grace. Others may feel such a response is not appropriate, or may be misperceived, or is unwanted….

These are complex matters, and different people have different viewpoints and perspectives, none of which are necessarily “better” or more “right” than others.

JMO.