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

[Waverider]

There is nothing nicer than being corrected when one is somewhat off the mark. Good on yer, pal. I was only 64 years out!

What can I say? I’m a pedant

 

[Warshawski]

MM thanked the community for their help in his press conference, but not his family…not the aunty or uncle, or SM’s sister and her M&D haven’t seemingly gone there to support the children either. (An online news report said SM sister told the reporters to leave her parents home). My family would be all over me if my DH went missing. So have to wonder if there was some disagreement in the fam about something.

I imagine Samantha’s parents would be beside themselves with worry & grief, and her sister would be looking after them - quite possibly MM would tell her to focus there.

 

[tiff]

I imagine Samantha’s parents would be beside themselves with worry & grief, and her sister would be looking after them - quite possibly MM would tell her to focus there.

So MM is minding (by that I mean looking after and making sure the children are ok) them by himself, as well as staying strong and and coping ok himself? That’s a quite odd situation with no backup family support imo.

 

[Warshawski]

So MM is minding (by that I mean looking after and making sure the children are ok) them by himself, as well as staying strong and and coping ok himself? That’s a quite odd situation with no backup family support imo.

I’m not about to speculate on what support he may have, but hopefully he’s not alone.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

One minute things are going along fine for Ballarat. The next minute, there is a woman missing, then soon after a mother is murdered by her partner who then killed himself. A sad time for the families, friends and townspeople.

News report said that a man (Ian Butler, a Bandido) stabbed to death his (named) partner, a Ballarat mother of five. Then took his own life. A loud argument was heard by neighbours. A couple of the mum's sons who were present were then cared for by neighbours until the police arrived.

(Starts at about the :40s mark in the news video)

@SouthAussie what is a "bandido bikie"

 

[Nifty]

I was going to say not likely a hit and run cover-up, but thinking about it more, there would likely in this scenario be signs of a fresh disturbance and blood splatter. If police have found this scene with no body, then they would know that SM was taken from the area.

It could explain why the police know that she definitely left the house for a run and also why they want to know about any car seen around the area (on the trail or on either side of the trails?) during the window of time.

I think by now, more people have come forward with information. But whatever happened, someone would have had to see something, cars driving past, even people out walking their dogs early along the tracks. It was a stinken hot day and a lot of people would have been up early doing jobs before it got too hot later on

 

[tiff]

I’m not about to speculate on what support he may have, but hopefully he’s not alone.

Hopefully some on his side of the family. The pain about not knowing would be awful. Just would have expected reporters camped outside their home to report on vehicles coming or going. But there’s been nuffin. 0. Zero,

 

[nhmemorymaker]

For the last couple of weeks, I have been waking up to check all the chatter coming from Australia while I was asleep..... There was sooooo much to catch up on this morning, I thought for sure there was a major break. Ha!

Still not there I guess. Hang in there Oz...... I guess we are all hoping something more revealing will be coming out. Soon.

 

[OptimusLime]

@SouthAussie what is a "bandido bikie"

Outlaw motorcycle gang
Think Sons of Anarchy meets Breaking Bad

 

[Toowong(s)]

I wasnt talking about her clothing!

I am wondering if the photo of her carrying the dog poop was taken on the same day she disappeared, because she didnt take the dogs with her.

Hi BL444, apparently dogs are not allowed in the forest - from an earlier poster, you will have to track back in the thread to find the link but explains why SM did not take dog(s) on the run (assuming of course SM ran into the forest).

While not familiar with this particular forest, as a resident of Victoria with dogs I can attest that dogs and dog walking is indeed banned from almost every state forest and national park to protect local wildlife.

And on the question of why pick up dog poo in the yard before a run, why not after when your sweaty and soiled? Well it’s a fair point but in our house we’ve just spent a fortune on new landscaping and new lawn and have ever since made a family pact that as soon as anyone sees a dog poop we pick it up, so we can all enjoy the view and maximise the experience of our new garden. We were a lot slacker on the pick ups before we invested in new landscaping. From the look of things SM and MM have also invested a lot in pool and landscaping since they bought the new house. Perhaps they have a similar pact?

 

[KathPlumber]

Thanks!
Sevastopol is in Crimea

Actually it was named after the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War in 1854! A lot of the people who settled in the town during the gold rush would have been soldiers in the Crimean War and there is a local “legend” that the blasting noise of people mining the goldfields reminded them of the battle of Sevastopol, hence it was renamed this (was originally named something else). Though believe me when I tell you that efforts to prove the origin of this fact have so far been unsuccessful.

Sorry, can’t pass up a chance to discuss a historic fact… and perhaps it’s a timely reminder of how easily a misunderstood date or a half-truth can become an accepted fact!

 

[iamshadow21]

@SouthAussie what is a "bandido bikie"

Bandidos MC criminal allegations and incidents in Australia - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[TootsieFootsie]

How Samantha Murphy's childhood dream to be famous came sadly true

Growing up amid the serenity of the Australian bush, a young Samantha Murphy had dreams of becoming famous.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Samantha's family this week told Daily Mail Australia they did not want people to forget who she was or what she meant to those who knew and loved her.

Speaking in the past tense is something Samantha's family are reluctantly coming to terms with.

 

[Dotta]

Actually it was named after the siege of Sevastopol in the Crimean War in 1854! A lot of the people who settled in the town during the gold rush would have been soldiers in the Crimean War and there is a local “legend” that the blasting noise of people mining the goldfields reminded them of the battle of Sevastopol, hence it was renamed this (was originally named something else). Though believe me when I tell you that efforts to prove the origin of this fact have so far been unsuccessful.

Sorry, can’t pass up a chance to discuss a historic fact… and perhaps it’s a timely reminder of how easily a misunderstood date or a half-truth can become an accepted fact!

How interesting!!!!
I love this legend.
Thanks

 

[Waverider]

I have an issue with the photo of SM with the dog poo bag
If I was prepared to go for a run, I wouldn't have a dog poo bag with me (Unless I was taking my dog) , stop pick up the poo, dispose of it and wash my hands...then start my run! I'd see the poo and remind myself to dispose of it when I get home...
Also, the photo..why has this photo been posted, 2 seconds later would have shown her full attire... leggings, shoes...in the photo her lower body is not visible..
she could have trousers, a skirt, thongs on...also, she is looking at something...the dog? is it a bag of poo? What's the timing? If she disposed of the poo and washed her hands and then headed off on her run then there'd be another CCTV snapshot????

Regarding the “poo bag” (if that’s what it is) - I find it weird to use a plastic bag to pick up dog poo on your own property and put it in the bin. I have a spade that I use to pick up droppings, which I just flick into the garden. I only use a plastic bag when I’m outside my property and I avoid putting it in my bin due to the smell.

I therefore wonder whether the poo bag image indicates that SM took the dogs for a quick walk around the block before her run? If so, someone could’ve seen her taking the dogs for a walk beforehand and waited for her till she left again. Therefore, CCTV from before 7am might be worthwhile looking into also.

I also agree that the frame posted by police is a strange one if it were one of many taken from a continuous video. I suspect the frame rate of the cctv has been reduced to limit memory use, so there would be a lot of missing data. This is probably why police don’t know which direction she headed off in.

 

[Cartie]

Regarding the “poo bag” (if that’s what it is) - I find it weird to use a plastic bag to pick up dog poo on your own property and put it in the bin. I have a spade that I use to pick up droppings, which I just flick into the garden. I only use a plastic bag when I’m outside my property and I avoid putting it in my bin due to the smell.

I therefore wonder whether the poo bag image indicates that SM took the dogs for a quick walk around the block before her run? If so, someone could’ve seen her taking the dogs for a walk beforehand and waited for her till she left again. Therefore, CCTV from before 7am might be worthwhile looking into also.

I also agree that the frame posted by police is a strange one if it were one of many taken from a continuous video. I suspect the frame rate of the cctv has been reduced to limit memory use, so there would be a lot of missing data. This is probably why police don’t know which direction she headed off in.

I always use bags, and the first thing I do in the morning is let mine out then clean it up straight away.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

DBM

 

[Waverider]

Some people don't like smelly dog poo around.
There are also diseases you can get from it.

Perils of pet poop – so much more than just unsightly and smelly, it can spread disease

The signs that remind you to pick up after your pet are not just trying to keep public spaces clean; they’re urging you to help safeguard your community’s health.

theconversation.com

The reality is that waste left to wash into the soil, whether in a neighborhood, trail or dog park, can spread life-threatening parasites not just among dogs and cats, but also to wild animals and people of all ages. A 2020 study found intestinal parasites in 85% of off-leash dog parks across the United States.

I didn’t say not to clean up the dog poo. I’d have thought most people on larger properties like that would compost dog poo, which kills the harmful bacteria and parasites, means it can be used as fertiliser, and reduces plastic waste.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I didn't want to go off topic so I had already deleted my post.

 

[Awakening]

I was really hoping to wake up to news she’d been found. I guess the search continues.