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 #7

[Dr Samoht]

<modsnip - quoted post was off topic>
His first secondary school St Patrick’s College is an all boys private school years 7-12.
Damascus College also a Catholic private school is co- ed also schooling years 7-12. ( where PS did his final couple of years ).

 

[Rocket333]

I keep thinking about this, too, and wondering if he was Sissy's attacker and that was his 'practice' before he worked up the nerve to carry out an even more horrific crime.

To that end, I went to look at Sissy's social media just now and found that she's made it all private, including her website. It was all public less than a week ago when I went to look at it last.

Sissy Austin’s post stating, “There is enough now for me to draw a link”. Also states SM’s incident happened on the anniversary of her attack.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1765690361471771063

 

[SouthAussie]

I would say that if the Daily Mail aren't reporting some gossip, it could be a sub judice matter. Or untrue, and the accused could sue.

imo

 

[Angeline]

IMO this is subconscious discrimination. This is a common occurrence in my experience, and that of other female "singletons" no longer considered youthful - (maybe 35-ish and up) - not taken seriously/considered to be overreacting. If one eventually refuses to take "no" for an answer, they are considered to be a real "".
JMO

SBM. I think you're right, also, she is indigenous. The police don't have a great reputation when it comes to the treatment of indigenous people.

 

[Sher Lock]

Why do the police swoop in when they do? If the cops were watching him for a couple of weeks prior, what informs their timing with when to go in and get him? The cops taking the car or searching the house-sit home seems pivotal to the charge of murder the very next day. PS surely would’ve scrubbed his car.

That's a really good question!
Just to get some dates happening here:
- Sunday, Feb 4: SM goes on a run and doesn't return home
2.5 weeks later ..
- Wednesday, Feb 21: VicPol starts surveillance on suspect (21st Feb is 2 weeks prior to arrest)
1 week later ..
- Wednesday, Feb 28: Under Investigation is shown on tv
1 week later ..
- Wednesday, Mar 6: Suspect is arrested
- Thursday, Mar 7: Suspect is charged with murder of SM

My guesses would be:
The police ..
- could have been waiting on further information from phone pings from the Mt Clear area along with other possible locations using sim & IMEI recognition (Edit: also info from Apple??)
- the amount of cctv footage was huge and they possibly didn't get exactly what they were after for a couple of weeks
- reviewing information provided to Crime Stoppers by locals who had their suspicions on various persons
- selecting potential suspects and having a look at their history/s. If my memory serves me correctly, I recall
the police stated(about 1 - 1.5 weeks into the investigations) that they were looking at local sex offenders & people
with violent histories.
Once they'd gathered enough information, collated it and nailed the potential suspect, they swooped.

OR perhaps someone close to the suspect knew what he'd done and their conscience got the better of them ... or they became very nervous with all the publicity and decided it was time inform the police of what they knew.

Edit: Depending on the amount of blood/tissue, it would be virtually impossible for him to remove it from his car and
I'm sure the police/forensics would have no problem finding small traces.

MOO

Edited: to include a couple of bits I missed

 

[ProfCluezo]

Great posts everyone!!! Really nice “catch” re the potential relevance of the army uniform too…. I agree absolutely that it does seem in keeping with the accused’s preference for concealment and mystique…. I could imagine a birdwatcher wearing such army garb…. However riding a motorbike in an army uniform
to me elicits vibes of someone who potentially enjoys scaring and intimidating others - specially those wearing headphones - who may be startled seeing someone suddenly “bursting out” from nowhere…

I concur with numerous others’ opinions that someone most likely “dobbed” the accused into police. I wonder if the two weeks of “surveillance” was used by police as an opportunity to get others in the accused’s life to ask questions of PS re. what he had been up to on various days…? In this hypothetical scenario, police could potentially have recorded PS giving conflicting accounts to different parties….? PS may even have “joked” about being involved in SMs disappearance or “joked” re. possible methods… which police may, hypothetically, have been able to tie to actual evidence of things the accused may have done (ie., hypothetically, for example, visit a Bunnings store to obtain certain items)… When combined with search histories, and possible recordings of images, this could provide substantial potential evidence…particularly if any DNA or other evidence may also have been found in the accused’s vehicle….?

In closing, my view is that the two weeks of surveillance by police was critically important in gathering evidence to charge the accused with murder. In the press conference Police described that the arrest had come from painstaking police work AND invaluable information from the community…. All JMO…

 

[ediethedog]

Not announced by the school, but students are free to tell anyone they wish if they're expelled.

As someone mentioned earlier… it is common to change schools for years 11 and 12 - curriculum special interests , performance or to a school which may offer Vcal ( no idea if they do or the reason he switched).

Also , if the pupil was having issues with others ( being bullied etc) is a very common reason to change schools .

It is surprisingly hard to be expelled these days too… the expelled pupil has every right to tell whoever they please of course, however I’m a tad baffled as to why a school change is important.
I’m not asking to be confrontational or rude, but I’m genuinely interested…
I haven’t caught up on the latest here , so forgive me if this is an ignorant question

 

[ediethedog]

It is not that hard to set your iPhone up so you don't need a passcode. My husband refuses to have either Face ID or passcode on his phone. Young people would not dream of not have either Face ID or passcode on their phones, usually because they pay with their phones, but older people are more likely not to.

It is not that hard to set your iPhone up so you don't need a passcode. My husband refuses to have either Face ID or passcode on his phone. Young people would not dream of not have either Face ID or passcode on their phones, usually because they pay with their phones, but older people are more likely not to.

Every single friend of both my sons have the most ridiculously and impossibly looong passcodes on their phones… mine is only 4 digits but these 18- 26 year olds have 12 digit monsters….
True you can override the password set up , but no one I or my sons know would take that risk…

 

[Whatson]

The neighbour didn't say he specifically saw him riding a motorbike in an army uniform. I'm a lifelong offroad rider myself and never seen anyone ride offroad in an army uniform and would consider it extremely odd to say the least.

He probably meant he sees him going all the time on his bike, and, he used to see him in an army uniform...



You can also buy camo specific offroad riding gear. Although, not sure this is what the neighbour meant by using the word uniform.



There was a pic on google maps of a motorbike trailer that was parked in front ...

It was a blue dirtbike specific trailer which would indicate someone who is a pretty enthusiastic rider, weather it was him and friends transporting bikes to ride on other areas, or perhaps with family.



Additionally, there are heaps of trails in that region that a young male would be riding any given chance they had... No doubt.

Maybe some close calls, arguments with foot traffic in the past, especially if riding trails accused is not supposed to be on. More common on weekends when non riders have the time to visit the bush lands on foot.

 

[louisepiglet]

I hadn't realised before now that Samantha was attacked on the anniversary of Sissy's attack. I wonder if this date has some type of significance to PS.

 

[Angeline]

That's a really good question!
Just to get some dates happening here:
- Sunday, Feb 4: SM goes on a run and doesn't return home
2.5 weeks later ..
- Wednesday, Feb 21: VicPol starts surveillance on suspect (21st Feb is 2 weeks prior to arrest)
1 week later ..
- Wednesday, Feb 28: Under Investigation is shown on tv
1 week later ..
- Wednesday, Mar 6: Suspect is arrested
- Thursday, Mar 7: Suspect is charged with murder of SM

After seeing this timeline, I'm even more convinced that LE were behind the Under Investigation program.

 

[Rocket333]

Great posts everyone!!! Really nice “catch” re the potential relevance of the army uniform too…. I agree absolutely that it does seem in keeping with the accused’s preference for concealment and mystique…. I could imagine a birdwatcher wearing such army garb…. However riding a motorbike in an army uniform
to me elicits vibes of someone who potentially enjoys scaring and intimidating others - specially those wearing headphones - who may be startled seeing someone suddenly “bursting out” from nowhere…

I concur with numerous others’ opinions that someone most likely “dobbed” the accused into police. I wonder if the two weeks of “surveillance” was used by police as an opportunity to get others in the accused’s life to ask questions of PS re. what he had been up to on various days…? In this hypothetical scenario, police could potentially have recorded PS giving conflicting accounts to different parties….? PS may even have “joked” about being involved in SMs disappearance or “joked” re. possible methods… which police may hypothetically have been able to tie to actual evidence of things the accused may have done (ie., hypothetically, for example, visit a Bunnings store to obtain certain items)… When combined with search histories, and possible recordings of images, this could provide substantial potential evidence…particularly if any DNA or other evidence may also have been found in the accused’s vehicle….?

My view is that the two weeks of surveillance by police was critically important in gathering evidence to charge the accused with murder. In the press conference Police described that the arrest had come from painstaking police work AND invaluable information from the community….

They charged him even though he remained silent. They had enough evidence to get the charge across the line.
How long would forensic testing of anything found in the car or house take to return?

 

[Bats]

Why do the police swoop in when they do? If the cops were watching him for a couple of weeks prior, what informs their timing with when to go in and get him? The cops taking the car or searching the house-sit home seems pivotal to the charge of murder the very next day. PS surely would’ve scrubbed his car.

One word.... leverage.

Once they're very sure of a culprit its a game changer and gives them leverage to use all sorts of other tactics....

DNA, even after a wash and vacuum will still be there and probably wasn't at the top of the list of important things to do.

 

[ediethedog]

After seeing this timeline, I'm even more convinced that LE were behind the Under Investigation program.

Me too Angeline. Even as I was watching, all I could think of was how quickly they got it to air. To shoot an entire episode and all the post production involved etc then air it within a week is insane.
The whole thing screamed vicpol suspect squeeze - very very well done indeed. Such a wonderful example of media and police working together to apply pressure .
UI content and the next day’s headlines were all about the phone technology- great coordination of all involved.
I worked in both print and tv/film media for decades…. Don’t hold that against me lol ..
PS would have been sweating bricks ….

 

[Deleted member 293720]

< modsnip - quoted post was rumor>

Probably a good choice for riding a motor bike in the bush. Very hardy protective material.

Probably is, but not good for poor SM if the accused was wearing it on that day and SM couldn't see him in the bush

 

[Deleted member 293720]

After seeing this timeline, I'm even more convinced that LE were behind the Under Investigation program.

I am sure he was, I had a feeling they were watching someone,

It was quiet before the storm

but possibly LE needed a bit more info from the public

Under Investigation also did the story on the Greg Lynn who allegedly killed the two campers

Not long after that, the police arrested Greg Lynn

 

[Bats]

It's interesting to wonder what was the piece of evidence that connected the accused to the crime....

Perhaps a ping from a mobile phone.... the Police would still need to be extremely sure that the accused was the one who was carrying the mobile phone that "pinged"....not pehaps someone else driving a car that contained a mobile phone connected to the accused and the accused was actually in bed recovering from a bender the night before....

In the the accused's defence... that is important!

The Police will have a very accurate account of the accused's movements from others that were with him etc.. but they obviously don't have an account of the moments after Samantha's disappearance....so how do they know it’s "that person" that was who murdered Samantha?

The Police know a lot more than we're privy to and obviously know that the accused 'must' be the perpetrator..... its interesting to wonder what it was exactly that made them so sure.

 

[Dotta]

It's interesting to wonder what it was exactly that made them so sure.

A witness?
Witnesses?

 

[Whatson]

The Police know a lot more than we're privy to and obviously know that the accused 'must' be the perpetrator..... its interesting to wonder what it was exactly that made them so sure.

Possible phone tapping work sophisticated spyware that allowed full control of his phone from viewing history, microphone and camera access etc.

Maybe he was having conversations with himself that they listened to

 

[Warshawski]

Don’t believe it was ever reported she was there , but a police raid at 6am mid week you would expected both to be asleep , keeping in mind possible brief horse care duties at her nearby parents property before leaving for work at Miners Rest .

Thank you.

PS was apparently already up & dressed, as it’s said he appeared in court (30 hrs after his arrest) in his hi-vis work wear.

He most likely started work at 7 - 7.30 am, so makes sense to me that he would’ve been up ( police probably timed it knowing his routine)

The mention of him wearing hi-vis did however catch my attention. I’m pretty sure it’s compulsory to wear hi-vis on construction sites, and it’s usually worn on industrial or high traffic type work sites such as warehouses, factories, road works or mine sites. … as opposed to general residential or commercial type electrical work. .. imo

Again just my opinion, but I think if working on telecom or utility sites, it would be a requirement there too.