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 #8

[SouthAussie]

I don't know that he was coming 'home' in a car...from a bender or from anything really. What he was doing in the Canadian Forest bush track has never been revealed. We know what Samantha Murphy was doing, she was laying down some training for her 'Run the Gap' trek coming up later in the year, she left home early to slog in a short training session before it got too hot, and then was off to an 'important' brunch event with her friends, who sat there waiting for her, she was expected at 11 am there, till they called her husband and told him she had not turned up. We know what she was wearing.


So we do know what she was doing there, we do not know what he was doing there, why he was there, how long he had been there, in what direction he came from to be there, and which direction he took to leave there. I am sure the police know but we don't.

We don't know how he got there , what he was wearing.

We don't know what implements, or tools he was carrying, if any, we don't know if he was running, or walking, or stumbling down the path, did they pass each other? was he going one way, her the other?? we don't know.

Where did he go after murdering her? we don't know. Back to his parents house in Mt.Clear ? back to the shared house in Scotsburn?

We also don't know if a weapon was involved.


When asked if police were searching for a weapon, he said officers "continue to look for evidence in relation to the murder".

Media outlets to argue for suppression order on identity of Samantha Murphy's accused killer to be lifted

The Ballarat Magistrates' Court ordered the name of a 22-year-old man be suppressed after he was charged with murdering Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy.

www.abc.net.au

 

[sunspun]

I have been wondering if they could be connected and perhaps Sissy was his first attempt but either he chickened out or was interrupted. IMO.

This is something I've also been thinking. Maybe the current suspect was also the one who attacked Sissy almost exactly a year before. She said she didn't get a good look at him before she was knocked out cold by that rock attached to a string/rope. (Seems she got a better look at the weapon she was hit with than she did at whomever hit her.) And then when she came to, the perp was gone. But she reported that her face and head were quite bloodied (and had pics as proof, that she took of herself immediately after.) I wonder if the perp was shocked at the amount of damage he had done, seeing all the blood, maybe even thinking he'd killed her, and just took off in fright, leaving her lying there alone. Maybe he'd no plan to kill her, maybe SA or just felt like attacking and hurting someone... or maybe his plan was to kill, but he hadn't realized how much of a shock he'd get just from hitting and bloodying her, so he left w/out finishing the job.

Anyhow, then over the next year, he ruminates on this job left unfinished, or looking back on it gives him thrills or something that makes him feel compelled to try it again, and this time, to finish the job and do it right. Maybe he laments his missed SA opportunity. Maybe he makes the plan to commemorate the event with a re-enactment on almost the same date the following year (they were a week and a year apart.) Maybe he hopes to make it an annual event. Maybe he's out there at that time looking for Sissy and comes upon Sam instead. Or just looking for anyone (or any female alone anyway.)

It makes sense to me, seeing how similar a profile the 2 victims have, both older (than him) white fit females, out in the exact same area all alone, doing the exact same thing (just running for exercise.) Hm... could it be possible he even thought Sam WAS Sissy? Or even if not his same actual original victim, one who reminded him of her, out running alone just like her, in the very same area. Maybe he just pounced on her, thinking this time to finish the job... and did.

 

[Nifty]

BBM : Where is it stated, when the apparent video was taken, a link?

<modsnip>

 

[SouthAussie]

The Advertiser put out an article yesterday, by one of their senior staff who is female and a runner.

She speaks about how daylight savings is going to start soon, and what are the women runners going to do then.

The article highlights Samantha's plight, and notes that Adidas conducted a survey last year ... 92% of women felt concerned about their safety when running, 51% fear being physically attacked.

A Runners World study found that 60% of women had been harassed while running, 6% of those harassed women feared for their lives.

She ends the article by stating that all they want to do is strap on a head torch and go running, and that men are the only ones who can make that happen.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/emily-olle-women-still-cant-run-outside-in-the-dark-without-fear-of-being-killed/news-story/d7af1273d3d0b17aace0876aa5e4cb83?amp

 

[ProfCluezo]

Quoted from the video above: “They [police] weren’t able to speak to friends or colleagues fearing it might tip the suspect off…” (bolding is mine, for emphasis)

Interesting choice of words…

“Weren’t able to speak to friends or colleagues…”

Anyone else find it interesting that family and partners was (presumably deliberately) omitted….?

Hmmm…

Sometimes what is not said, speaks infinitesimally louder than what is said…

JMO… MOO…

 

[Cliff Hardy]

Perhaps he had come across Samantha before on her runs and kept her in mind.

I'm wondering if he had seen her enough times previously on the road that she had actually noticed him and commented to someone - perhaps her husband - that this young guy driving a white ute is starting to make her feel a bit uneasy?

 

[SouthAussie]

I'm wondering if he had seen her enough times previously on the road that she had actually noticed him and commented to someone - perhaps her husband - that this young guy driving a white ute is starting to make her feel a bit uneasy?

Apparently, it was a small piece of CCTV that first alerted the police to the accused.

(Links further back in the threads)

 

[bearbear]

do any of the properties ps has had access to back onto and overlook the running track sm used, is it possible he was able to watch her running from up high?

 

[Trooper]

We’ve covered this before, but I’m thinking that the only way the police could confidently know SM has been murdered is if they have witnessed an attack via video footage (dashcam, go pro or phone etc) and/or the biometrics on Samantha’s phone have indicated sudden, life ending changes to her vitals. If they viewed footage and had a suspect in sight, the urgency to search his home and car may have taken a backseat to waiting to see if he would lead them to her body.

I am convinced it is of a visual nature, with sound. To me, the police detectives must have actually seen and heard this murder take place. on some sort of recording device, of reasonable quality to firmly identify anyone in it.

This sounds outrageous, but no more outrageous than the Commander of Police claiming on public television that Mrs. Murphy is dead, not just dead, but murdered, and where she was murdered, (Mt.Clear) and when, (Sunday morning ) and by whom. Ergo.. this young fellow from a local community. We have not seen , or even found the body as yet .

All these things are fraught with such civic implications if they are wrong..

Because VICPOL say Samantha is deceased ( no one has seen her body ) her driving licence is cancelled, the titles to her property are transferred, her Medicare card is cancelled, all her bank accounts are frozen, her credit cards are invalidated, her superannuation account is closed, her car title is invalidated, her passport is cancelled, her oh, on and on, you get my drift.

Because of this degree of certitude, from VICPOL , I do not see how they could come to this firmest of conclusions without that level of evidence.. Nothing less than that level of certitude, is another way of putting it.

Anyways, that's my take on it!..

 

[Cliff Hardy]

I have (perhaps naively) assumed that withholding information pertinent to knowledge of details of an alleged offense, would be seen as aiding and abetting an alleged offender, by omission?

Are any websleuthers in a position to clarify the legal implications of potential informants deliberately not disclosing information they may know (or suspect) could potentially assist police? I’m guessing there could be argued to be “shades of grey” here…?

The law has some rather unusual interpretations when it comes to people withholding information. An example that comes to mind is the case of Zak Grieve - sometimes referred to as 'the man that wasn't there'. Grieve knew a murder was going to take place but took no part in it and wasn't anywhere near the scene when it occurred. Yet he received a life sentence for not going to the police with what he knew.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

This timeline does seem to get misunderstood often. Your post is strong, clear and clarifying.
Hopefully everyone reads it and it sticks. The 2 1/2 weeks of LE KNOWING NOTHING about PS is very important. thanks.

Why, thank you.
<modsnip - quoted post, response removed>

 

[SouthAussie]

I'd like to think that, not murdering people was common sense really......

There is a HS article here (paywalled) that states that:

Some of those closest to the accused, including former St Pat's classmates, said that the accused was often on the outer and that he struggled with his mental health.
That welfare staff at St Pat's dealt with frequent outbursts.
The accused exhibited eccentric behaviour and was sometimes bullied.
The former classmates said his mental health issues were well known.

(He likely would have been 12, 13 & 14 years old while at St Pat's. imo)

While in his first court appearance it was stated that the accused .... did not suffer from any drug problems or mental health conditions. Link

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/accused-killed-patrick-orren-stephenson-shared-love-of-footy-with-his-dad/news-story/2c0249893e71c92dbf911363ef67d668?amp

 

[MrsWattle]

This is something I've also been thinking. Maybe the current suspect was also the one who attacked Sissy almost exactly a year before. She said she didn't get a good look at him before she was knocked out cold by that rock attached to a string/rope. (Seems she got a better look at the weapon she was hit with than she did at whomever hit her.) And then when she came to, the perp was gone. But she reported that her face and head were quite bloodied (and had pics as proof, that she took of herself immediately after.) I wonder if the perp was shocked at the amount of damage he had done, seeing all the blood, maybe even thinking he'd killed her, and just took off in fright, leaving her lying there alone. Maybe he'd no plan to kill her, maybe SA or just felt like attacking and hurting someone... or maybe his plan was to kill, but he hadn't realized how much of a shock he'd get just from hitting and bloodying her, so he left w/out finishing the job.

Anyhow, then over the next year, he ruminates on this job left unfinished, or looking back on it gives him thrills or something that makes him feel compelled to try it again, and this time, to finish the job and do it right. Maybe he laments his missed SA opportunity. Maybe he makes the plan to commemorate the event with a re-enactment on almost the same date the following year (they were a week and a year apart.) Maybe he hopes to make it an annual event. Maybe he's out there at that time looking for Sissy and comes upon Sam instead. Or just looking for anyone (or any female alone anyway.)

It makes sense to me, seeing how similar a profile the 2 victims have, both older (than him) white fit females, out in the exact same area all alone, doing the exact same thing (just running for exercise.) Hm... could it be possible he even thought Sam WAS Sissy? Or even if not his same actual original victim, one who reminded him of her, out running alone just like her, in the very same area. Maybe he just pounced on her, thinking this time to finish the job... and did.

Sissy was attacked in Lal lal state forest which is approx 20km from Mt Clear, by a shirtless man with a rock tied to a stick/branch. I agree with you the attacker might have thought he'd killed her. It's sickening that a man would make such a weapon to intentionally attack a woman runner.

 

[HoneyBunOne]

There is a HS article here (paywalled) that states that:

Some of those closest to the accused, including former St Pat's classmates, said that the accused was often on the outer and that he struggled with his mental health.
That welfare staff at St Pat's dealt with frequent outbursts.
The accused exhibited eccentric behaviour and was sometimes bullied.
The former classmates said his mental health issues were well known.

(He likely would have been 12, 13 & 14 years old while at St Pat's. imo)

While in his first court appearance it was stated that the accused .... did not suffer from any drug problems or mental health conditions. Link

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/accused-killed-patrick-orren-stephenson-shared-love-of-footy-with-his-dad/news-story/2c0249893e71c92dbf911363ef67d668?amp

The words "did not suffer from any drug problems or mental health conditions" could be very carefully worded. If you wanted to read between the lines, you could interpret that as meaning "he did not have a drug problem because he wasn't an addict, just a casual user who could function without drugs" and "he has not been medically diagnosed with any mental health problems, but they could quite easily exist, just not brought to the attention of medical staff to be able to diagnose".

<modsnip - quoted post, response removed>

 

[TrunkImagine]

For those interested, an update on VicPols cadaver dog plans

"Victoria Police is in the process of developing a Human Remains Detection Dog Capability to supplement its Search and Rescue Dog capability and has consulted nationally and internationally to inform its progress"

Cadaver Dog recommendation in coroners report

 

[marv hucker]

The law has some rather unusual interpretations when it comes to people withholding information. An example that comes to mind is the case of Zak Grieve - sometimes referred to as 'the man that wasn't there'. Grieve knew a murder was going to take place but took no part in it and wasn't anywhere near the scene when it occurred. Yet he received a life sentence for not going to the police with what he knew.

And why mandatory anything isn’t always a good thing.

 

[Deleted member 340727]

"Victoria Police is in the process of developing a Human Remains Detection Dog Capability to supplement its Search and Rescue Dog capability and has consulted nationally and internationally to inform its progress"

Well you can never be too late can you 2024?!

 

[Deleted member 340727]

medical staff

I suspect the alleged perp. completed senior and no further education which would exclude any medical clinicians or specialist in the school environment. I am unsure?
All suspected and allegedly MOO

 

[Trooper]

For those interested, an update on VicPols cadaver dog plans

"Victoria Police is in the process of developing a Human Remains Detection Dog Capability to supplement its Search and Rescue Dog capability and has consulted nationally and internationally to inform its progress"

Cadaver Dog recommendation in coroners report

I suppose the time has come, .. Australia is not prone to earthquakes , as a general rule.. Newcastle excepted. .. Naturally, any dogs in AU trained for this would not be sent overseas to help others, sadly, because they would have to spend 6 months in quarantine every time they returned , from anywhere. even NZ, I think. A state run operation could not afford that kind of depletion.

The Federal Police have a dog division, mainly Army veteran dogs , ,all of whom have put in their 6 month quarantine before rejoining their outfit on return from wherever , Afghanistan, Iraq , Yemen and so on.

( Quarantine because of Rabies, which is not endemic in AU, but is elsewhere. And a few other diseases that dogs pick up from foreign soil ) ..

 

[Trooper]

I wonder what on earth he and his solicitor, or Barrister talk about during visiting hours? if he is saying nothing about the entire event of Mrs. Murphy and the missing body, what do they talk about?