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

[Karin1974]

New free article with a good photo …

Dam search concludes after phone found in search for missing Ballarat mother

www.9news.com.au

Also states

9News understands items have been found near the dam.

Wonder if they have also found other significant belongings ??? With “items” pleural ???? Although that could mean phone plus case???

IMO - Looks like some kind of ID card sticking out the top of what looks like a mobile phone holder/cover, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[SLouTh]

So, if it is indeed Samantha's phone, I don't understand why that dam wasn't thoroughly searched from top to bottom earlier, however deep, given that is where it last pinged?

I think this location is several kilometres south of Buninyong…. I suspect it’s possibly down towards Grenville …. Based on my tracking of the Chanel Nine helicopter flight path this pm …..

South of Durham Lead….. as per JZL ….. it’s somewhere on the Buninyong - Mt Mercer Road or just off it … but down towards Grenville…..


IMO

 

[Poirot's niece]

It could also be that somebody has handed in dashcam footage that has recently identified someone piffing something from a car, or a car parked roadside during that intitial 7AM-7PM timeslot, or later. Perhaps that vehicle fits targeted specs.

 

[SLouTh]

IMO - Looks like some kind of ID card sticking out the top of what looks like a mobile phone holder/cover, I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I have been hoping / praying that it has Sam’s ID in it …… and that it is a positive sign for the police that they are close to finding Sam … especially for her family …

IMO

 

[Kemug]

I could be wrong, but I recall reading the cell tower covered quite a large area near Buninyong, so it would be hard to narrow down a specific spot to search.

Yes that is true - but could they not have concentrated on all the dams? I'm being picky I know, but I truly wonder.

 

[Reneemaree88]

 

[SLouTh]

It could also be that somebody has handed in dashcam footage that has recently identified someone piffing something from a car, or a car parked roadside during that intitial 7AM-7PM timeslot, or later. Perhaps that vehicle fits targeted specs.

Does any one think it might be possible that the alleged offender has started to cooperate with Police, and told them a location???
And police are keeping this information quiet for the moment???

Perhaps the reality of incarceration is sinking in for the alleged offender??

Just a thought and IMO

 

[drsleuth]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1795712825148481750

Video in link.

18kms south from Sam's home.

AFP technology detection dogs were used , & found a phone matching the description of Sam's phone.

Property owners knew weeks ago that the police would be searching their property.

 

[Sarti]

It could also be that somebody has handed in dashcam footage that has recently identified someone piffing something from a car, or a car parked roadside during that intitial 7AM-7PM timeslot, or later. Perhaps that vehicle fits targeted specs.

This is absolutely a possibility.

Either way, it would seem the police received some new intel to instigate this latest search. Never give up hope!

 

[JLZ]

I think this location is several kilometres south of Buninyong…. I suspect it’s possibly down towards Grenville …. Based on my tracking of the Chanel Nine helicopter flight path this pm …..

South of Durham Lead….. as per JZL ….. it’s somewhere on the Buninyong - Mt Mercer Road or just off it … but down towards Grenville…..


IMO

It's on the north side of Durham Lead. 3km+ south of Buninyong Golf Club, and a good 8km south of Mt Clear.

 

[Sarti]

AFP technology detection dogs were used , & found a phone matching the description of Sam's phone.

Hot damn!

 

[wallyworld]

I think this location is several kilometres south of Buninyong…. I suspect it’s possibly down towards Grenville …. Based on my tracking of the Chanel Nine helicopter flight path this pm …..

South of Durham Lead….. as per JZL ….. it’s somewhere on the Buninyong - Mt Mercer Road or just off it … but down towards Grenville…..


IMO

I read in one article today the name Slaughterhouse Rd

 

[SouthAussie]

I just zoomed in on the house and there is what looks like a lady and child at the window watching on

Maybe the resident of the house saw the phone while wandering around the property. And now they have been asked to stand back and let the police do their work.

imo

 

[JLZ]

I read in one article today the name Slaughterhouse Rd

Not too far from the intersection of Slaughterhouse and the Buninyong-Mt Mercer Road. I'm going by ABC pictures, but the best one has been taken down.

 

[JLZ]

Maybe the resident of the house saw the phone while wandering around the property. And now they have been asked to stand back and let the police do their work.

imo

I think the house is the property next door.

 

[jjleroche]

Photos in the link above posted by @brjakj show police looking at an object, there are several photos.
I looked with my big Miss Marple magnifying glass but can't make out what it is.

​

Love your work Toots!

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes that is true - but could they not have concentrated on all the dams? I'm being picky I know, but I truly wonder.

I am in Melbourne at the moment. As we flew over the rural areas approaching Melbourne from Adelaide, I saw literally hundreds of dams. It was a sunny day and I could see them all sparkling in the sunlight.

I think there are more dams than we ever imagined.

imo

 

[SLouTh]

I read in one article today the name Slaughterhouse Rd

I did also notice that …. It turns off the Buninyong Mt Mercer Road …

 

[Webbie2021]

Maybe the resident of the house saw the phone while wandering around the property. And now they have been asked to stand back and let the police do their work.

imo

The Daily Mail suggests the police approached the owners of the property, not vice versa:

"The man said police were interested in the levels of his dam.

"'I hasn't [sic] seen anything suspicious out there. We don't have cameras. But yeah I believe one of those tech dogs found it,' he said.

"The man said detectives came and spoke to him about a month after Ms Murphy vanished, but only returned again in recent weeks.

"'They just asked me if I'd seen anything suspicious,' he said."

 

[HoneyBunOne]

I think this location is several kilometres south of Buninyong…. I suspect it’s possibly down towards Grenville …. Based on my tracking of the Chanel Nine helicopter flight path this pm …..

South of Durham Lead….. as per JZL ….. it’s somewhere on the Buninyong - Mt Mercer Road or just off it … but down towards Grenville…..


IMO

Yes, this is the location mentioned. Note the chilling name of the road:

"On Wednesday, police conducted a small-scale search along Slaughterhouse Road and Buninyong-Mt Mercer Road, a couple of kilometres south of Buninyong."

Divers search dam as police find 'items of interest' in Samantha Murphy search

Victoria Police have recovered a phone as they search a dam south of Ballarat as part of their investigation into the alleged murder of mother-of-three Samantha Murphy.

www.abc.net.au

This is far closer to a house than I thought it would be. Very ballsy place to put a body, if she is indeed there. Even if you stopped to throw a phone or any other evidence there, it's not as secluded as you would imagine, and close to a road too. Yes, the buildings look to be a red brick house, and a grey, 3 door shed/garage. Very normal looking home and garage for a country property. Many people have sheds this big for their toys - cars, boat, caravan, jet skis etc, or to house farming equipment or tools of a trade, or many convert areas to a "man cave" with a TV, bar, seating, an additional toilet etc. Another recent photo appeared to show other buildings in the area, which looked to me like other properties, not further out buildings.

The question has to be asked - did the alleged murderer know the owners of this property? Did he know they were not home at the time that the items/body were put here? Did he allegedly dispose of items or a body under the cover of darkness? Did he just get lucky (until now) that this certain spot had not been searched as thoroughly as it appears to be now, and that nobody witnessed him do anything unusual?

I have zero clue how the IMEI tracing thingy works on phones. Could her phone now have become close enough to the surface of the water that it can be traced, even turned off, out of charge and water logged?