Police scale back search for missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy, six days after her disappearance

A former top cop says a call by police for any CCTV or dashcam footage that could help them find Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy “probably means they’ve got nothing to work with”.

A former senior police investigator says a call by police for CCTV or dashcam footage that could help them find missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy “probably means they’ve got nothing to work with”.

The ex cop said: “It just keeps reading as a real mystery … it’s a lot of trawling but they have to do it.”

Police on Saturday afternoon issued a renewed plea for any CCTV or dashcam footage – even if Samantha Murphy is not in the video.

The call from the Missing Persons Squad is for footage taken in the Ballarat East, Mount Helen and Buninyong areas.

Video of vehicles, other walkers or runners could be crucial to finding any possible witnesses or people who may have further information.

“Even if the footage does not depict Samantha, detectives are keen to review all footage in the areas between 7am and 7pm on Sunday, 4 February,” the force said in a statement.

“Police previously urged everyone in the Ballarat East and Mount Helen areas, particularly around the Canadian Forest, to check their CCTV for any possible sightings over the past six days however would now like to collect all footage.

“Despite extensive searches in the area over the past six days, no sign of Samantha has been located.”

It comes after the search for the missing mum will be scaled back this weekend after six extensive days.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said the active search phase would be scaled back but investigators would continue to be in contact with Ms Murphy’s family.

“The investigative stage of the investigation continues and as any new information comes to hand identifying areas of interest, the search will be scaled up.

“Police continue to be in regular contact with Samantha’s family regarding the developments of the search and the status of the investigation.”

Samantha’s husband, Mick Murphy, drove down to Buninyong Police Station just after 9:30am to demand answers about the scaled back search effort.

Mr Murphy told the Herald Sun he wanted to “find out what’s happened”, peering through the front of the station before walking through a side entrance.

He declined to comment further but thanked the community for their help in the search so far.

He added the couple’s children were doing the best they could considering the disappearance of their mother.

Having spent just over 15 minutes at the station, Mr Murphy closed his door and drove off just before 10am.

Friends of Samantha, and many who have only recently come to learn about her, have scoured Woowookarang Regional Park again on Saturday morning.

Clear skies and gentle heat providing ideal conditions for locals to drive around the park area, or walk on foot.

Local resident Mary-Anne Love, 50, said while she doesn’t know Samantha, she felt compelled to join the co-ordinated community search effort.

Saturday was the first time Ms Love has been searching on foot, organising with a member of the ‘Find Samantha Murphy’ Facebook page to search through bush land as a pair.

Ms Love said she spent the morning walking through the bush around the scenic lookout, just over 2 kilometres from where Samantha had left the family home on the morning of February 4.

“I honestly just want to try and make a difference, try and find something,” she said.

“I think if we all rally, something good might come out of it.”

She said Samantha was “just a local like us” and was touched to see groups of people spend their weekend out searching for someone they might not even know.

“It’s very kind, I like to see kindness, that’s what I would want … you would want people to rally and look,” she said.

Earlier police said there was no information to suggest the disappearance of the Ballarat East woman was “sinister”, as detectives from the missing persons squad enter the investigation.

The 51-year-old left her Eureka St property about 7am on Sunday to go jogging at Woowookarung Regional Park but did not return home.

Police are appealing for help finding 51-year-old Samantha Murphy, last seen leaving her Eureka St home for a run in the Canadian State Forest. Picture: Supplied

Her family issued a heartbroken plea for anyone with information on Thursday.

Yet six days after she was last seen, crime command detective acting superintendent Mark Hatt said there was no information that indicated any foul play was involved.

“I want to be clear that at this time, we have nothing immediate to indicate there is anything sinister behind Samantha’s disappearance,” he said.

“We still have a number of avenues of inquiry to pursue and the search to try and locate her is ongoing on Friday.”

He said Ms Murphy had a mobile phone and was wearing a watch with a GPS tracking device when she disappeared but declined to answer whether the data had revealed any information on her whereabouts.

“It’s an ongoing inquiry with our telecommunication technicians,” he said.

He also asked the public to “avoid unnecessary and unhelpful speculation”.

“However it is especially concerning that we have now gone six days without any contact from her or any potential sightings.”

Samantha’s daughter Jess Murphy and husband Mick Murphy, speak to media outside Ballarat West Police Station. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Superintendent Hatt said the homicide squad was not involved in the investigation as of Friday morning.

Divisional investigations and response manager inspector Bob Heaney said the search had shifted to the Buninyong area on Friday.

“Previously we have worked through that Eureka and Canadian Forest area and today we are focusing on the Buninyong area,” he said.

“We are now six days into the operation, we have covered a lot of area so far so we are just expanding our search area.”

Police said investigators will look into Ms Murphy’s background, search history and movements in the days leading up to her disappearance.

Inspector Heaney said many unused mines and waterways were scattered in the area.

“It’s a challenging area, and terrain that’s within the area of the search operation,” he said.

“There’s a lot of unused mines and waterways … there’s also some really thick and rugged bush terrain.”

Samantha’s husband speaks to a policeman. Picture: Ian Wilson

Inspector Heaney also said crews were looking for Ms Murphy alive.

“We’ll continue to search until we find her,” he said.

“We are on the sixth day of the search … our concerns heighten the longer the time goes.”

He said the missing mum had a “family commitment” she was meant to attend on Sunday but did not show up.

‘We are standing with you’: Mayor shares heartfelt message

City of Ballarat mayor Des Hudson has shared a touching message to the Murphy family six days on from Samantha’s disappearance.

“We all in Ballarat are standing with you,” Mr Hudson said.

“It’s a very emotional time but our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers are with you all and we will all do what we can to hopefully see Samantha return safely back into your care.”

He said out of respect for the family’s privacy he had not reached out personally, adding the family had a supportive network of people comforting them.

“They will be, no doubt, distraught, worried, stressed and there will be people around them that are able to give comfort in this time of not knowing,” he said.

The Ballarat community has rallied to support emergency services and was still actively involving themselves in the search effort, according to Mr Hudson.

“There is great concern across our community, there is a really strong sense of empathy,” he said.

“There is a really high desire of community members to see Samantha safely returned to her husband and children.”

He said there has been an “outpouring of good will” for the Murphy family, with donations of food and a widespread volunteerism movement to go and search for Ms Murphy.

For those community members who have headed out into the bush land in search of Samantha have been urged to plan accordingly and stay safe.

“My message to those people that are looking to volunteer and go out into the area, check with the maps but also follow the advice in terms of being able to keep safe,” he said.

“The last thing emergency services need at the moment while they are concentrating on trying to find Samantha is to have to organise a second or third search for someone else.”

While the terrain is filled with good tracks and trails, popular with runners and cyclists, Mr Hudson said it was a “lengthy” area of dense bush land.

He said the city’s gold mining history had meant many disused mine shafts were littered around the area searched, which makes that terrain “particularly difficult” to search.

Missing person squad looks to expands reach

Detectives from the missing person squad will work with local police, search and rescue squad, mounted branch, dog squad and members of the SES and CFA.

The missing persons squad has the ability to expand resourcing from specialist investigative units across crime command.

“Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad have significant experience in the investigation of disappearances such as Samantha’s and have had involvement in a large number of complex bushland searches for missing people,” he said.

“We have been monitoring this matter since the first report on Sunday and have also actively provided our expertise to local police during the search.

“As a specialist unit, we will lead the investigation component and continue to work alongside experienced local police and other areas within Victoria Police in the hope we can locate Samantha as soon as possible.”

Superintendent Hatt said Mr Murphy’s family was struggling.

“I know this is an incredibly difficult times for her family and friends, who are without answers and no doubt struggling to understand what has happened,” he said.

“I urge anyone who may have information critical to this investigation to please come forward and contact police or Crime Stoppers.”

Samantha Murphy’s husband gets some encouragement from a friend at Buninyong Police Station. Picture: Ian Wilson

Early on Friday, Ms Murphy’s husband Michael Murphy was spotted speaking with officers at Buninyong Police Station.

More commonly referred to as Mick, Mr Murphy was flanked by an officer as they walked out of the station and back to his car just after 9am.

SES volunteers were seen driving out to the new search area west of Webb Hill, 10kms south of the search area covered on Thursday in Woowookarang Park.

The public notice board inside Buninyong Police Station said Ms Murphy was last seen going for a “walk” on Sunday morning.

Premier Jacinta Allan said her thoughts are with Ms Murphy’s loved ones.

“My heart goes out to the family of Samantha Murphy at this incredibly difficult time, and our thoughts are with you. Our love and care goes to you too,” she said.

“We certainly hope this search will be concluded soon and in a good way to provide comfort to the family.”

Ms Allan thanked the Ballarat community for the way it had supported the family.

“It speaks to the great strength of that community,” she said.

Originally published as Police scale back search for missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy, six days after her disappearance