Latest search for Samantha Murphy in Enfield State Park called off with no items found

The latest police search for the remains of missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy, targeting dense bushland in the Enfield State Park, has been called off with no items recovered.

Police with dogs search for the remains of missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy. Picture: David Crosling

The latest search for the remains of missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy has been called off.

Victoria Police said the search, in which dozens a local and interstate police scoured the Enfield State Park, had been called off on Friday.

No items of interest were located during the search which was launched on Tuesday.

“Police have concluded their current search of the Enfield State Forest and no items of interest were located,” a spokeswoman said.

“The investigation remains ongoing and is focused on locating Samantha’s body.

“We are not in a position to supply further specific details of operational activity at this time.”

A new search for Samantha Murphy’s remains was launched on Tuesday. Picture: Mark Stewart

Scaled back search underway

A scaled back search for the remains of missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy recommenced on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, dozens of specialist police headed into “dangerous” bushland south of Ballarat in search of the missing woman.

Thirty-five specialist police members travelled back to the Enfield State Park just before 9am on Thursday, including officers on motorbikes, members from the mounted unit and NSWPF cadaver dogs, along with AFP cadaver dogs.

Missing persons squad members were unable to recover any items of interest on Wednesday, and the large-scale, interagency search effort looks set to come to a close by the end of Thursday day if no items are found.

Police at the Grenville search on Wednesday. Picture: David Crosling

Rain hampers search

Operations were delayed on Wednesday morning after a heavy downpour swept across the region.

A Victoria Police spokesperson said search organisers chose to wait until the weather eased, not willing to take any chances due to the “dangerous” sites being searched.

It is understood police will traverse bush land littered with known, and unknown, mineshaft locations.

The areas being searched are about 5km from where police discovered Ms Murphy’s phone on a property near Durham Lead.

Police have been in the area conducting searches over the past few months.

A base of operations has been established at the Grenville Recreation Reserve.

The latest search was launched on Tuesday, led by detectives from the missing persons squad.

The “targeted search” has also involved specialist resources from other arms of Victoria Police, New South Wales Police and the Australian Federal Police.

Police endured rain on Wednesday’s search. Picture: David Crosling

Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson on Wednesday urged community members to stay away from the search grounds despite the clear empathy residents share for the Murphy family.

“I think people really just want the family to be able to find Samantha, find Mick’s wife, find the mother and be able to give her a dignified funeral and lay her to rest in what has been an absolute tragic set of circumstances,” Cr Hudson said.

Coming from a policing background, Cr Hudson commended police for their continued and unceasing effort to find Ms Murphy, having sifted through thousands of pieces of information including video footage from home security cameras and dashcam security vision.

He said the latest search added to the “roller coaster of emotion” for the community of Ballarat.

“All of those emotions... continue to show the scars are still very much at the surface across the local community,” he said.

Police have asked members of the public not to attend. Picture: David Crosling

A series of searches have been carried out in and outside of Ballarat since the disappearance of Ms Murphy, 51, seven months ago.

She had left for a jog on the morning of February 4 and was never seen again.

Ballarat man Patrick Stephenson has since been charged with Ms Murphy’s murder.

Grenville is in the same area as Buninyong, where Ms Murphy’s phone was found beside a dam in May.

A Victoria Police statement on Tuesday said Ms Murphy’s family had been informed of the latest development.

“Police ask that members of the public do not attend the search at this time,” the statement said.

Originally published as Latest search for Samantha Murphy in Enfield State Park called off with no items found