Ground crew volunteer group vows to find Samantha Murphy’s body after meeting family
The community-led volunteer group which has assisted in the search for Samantha Murphy has made an emotional pledge after meeting with the family of the missing Ballarat mum.
Police & Courts
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The family of missing woman Samantha Murphy have thanked those in the Ballarat community who have not lost hope in finding the 51-year-old’s body.
Five weeks on from Ms Murphy’s disappearance and alleged murder, there are still seemingly no answers as to where her body lays.
An organiser from the community led group, the “Ground Crew”, told the Sunday Herald Sun they had recently met the Murphy family in person for the first time following a silent vigil held at the Eureka Stockade on Friday night.
The woman said family members were “really supportive and really thankful” for the community’s continued support.
A “Ground Crew” organiser told the Murphy family they weren’t “giving up” and would do everything they could to bring Samantha’s body home.
“We are not quitting,” the organiser said.
Members of the “Ground Crew” said they were now waiting on Victoria Police to give them the “all clear” before heading back into the bush.
“We did tell them [Murphy family], pending the okay from police, that we are not going to stop until her body is found,” one organiser said.
A police spokesman said there were no immediate plans for a ground search for Ms Murphy’s body, with investigators left hamstrung until new information “comes to light”.
It has been five days since Scotsburn man Patrick Stephenson was charged with the murder of Ms Murphy after she had left home for an early morning run on February 4.
The Herald Sun revealed on Friday Mr Stephenson had been on a bender the night before he allegedly murdered Ms Murphy.
The 22-year-old has been unwilling to assist police so far as to the whereabouts of Samantha’s body.
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