‘Bring her home’: Samantha Murphy’s family heartbreak as police continue search for her body

The search for the body of Samantha Murphy is continuing, but now there’s even more pain for her long-suffering family.

The man accused of murdering Samantha Murphy is refusing to cooperate with police, as the search for her body continues,

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was arrested and charged on on Wednesday, with today marking five weeks since the 51-year-old Ballarat woman’s disappearance after she went for an early morning run in the Woowookarung Regional Park in East Ballarat, in regional Victoria.

Ms Murphy was last seen going for a run on February 4.

Her family remain desperate for answers, with Ms Murphy’s husband, Mick, issuing a heartfelt plea.

“We are hoping he has a bit of a change of heart and that he will co-operate. That will help bring her home,” he said on Friday.

“We’d just like some more answers now.”

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward as they continue to scour CCTV footage to try to piece events together.

Homicide cops have reportedly visited at least one Ballarat pub for CCTV footage where it has been reported Stephenson partied with friends the night before Ms Murphy’s disappearance and likely death.

Patrick Orren Stephenson has been charged with the murder of Samantha Murphy.

Stephenson is the son of former AFL footballer Orren Stephenson.

The Sunday Herald Sun reports police have identified a new location of interest in the search and are reviewing security camera footage from businesses in a light industrial and residential area of Ballarat East.

Homeowners and businesses in Elsworth, Joseph and Butt streets in the suburb of Canadian have handed over footage from the time Ms Murphy disappeared and police have also searched the area, which is home to businesses such as panel beaters, gyms and self-storage facilities.

Elsworth St East leads into thick bushland managed by Parks Victoria, but it is not clear whether the footage shows Ms Murphy, Stephenson or any vehicles of interest, or has yielded any clues as to what happened to Ms Murphy.

Police arrested Stephenson, the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, at a home in Scotsburn, about 16km from Ballarat, on March 6.

The mother of three disappeared five weeks ago.

Shane Patton, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, told media Stephenson’s arrest came thanks to “a range of investigative outcomes” including pinging phones that were in the area at the time of Ms Murphy’s disappearance and information from the public.

It was first thought there was no connection between the victim and her alleged killer, but it has subsequently been revealed that Ms Murphy volunteered in the uniform shop of St Francis Xavier Primary School while Stephenson attended the school as a child.

Police had previously stated that Ms Murphy and Stephenson had never met.

Stephenson is a similar age to Ms Murphy’s oldest child, daughter Jess.