Samantha Murphy: Former homicide detective shares theory on missing mum’s case

A former homicide detective believes police are keeping their theories ‘close to their chest’ as mystery remains around the disappearance of Samantha Murphy.

A former homicide detective believes the search for missing Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy was scaled back because police were zeroing in on a “particular line of inquiry”.

Ms Murphy was last seen on February 4 when she is believed to have left her Ballarat East house for a jog about 7am.

The alarm was sounded when the mother-of-three failed to attend a brunch she had planned later that day.

Emergency services and local volunteers launched a full-scale search of bushland she was known to run in last week, but no trace of her has been found since.

Samantha Murphy has been missing for more than a week. Picture: Supplied

After five days, Victoria Police announced the hunt was being scaled back on Saturday as the Missing Persons Squad continued its investigation into her disappearance.

Retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina told Sunrise on Tuesday the decision to wind down search operations led him to believe police had information they had not shared to the public.

“Given the fact that they've scaled back the search is indicative that they’re looking at a particular line of inquiry, even though they’ve got the support of the community,” he said.

“They’re not going to air that, they’ll keep it close to their chest and continue to say that [it’s] nothing sinister or criminal at this stage.

“But I think everything’s on the table.”

Do you have a story? Email [e-mail]

Former Victorian detective Charlie Bezzina. Picture: AAP Image/James Ross

Asked what his hunch was, he suggested Ms Murphy could have left of her own accord or suffered from misadventure.

“It could be anything,” the private investigator said.

“And that gives us the complexity of this investigation. So there’s a long way to go yet.”

Victoria Police has discouraged people from speculating on Ms Murphy’s disappearance, asking for calm as investigators work through the information gathered.

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

Samantha’s husband Mick Murphy and daughter Jess Murphy. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nicki Connolly

Senior police have stressed that no evidence of foul play has been uncovered, however, investigators were keeping an open mind as they try to solve the mystery.

Hundreds of community members have mobilised themselves to join the search for the beloved mother, and shared their theories online in social media groups.

Mr Bezzina, who worked on some of the state’s most high-profile cases, said there were some “unnerving circumstances” surrounding how a woman from a respected family could go missing.

Part of the vast area searched in the hunt for the missing mum. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Ian Wilson

He pointed to the reported attack of former Greens candidate Sissy Austin by an unknown man 20km from the search area, and claims of a “dishevelled man” approaching campers around the town.

Local church minister Mark Scherring told Sunrise he had witnessed the town go through a whirlwind of emotions since Ms Murphy went missing.

“Anything from disbelief that this has happened [to] someone in our local community,” he said.

“People hopeful at various stages, disheartened at other stages.

”But also determined to be supportive and helpful of the family in whatever way they can.”