Samantha Murphy search: ‘Psychic’ claims to connect with missing mum

A community page set up to co-ordinate finding Samantha Murphy has drawn 9,500 members already, but one particular post is causing tension.

The desperate search for missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy has attracted some self-proclaimed ‘psychics’ offering to give advice on the mystery surrounding her disappearance.

The 51-year-old was last seen by family five days ago as she left her home on Eureka St, Ballarat East for a run at 7am on Sunday morning.

A large-scale search entered its fourth day on Thursday, with emergency services and local community members scouring bushland around the regional city.

Crews have searched the Canadian State Forest and Mount Helen areas over the past four days, using mounted officers and police dogs to hunt for signs of Ms Murphy.

It has also been revealed that CCTV footage put out by the police purporting to show Ms Murphy going for a jog before her disappearance is actually of a different woman.

Samantha Murphy left her Ballarat East home to exercise on Sunday. Picture: Supplied

She has not been seen since.

Ms Murphy’s husband, Michael, thanked the community on Thursday for its support and urged people to contact police if they had any information.

“People just don’t vanish into thin air,” Mr Murphy said.

“Someone’s gotta know something. Even a little thing you might think’s relevant, call the police.”

The Murphy’s eldest daughter, Jess, echoed her father’s sentiments and said the family was holding out hope they would see her mother again.

“Mum is a strong woman and she is way too determined to give up this fight,” she said.

Samantha’s husband Michael Murphy (centre) and daughter Jess Murphy (left) speak outside Ballarat West Police Station. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

Many locals are co-ordinating through the Find Samantha Murphy page on Facebook, created by Cindy Hobbs, which has swelled to more than 9,500 members.

Some have flagged conducting horseback searchers and others proposed to go off road in a four-wheel-drive to explore walking tracks.

People have also posted pictures of loose items of clothing found in the area, including some tracksuit pants and a gardening glove, asking if they should report them to the police.

Ms Hobbs did not know the Murphy family and said while she felt “impostor guilt” over the page’s success, the response from the community had been “overwhelming”.

It was created to help co-ordinate volunteer search efforts as more locals begun the hunt for Ms Murphy.

But, she said, the group has also attracted unusual people such as “psychic mediums”, claiming to have spiritually “connected” with Ms Murphy.

“We have family members who are in the group, I don’t want them to fall victim to a psychic who’s promising answers to them,” Ms Hobbs said.

“There were a few implying they had some sort of insight into where incidents occurred.”

One video posted to the group by a medium named Rochelle Beattie before being deleted showed her drawing a landscape and features like roads and hills she claimed to have seen while “tuning in” to Ms Murphy.

She went on to say she had found it easy to connect with the missing mother: “She believes in me. She’s very spiritual.”

Ms Beattie told news.com.au she felt she had been “discriminated against” for being blocked from the group and claimed to have begun work for members of the Murphy family.

“I can guarantee when she’s found everything in my drawing will be there. Because it is every time,” she said.

An information board set up in Ballarat as part of the search.

The decision to remove the post created some backlash in the group, with some members saying any information could help.

“See the new post saying psychic posts will be deleted? You’d think any help would be appreciated,” one person wrote.

Another said: “Please focus on facts and the information that is given to us from authorities and keep the focus on finding Samantha.”

Ms Hobbs said the majority of people were committed to finding Ms Murphy and she wanted to ensure locals maintained a positive energy.

Acting Inspector Lisa McDougall told media on Thursday police were keeping an open mind about what happened to Ms Murphy, but had not identified any suspicious circumstances.

She said Ms Murphy’s disappearance was out of character, and her family was “very concerned” about her wellbeing.

Investigators are still trying to piece together the route taken by Ms Murphy and have called for locals to review CCTV and security cameras in the areas near where she was last seen.

SES personnel search for clues in a forest near Samantha Murphy’s house on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Diego Fedele

Ms Hobbs shared a statement from an unnamed member of Ms Murphy’s family on Wednesday night.

“We are holding up as strong as we can emotionally and physically,” it read.

“We pray that Samantha comes home soon safe and sound. We all miss her dearly.”

The family member also addressed speculation on the page about Ms Murphy’s husband, dismissing any suggestions of wrongdoing.

“For those questioning Samantha’s husband, you need not worry,” it read.

“He is in more pain than anyone and would be the last person to suspect in any of this.”

Samantha’s husband Michael Murphy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Diego Fedele

Ms Murphy was a “very experienced walker”, the family member said, but it was “not usual” that her phone had pinged near the Buninyong Golf Club.

“Yes she walked in different directions, but she kept to the paths, never went for more than 10km total roughly and would let family know if she was walking further.”

Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton told radio station 3aw today that the length of time Ms Murphy had been missing was “very, very concerning”.

The state’s top cop urged community members not to publicly speculate about their theories on the missing woman.

“The public … shouldn’t be going on social media and shouldn’t be speculating on what they think has or hasn’t occurred here,” he said.

“This is very early days. This is traumatic for the family and friends of Samantha.

“Victoria Police is doing everything we can, and I would just urge everyone to leave it to police to work through.”

Police released CCTV footage which eventually proved to be of a different woman. Picture: Supplied

Asked whether Ms Murphy might still be alive five days after she was last seen, Commissioner Patton said “anything is still possible”.

Police yesterday shared CCTV of a person they believed to be Ms Murphy walking on Eureka St at about 7.16am on Sunday, headed northeast toward Yankee Flat Rd. However it has since been proven to show a different woman.

Investigators have called for residents in the suburbs of Canadian, Ballarat East and Mount Helen to review any security cameras they might have for signs of the 51-year-old.

Acting Inspector McDougall said people should look at footage between 7am and 11am on Sunday and report any relevant material to Crime Stoppers.