A 33-day mystery that broke a nation’s heart
A man is charged with murder — but the agony is not over for Samantha Murphy’s family.
For 33 days, Michael “Mick” Murphy has been in the eye of a tragic storm.
Shortly after detectives visited the Ballarat East home on Thursday where he and wife Sam have raised their three children, the father’s relief spilled over.
“They’ve charged the 22-year-old,” Murphy said to the media, his voice shaking as he spoke.
“God, the adrenaline with everything that’s been going on, trying to be brave for everybody. It’s something you wouldn’t want anyone to experience.
“It’s like someone’s just pulled a pressure valve. It hasn’t been good for a while, nearly five weeks, but we’re doing as good as we can.”
Thousands of people go missing across Australia every year, but not all of them capture the attention of a nation. Even in tragic cases, where the missing person is ultimately found to have died or been killed, many stories remain localised.
But the story of Samantha Murphy, a mum who headed out for a jog shortly after 7am on a warm Sunday in early February, has captivated the entire country and sparked global attention.
Victoria’s Chief Commissioner, Shane Patton, summed it up this way after his detectives charged a man with murdering the mother on February 4, the day she disappeared, in Mount Clear.
“I know that Samantha’s disappearance has had a profound impact on the Ballarat community,” he said.
“Some cases, some disappearances, some murders, bring out outpourings of grief and we have seen that here.
“I thought it was important I came here (to the press conference) because such has been the outpouring of grief in the community, the feeling of emotion that we have heard right across not just Ballarat and the surrounding area but right across Victoria and across the nation and internationally.”
Perhaps the phenomenon of this case can be partly explained by the unremarkable nature of Sam Murphy’s final moments that were captured on the family’s CCTV system.
There she is, wearing black half-length leggings and a maroon/brown singlet, what appears to be a doggy poo bag in her hand. The 51-year-old was heading out for a jog, something she did regularly. There was nothing risky or remotely dangerous about her actions that morning. Every Sunday morning across towns big and small throughout Australia people leave their homes for a walk or run. They all expect to make it home. Samantha Murphy no doubt thought she would grind out her 15km jog through the Canadian Forest and then return home and get on with her day in the company of her loving family.
The Murphys’ house is surrounded by rugged bushland, but she was experienced in jogging through the native bush, pine plantations, hills, dirt roads and tracks. The terrain is peppered with old gold mines.
Police focused on the possibility that she headed to the nearby Canadian State Forest, part of the Woowookarung Regional Park. The Mount Helen and nearby Mount Clear areas were also searched. Mobile phone tracking was a key part of the investigation.
It was not until three weeks into this mystery, that police conceded that the search for Sam Murphy was now a body hunt. They also revealed that her remains had more than likely been removed from the area.
Over the past five weeks, the nation has got to know the Murphy family, as they’ve been thrust into the spotlight.
Everyone had a theory, or wanted to know what the theories were. Many agreed there’s no way a beloved mother of three who lived in a comfortable $2m home, and who worked closely with her husband, would voluntarily disappear.
Five days after she vanished, Mick Murphy and their eldest daughter, Jess, held an emotion charged press conference, appealing for help to find her.
“People just don’t vanish into thin air,” he said.
Wiping away tears, Jess pleaded for answers; “Mummy … we miss you and we need you at home with us,” she said. “Please come home soon. I can’t wait to see you, and to give you the biggest hug.”
Close friend and Ballarat local Virginia O’Loughlin described her as a sensible and family-oriented person. “Sam is extremely fit, Sam is the most strong woman I know and I’m not just talking about mind,” O’Loughlin told the Seven Network’s Sunrise.
“I’m also talking about body as well. Sam is a fierce woman (who) will be doing whatever she can at the moment to make sure she’s reunited with her family.”
Sam and Mick Murphy were not only partners in life, they were also partners in business.
They’ve worked closely together for more than a decade building a successful enterprise, Inland Motor Body Works.
While Mick Murphy leads a “dynamic team” of panel beaters committed to perfection, Sam Murphy runs the back end of the smash repair outlet based in the warehouse district along Heinz Road, Delacombe.
The company website describes her as the “head of administration and the backbone of the office”, and offers a cheeky insight into their relationship. “Her roles include: book keeping, finance, keeping Mick in line as co-owner, plus many more.”
Commissioner Patton said the Murphy family had no involvement in Samantha’s disappearance despite being under “intense scrutiny”.
“They were under intense scrutiny at the outset and we Victoria Police said everyone should keep an open mind and let us go about our business,” he said.
“They have been cooperative with us, they provided everything we needed, and they have had no involvement whatsoever in this matter.”
The charging of a man with her murder doesn’t bring the 33-day mystery to an end. As of Thursday evening her body had not been found. Chief Commissioner Patton said finding Sam Murphy was now the priority for investigators.
“Our primary role now is to try and get Samantha back for her family,” he said.
Shortly after learning that a man had been charged with murdering his wife — and as the hunt for her remains continues — Mick Murphy did something simple but courageous. He found the strength to thank locals for their support.
“The generosity and support from the community has been just overwhelming,” he said before returning into his house to be with his family.
