Inside the mystery of missing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy
The Victorian mother left her Ballarat home for a jog on February 4 and despite extensive searches and a huge community response she hasn’t been seen since.
Who is Samantha Murphy?
Samantha Murphy is a 51-year-old mother of three children who lives in Ballarat East.
She is married to Michael Murphy, who likes to be referred to as “Mick”.
Ms Murphy is involved with the Ballarat Centre of Music and Arts and owns and works at a vehicle repairs business called Inland Motor Body Works with her husband in Delacombe, a suburb of Ballarat.
The Inland Motor Body Works website says Ms Murphy is the head of administration and “the backbone of the office.” It says her roles include book keeping, finance, “keeping Mick in line as co-owner, plus many more.”
Police and family have said her disappearance is out of character, with long-time friend and Ballarat local Virginia O’Loughlin describing Ms Murphy as sensible and a family-oriented person.
“Sam is extremely fit, Sam is the most strong woman I know and I’m not just talking about mind,” Ms O’Loughlin told Sunrise on Thursday.
“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.”
Police have described Ms Murphy as caucasian, about 173cm tall with a slim build and shoulder-length blonde hair.
How long has Ms Murphy been missing for?
Ms Murphy went missing eight days ago.
She was last seen leaving her home on Eureka St in Ballarat East at about 7am on Sunday 4 February to go for a run in the nearby Canadian State Forest.
Sunday 4 February was a very hot day, with temperatures reaching a top of 36.3 degrees in Ballarat, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
The last sighting of Ms Murphy is an image that was captured on Ms Murphy’s home CCTV system before she left for her run, which was released by police.
She was last seen wearing black half-length leggings and a maroon/brown coloured singlet.
Where have police searched?
Police, with assistance from a number of other agencies including the SES, and members of the public, have searched the Canadian Forest area, part of the Woowookarung Regional Park, in Ballarat where Ms Murphy was known to regularly run.
On Wednesday, the search moved to the nearby Mount Helen area to the east of Geelong Rd following information about different running routes Ms Murphy may have taken.
On Friday, the search focused on the Buninyong area.
Where is Ballarat? What is the search area like?
Ballarat is about 115 kilometres north west of Melbourne and has a population of about 117,000 people.
The bushland where the search has been undertaken, which is outside the city centre, is home to rugged terrain and full of abandoned mineshafts, according to locals.
Sissy Evans, a former Greens Senate candidate from Ballarat East, was beaten just one year ago, in February 2023, on a running track through forest just 20km from where Ms Murphy was last seen.
Her assailant has never been found.
Police have refused to comment on whether they have investigated any potential link between Ms Murphy’s disappearance and the attack on Ms Evans.
Has there been any sign of Ms Murphy?
Despite extensive searches, including what local police say is probably the largest community response ever to the search in the Ballarat region, there has been no sign of Ms Murphy.
Do police know the route Ms Murphy took when she set off on her run?
No. There is no evidence as to where Ms Murphy went after she left her home for her run on the morning of Sunday 4 February.
What happened to the CCTV footage?
A police bungle saw CCTV footage released on Wednesday that incorrectly identified Ms Murphy as the person in the video.
On Thursday, police issued a statement that the jogger was not Ms Murphy, after a member of the community came forward to identify themselves as the person running in the video.
What about items of interest?
On Wednesday, police confirmed they were investigating some items they had located during their search.
Police had cordoned off an area of bushland after discovering the items, which were found in shrubs near Ms Murphy’s home.
But just two hours later, police confirmed the items had been assessed and were not Ms Murphy’s and not relevant to the search.
What about Mr Murphy’s phone and Apple watch?
Ms Murphy’s phone last “pinged” on Sunday 4 February from a tower at Buninyong.
Police have not said if they have managed to track Ms Murphy’s Apple watch, but said on Friday they were working with telecommunications technicians.
Has her family said anything?
Michael Murphy and Ms Murphy’s oldest daughter Jess fronted the media on Thursday.
Through tears, Jess issued a plea to the public for help and a message to her mother.
“Mum’s a really strong woman and she’s far too determined to give up this fight,” she said.
“I know she’s out there somewhere, so if you could please continue to search for her to give us something to work with, we would really appreciate it.”
“Mum, we love you so much and we miss you and we need you at home with us,”
Mr Murphy asked the public to come forward with any information they had.
“We’re overwhelmed by the help of the public and the community and the way they’ve all formed together and come together as a unit to help us look for Sam in her disappearance,” Mr Murphy said.
“People just don’t vanish into thin air … someone’s got to know something.
“Whether it be any little thing that you might think (is) relevant, just call the police ... It will give us a bit of peace of mind, some hope.”
Earlier in the week, Mr Murphy had told the Herald Sun that his wife went running in the area every day and that he was hopeful she would be found safely.
He had said he was “not too bad under the circumstances”.
“It’s just up in the air, we don’t know,” he said. “It’s just a whole time thing at the end of the day.”
Is Ms Murphy’s disappearance being treated as suspicious?
At this stage, police are not treating Ms Murphy’s disappearance as suspicious.
On Friday, Crime Command Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt confirmed homicide detectives were not involved in the investigation.
“I can also confirm that we have not identified any suspicious or sinister circumstances,” he said.
“However, we do hold significant concerns for Samantha’s welfare at this stage, and that is growing as the days progress.”
Have police scaled back the search?
Yes. On Friday, local police handed the investigation over to the Missings Persons Squad, which will continue to work in conjunction with local police.
The squad has significant experience in complex bushland searches for missing people and have been monitoring the case since Ms Murphy vanished on Sunday.
On Saturday, police said the “investigative stage of the investigation continues and as any new information comes to hand identifying areas of interest, the search will be scaled up.”
“While no sinister factors have been identified in Samantha’s disappearance at this time, there are significant concerns given it has now been six days without her being sighted or any signs of her current whereabouts,” police said.
Police have continued their appeal for CCTV footage, asking the public to submit any CCTV or dashcam footage covering the Ballarat East, Mount Helen and Buninyong areas from Sunday 4 February.
What is happening now?
A lack of CCTV footage and the remoteness of search areas have made it difficult to locate Ms Murphy, police have said.
Detectives from the Missing Persons Unit continue to investigate. It is thought they are exploring other lines of inquiry, including using metadata from Ms Murphy’s smartwatch and mobile phone to locate her.
Police have continued their appeal to the public, asking for any CCTV or dashcam footage covering the Ballarat East, Mount Helen and Buninyong areas from Sunday 4 February.
“Even if the footage does not depict Samantha, detectives are keen to review all footage in the areas between 7am and 7pm on Sunday, 4 February,” police said.
Despite the search being “scaled back,” volunteers from across Victoria have continued to search for Ms Murphy, with a dedicated “Find Samantha Murphy” Facebook group consisting of more than 20,000 members.
