Samantha Murphy: Forensic psychologist says mum’s routine could have attracted stalker

One of the country’s leading forensic psychologists has offered a chilling new theory on what could have happened to Samantha Murphy.

Missing mother Samantha Murphy’s regular routine of jogging through local forests would have made her an “easy target” for any lurking stalkers, a forensic psychologist believes.

More than 10 days since she vanished, Victoria’s top police officer revealed for the first time that there were “suspicious” circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Until now there have been no breakthroughs in the search for the Ballarat woman despite a multi-agency operation and huge community efforts.

Ms Murphy, 51, is believed to have left her Eureka St home for a run about 7am on February 4 but never returned.

Samantha Murphy (pictured outside her home before she went missing) regularly jogged on the same route.

A forensic psychologist fears Ms Murphy’s (pictured with her husband and child) regular routine may have made her a target.

With no leads, Victoria Police scaled back its search of Ballarat’s bushland on the weekend and had not commented on the investigation for several days.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton admitted on Wednesday investigators had no leads but that the case was “suspicious”.

“Whether that means there’s foul play involved, or not, I don’t know, but obviously detectives are investigating a matter where a woman’s been missing for a significant period of time,” he said.

Tim Watson-Munro, a veteran forensic psychologist whose job is to get inside the mind of a criminal, said Ms Murphy’s disappearance was “unusual” in many ways.

“It’s a mother who disappears in normal circumstances – she’s going for a run and she’s never seen again,” Mr Watson-Munro said.

“The other unusual aspect is normally there are clues.”

Tim Watson-Munro is one of Australia's pre-eminent prison psychologists. Picture: Tim Pascoe

The search for missing woman Samantha Murphy has been scaled back in the Woowooksarung Regional park in regional Victoria. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

He acknowledged that “people disappear all the time” but wondered why police commentary about the investigation had gone “rapidly quiet” this week.

Mr Watson-Munro theorised that she may have been abducted by someone who had been following her movements.

“She’s either done a runner, which is unlikely because it would seem by all accounts a happy family, or she’s been met with foul play,” he said. “She may have been the victim of a stalker.

“Stalkers love routine. If some person had become fixated on her – she’d be an easy target running through the bush in the middle of the day.”

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

Ms Murphy was described as being both physically and mentally healthy and a much-loved family woman.

Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton had urged people not to speculate on the case, saying it heaped stress on her traumatised family.

Last week, her husband Mick Murphy urged the local community for information.

“People just don’t vanish into thin air. Someone’s got to know something,” Mr Murphy told media.

Gold mining town Ballarat has many hidden mine shafts. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Mr Watson-Munro said it was possible the East Ballarat woman may have suffered from a medical episode, or misadventure in the form of falling into one of the town’s many mine shafts.

He conceded the stalker theory might seem unlikely, however he added “fact is often stranger than fiction”.

Retired homicide detective Charlie Bezzina yesterday said there was still a “long way to go” in solving the mystery.

He believed police scaling back their search indicated officers were zeroing in on “a particular line of inquiry”.

“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,” Mr Bezzina said.

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