Police reveal CCTV bungle in search for missing Ballarat jogger Samantha Murphy, missing persons unit to review case
The missing persons squad has taken over the investigation into the disappearance of Samantha Murphy as police admit they mishandled the investigation when they released incorrect CCTV footage.
The family of missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy, 51, has issued a heartfelt appeal to the public to help bring her home, as missing persons detectives sweep in to take over investigations.
As fears for her welfare escalate, police say rugged terrain, a lack of CCTV footage and the remoteness of search areas have made it difficult to find Ms Murphy.
The missing persons squad were called in on Friday morning to take control of the investigation, with local police and other agencies also helping in the search.
The squad have significant experience in complex bushland searches for missing people and have been monitoring Ms Murphy’s disappearance since she vanished on Sunday.
Crime Command Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said homicide detectives are not involved in the investigation.
“I can also confirm that we have not identified any suspicious or sinister circumstances. However, we do hold significant concerns for Samantha’s welfare at this stage, and that is growing as the days progress,” he said on Friday.
Inspector Bob Heaney from Divisional Investigations said that police had not received any CCTV relating to her movements, as he made another appeal for dashcam footage.
“We haven’t received any information relating to her movements from the moment she left her home address on Sunday morning,” Inspector Heaney said.
“Just speaking about the community and how they can best support us. I spoke earlier about CCTV. The remoteness of the areas we’re looking at, there’s not at lot of CCTV in residential or business premises so dashcam footage is the one we really need.”
Day six of the search will focus on the Buninyong area today. Previous search areas have included the Canadian State Forest and Mount Helen.
Police would not detail if they had managed to track Ms Murphy’s Apple watch, but said they are working with telecommunications technicians to determine locations she would have travelled through.
The developments come as day five of the search for her was plunged into confusion by a police bungle that saw CCTV footage released that incorrectly identified a person in the video as the missing jogger.
On Thursday, Jess Murphy stood beside her father, Michael, as she pleaded for help and for clues as to where her mother, who went missing while jogging through bushland on Sunday, might be.
“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.”
As she wiped tears from her eyes, Ms Murphy, with a shaky voice, delivered a message to her missing mother.
“Mum, we love you so much and we miss you and we need you at home with us,” she said.
“I can’t wait to see you and give you the biggest hug when I do, and to tell you off for giving us so much stress.”
In an unwanted twist on Thursday, police admitted they had mishandled the investigation when they released CCTV footage on Wednesday and identified a jogger in it as Ms Murphy, only to retract that on Thursday afternoon, saying it was not her. The footage was scrapped from police focus after a member of the community came forward to identify themselves as the person running in the video.
Day five of the search for the mother of three focused on an area of Woowookarung Regional Park on Thursday, which is located about 5km south of the Murphy family home.
Samantha Murphy was last seen leaving her home in Ballarat East at 7am.
The search area is known to be littered with abandoned mineshafts, according to locals.
Friends have described Ms Murphy as a fit woman, with police confirming she regularly went walking and running.
Despite her exercise routine, the exact route Ms Murphy took is unknown.
Police launched a fresh appeal to residents in Canadian, Ballarat East, and Mount Helen on Thursday to review their CCTV and dashcam footage from between 7am and 11am on the day of Ms Murphy’s disappearance.
Ms Murphy’s husband, Michael Murphy, asked the public to come forward if they had any information at all.
“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.”
Victoria Police Acting Inspector Lisa MacDougall said police had an open mind and were “considering all possibilities”.
They did not believe suspicious circumstances were involved at this stage, she said.
“What we really want is to appeal to everyone today for footage that they may have ... from that period of time after she left her residence.
“We would like the community not to make any decisions about what is or isn’t relevant,” Inspector MacDougall said.
Ballarat locals and Victorians from further afield banded together on Thursday to continue combing the forest and bush land.
Rowena Singleton, 43, from Ballarat said she regularly walked in the area from where Samantha Murphy appeared to have vanished.
“I felt drawn to it and just felt like I needed to help,” she said.
Ms Singleton was accompanied by her friend Adrian McHenry, 52, also a Ballarat local, and Gypsy Spiller, a 26-year-old who had travelled from Melbourne on her day off to take part in the search after joining a Facebook group dedicated to finding Ms Murphy.
Despite the trio’s best efforts, and their scouring of rugged bush tracks for most of the day, they had not managed to find any trace of Ms Murphy.
As the desperate search reached its fifth day, a clearer picture of the missing woman and her husband began to emerge.
The couple owns and operates a smash repair shop, Inland Motor Body Works, in Delacombe, with Ms Murphy being in charge of administration.
“Sam is the head of administration and the backbone of the office,” the business’s website reads.
“Her roles include: Book Keeping, Finance, Keeping Mick in line as co-owner, plus many more.”
According to the website, Mr Murphy is a qualified estimator and panel beater with more than 23 years of experience in the industry.
Ms Murphy is also known to be involved with the Ballarat Centre of Music and Arts.
Long-time friend and Ballarat local Virginia O’Loughlin described Ms Murphy as a family-oriented person and someone who was very sensible.
She said the missing woman would have run somewhere under the shade because of the hot weather and that she had been training in preparation for the Run The Gap fun run.
“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.”
Sissy Evans, a former Greens Senate candidate from Ballarat East, was brutally beaten in February 2023 by a mystery attacker with what appeared to be a homemade weapon on a running track through forest just 20km from where Ms Murphy was last seen.
Her assailant has never been found.
Victoria Police has refused to comment on whether they have been investigating potential links between Ms Murphy’s disappearance and the attack on Ms Evans.
More Coverage
Former reality TV star sues elite school for alleged sexual abuse
A former cast member of Australian Survivor is suing an elite Queensland private school for alleged abuse that included being locked in a sick room and dosed with sleeping tablets.
Massive 112m turbine collapses on wind farm
A wind turbine has collapsed in Victoria’s west after severe thunderstorms wreaked havoc, prompting calls for a statewide audit amid safety concerns.