A large-scale search for mother of three Samantha Murphy has failed to locate her after she went missing.
A large-scale search for mother of three Samantha Murphy has failed to locate her after she went missing.
In Australia, a team of criminal and missing person experts has lifted the lid on another potential new clue, sparking hope in the case of missing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy.
The 51-year-old disappeared four weeks ago after going for a run in the Canadian State Forest in Victoria, Australia, on February 4, with police describing her disappearance as “out of character”.
A targeted search began in and around Mount Clear, only 5km away from where she was last seen, based on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from phone data.
Now a group of experts has appeared on the Channel Nine show Under Investigation, where they combed over the case and weighed in on likely scenarios, throwing up a new potential clue.
Those experts included former Victorian detective Damian Marrett, criminal psychologist Dr Peter Ashkar, missing persons specialist Valentine Smith and cyber expert Nigel Phair.
On the show, which aired Wednesday night, the panel covered the possibility Murphy was kidnapped and is still alive, as well as mentioned how the sighting of a damaged car may hold further clues.
Samantha Murphy is 51 years old and described as tall with blonde hair, last seen wearing a brown singlet.
“The idea that Samantha has actually wilfully left the family is just unfathomable and just implausible to me,” Dr Ashkar told the programme.
Mine-shaft explorer Raymond Shaw, who has been helping police, also weighed in, revealing there are thousands of abandoned mine shafts, some of which are 100 metres deep.
He hinted that there is a possibility that one could contain Murphy’s body.
“I think there could be anywhere between 4000 and 5000 gold mines just underneath the town,” he said.
It is widely suggested that locals know how to navigate the terrain without falling into a mine shaft, but the panel agreed it was possible Murphy’s body had been dumped following foul play.
They believed this to be the most likely scenario.
“They could be a great place to conceal a body or a crime after the fact … and you’d probably never find it,” Detective Marrett said.
Dr Ashkar said the lack of any trace of Murphy points to her having been attacked by a “psychopathic predator … who would know that area, like the back of their hand”.
Crews scoured dense bushland in the Canadian State Forest for missing woman Samantha Murphy.
New car clue sparks hopes
The panel of experts threw up a new clue that could spark hope that either the mother-of-three is alive, or that it could lead police closer to finding Murphy.
A possible sighting of a damaged vehicle around the area police are now searching could hold a clue into what happened to Murphy.
A targeted search began in and around Mount Clear, only 5km away from where she was last seen, based on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from phone data.
Mount Clear is adjacent to the Canadian State Forest, an area Murphy was known to frequent on her runs.
The panel suggested the police statement on Friday where they said “one or more parties” could be involved could have some relation to the damaged car.
The experts considered the possibility the existence of the car could mean Murphy was taken from the area.
Samantha Murphy is 51 years old and described as tall with blonde hair, last seen wearing a brown singlet.
Theory that Murphy is still alive
They also considered the possibility she was kidnapped during her run, likely around the 7km point of her run and that she is still alive.
Murphy was running with her mobile phone and Apple Watch.
Police analysis of GPS and biometric data from those devices suggests she only completed 7km of her planned 15km route.
At that point, her digital trail appears to have ended abruptly.
Forensic psychologist Dr Ashkar said on the show: “I would still like to believe the very real possibility that it’s a kidnapping and she’s still alive.
“That’s my hope. But I absolutely feel that whoever has taken her and abducted, they are very systematic and organised and knew very well what they were doing.”
Former Detective Marrett also said: “Seven kilometres in, an incident has happened. And it just feels like a targeted attack.”
He also explained the police’s interest in the damaged car was a huge clue, given they “didn’t just say a car, they said a damaged car, it’s so specific”.
“So was that damage caused with this incident or was that damage because someone saw a damaged car leave?”
Michael (Mick) Murphy, the husband of missing woman Samantha Murphy, has appealed for any information from members of the public about the whereabouts of his wife.
Crime expert’s grim theory
Earlier this week, a highly esteemed crime expert said police likely suspected a person involved in the search for the missing mum could be her killer.
Veteran crime expert John Silvester aired a grim new theory on radio station 3AW, saying she’s unlikely to have disappeared, pointing at foul play.
“We know it’s not self-harm or a medical issue. Why? Because the area has been searched, and they’re very confident if someone has fallen down one way or another, they would have been found.
“So that leaves you with the suggestion of foul play and probably murder.”
Locals have launched search parties in a bid to assist police in helping locate Murphy.
However, Silvester suggested someone among the search party could be operating with ill-intent to throwing police off the scent that someone who knows Murphy or is an upstanding member of the community could be behind her disappearance.
“Police will also be considering that one of those searchers is the [alleged] killer in that they have inculcated themselves into that situation to be seen as part of the community, but also keeping an eye on what’s going on,” he explained.
He explained that police have likely ruled out that Murphy had any major secrets that the family didn’t know about.
Police are continuing to ask everyone in the Ballarat East and Mount Helen areas, particularly around the Canadian Forest, to check their CCTV for possible sightings over the past four weeks.
“Finally, it’s important that people continue to avoid unnecessary and unhelpful speculation because we don’t want that to detract from the genuine investigation or potentially prevent anyone coming forward with information because they have a misconception about what has happened to Samantha,” Superintendent Mark Hatt said.
