Cops intensify search for mum’s body
Police will continue their search for the body of missing mum Samantha Murphy after a man was charged with her murder.
The 51-year-old was allegedly murdered on February 4, the same day she vanished after going for a morning jog through the Woowookarung Regional Park.
Despite extensive searches of bushland over the past five weeks, not a single trace of her has been found.
The 22-year-old son of an ex-AFL player - whose identity has been suppressed – was charged with her murder on Thursday, though police say he has not disclosed where the mother-of-three’s body is located.
“In the interview with the suspect, he has not disclosed where Samantha’s body is,” Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton told reporters.
Mr Patton urged the public to come forward with “even the slightest bit of information”.
“We’ve had amazing assistance in terms of intelligence reports being made,” he said.
“But anyone who has any information, even the slightest bit of information that they think might not be that relevant, please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
“Any little clue could be vital in helping us locate her body.”
Without commenting on the specifics of the current case, Criminologist Xanthe Mallet said people who commit crimes of “this nature” generally commit them in areas where they feel comfortable.
“We call it a comfort zone and so the police will be taking all of that into consideration,” she told Today.
“Somewhere where they are going to feel confident and comfortable to commit a criminal act.
“The police have been working very hard to find Samantha’s remains, not only for the investigation, but also obviously for Samantha’s family.”
Commissioner Patton said “painstaking detective work” over the past month lead them to lay the murder charges this week.
“He’s been located through a range of investigative outcomes that have come together and as you are aware we have been pinging phones and following up on investigation reports from members of the public,” he said.
“We have done ground searches, we have done door knocks so it’s a whole range of information that has come together.
“It has resulted from painstaking detective work with greater assistance from the public.”
The Ballarat community will come together to honour the life of Ms Murphy in an evening vigil to be held in Eureka Gardens on Friday night.
Media outlets will return to Ballarat Magistrate’s Court on Friday morning to fight the suppression order surrounding the 22-year-old man’s identity.
