The detectives leading the investigation into the disappearance of Samantha Murphy, a mother of three, clings to clues that she believes will solve the mystery.
On Friday, Missing Persons Unit Superintendent Mark Hatt held a strategically designed press conference that left many questions unanswered, including one about outlaw motorcycle gangs.
For more than 15 minutes, the seasoned detective answered question after question from a horde of reporters until they ran out of steam.
Police were questioned about possible links between Samantha Murphy’s disappearance and the cyclists. Ballarat is the meeting point for the Bandidos (pictured at the national race in Ballarat last year)
CCTV captured Samantha Murphy’s last known movements on the morning of February 4
The meeting outside the Mount Clear Scout Hall was billed as an “important update” but in reality offered little real insight into what detectives believed happened to the 51-year-old.
Ms Murphy has not been seen since she left her home in Ballarat East at 7am on February 4 to go for a run in a state forest on the outskirts of the regional town, west of M.elbourne.
Last week’s press conference was called to allow journalists to document the police’s return to a remote section of the bush they had searched weeks earlier.
While the “targeted search”, which interestingly included members of Victoria Police’s Major Collision Investigation Unit, turned up nothing, it provided headlines across the country that day.
On Saturday, locals desperate to continue the search for Ms Murphy again ventured into the bush in what has become little more than a grim sideshow to the real search.
Superintendent Hatt said police suspect Murphy’s body may have been removed from the area where everyone is searching.
‘That is certainly a scenario we are studying. “Based on our elimination process, we believe another party, either one person or multiple people, has been involved,” he stated.
Walking through the undergrowth, all the questions that Superintendent Hatt did not answer were undoubtedly a hot topic of discussion.
Missing Persons Unit Superintendent Mark Hatt prepares to face the press outside an examination room in Mount Clear on Friday. He answered questions for a full 15 minutes until they stopped coming.
Ballarat locals carried out another wild goose chase in the bush on Saturday despite detectives stating they believed Ms Murphy’s body had been moved.
Questions about Murphy’s race that day, her husband Mick’s movements and whether or not he was a suspect were answered cautiously.
“At this time, he is not (a suspect),” Superintendent Hatt responded after initially avoiding the question.
However, like all members of Ms Murphy’s immediate family, she is a “person of interest” in the case.
Superintendent Hatt suggested a number of people could become suspects as the investigation progressed.
If they now had a suspect, he declined to say.
“We have several people we’re talking to,” he said.
“All I can say is that our avenues are taking us in certain directions and we are following everything.”
It is not yet known who was home at the time Ms Murphy embarked on her career, but Superintendent Hatt suggested they knew the answer and where they went that day.
“There is a lot of movement to and from the house during the day and again we are very, very confident that we have tracked all of those movements and we are following up on everything,” he said.
Volunteers conducted a search outside Murphy’s home just days after she disappeared.
Part of that line of investigation has seen police search Murphy’s property for clues.
“To some extent (it has been searched),” Superintendent Hatt said, declining to confirm whether Murphy’s phone or other electronic devices had been examined.
As the search for Ms Murphy turns into a search for her body, Superintendent Hatt confirmed the family business had come under scrutiny.
The Murphy couple owns and operates smash repair company Inland Motor Body Works, which is among the largest of its kind in the region.
Speculation about outlaw motorcycle gangs patronizing the store has circulated in the Ballarat community since Ms Murphy disappeared.
The Ballarat community is no stranger to biker-related violence, with a senior Bandidos member being shot in their clubhouse during the club’s national race just a few months ago.
Superintendent Hatt refused to answer questions about possible links to the motorcyclists and Ms Murphy’s disappearance.
However, he confirmed that detectives were closely examining the panelist’s books.
“We are absolutely investigating everything we can to find out what happened to Samantha,” Superintendent Hatt said.
Mick Murphy comforts his daughter Jessica during his only press conference in the week after his wife disappeared.
The results of that line of research will not be discussed.
He also did not say what vehicles were registered or where they were obtained from.
When asked if police had executed any search warrants in relation to the search, Superintendent Hatt refused to answer.
‘Would you say no if it were no?’ Channel Seven’s Paul Dowsley asked.
“No comment,” Superintendent Hatt responded, with a smile.
The detective declined to say what information, if anything, had or had not been obtained from the Apple watch Ms. Murphy was wearing when she went for a run.
He also did not say whether Murphy had turned on Google location tracking on his phone.
Superintendent Hatt said detectives know Ms Murphy was on foot when she entered the bush because of data obtained from that phone’s communication with a nearby telecommunications tower.
Police are investigating the Murphy family business (pictured) as part of their search for Samantha Murphy.
If detectives have information about other phones following Ms. Murphy’s at the same time, they are not saying.
‘Unfortunately I cannot comment on specific details relating to the phone data. “That is part of our policing methodology and something whose integrity we must protect during our investigation,” Superintendent Hatt said.
Police have now ruled out any idea that Ms Murphy went missing due to a medical problem or simply because she wanted to disappear.
Supt Hatt claimed the 7km run to where her phone died took the experienced runner more than an hour, about half an hour longer than it should have.
Although not stated directly, Superintendent Hatt suggested that police believed whoever helped Ms Murphy disappear had specifically targeted her.
“We have no information or evidence to suggest there is any risk to anyone else,” he said.
Police continue to review 12,000 hours of CCTV footage and 500 separate intelligence reports from community members.
Whether police believe anyone has credible information about seeing Ms Murphy in the bush, Superintendent Hatt declined to say because of concerns about “methodological exposure”.
“Our investigation is ongoing and I cannot comment on specific details about what we are seeing,” he said.
Superintendent Hatt warned that whoever was responsible for making Mrs Murphy disappear would be caught sooner or later.
“This is our number one investigation right now… We would like to resolve this as soon as possible,” he said.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.