A crime expert has suggested Samantha Murphy’s killer could be lurking among search parties for the missing mother-of-three, posing as a good Samaritan.
Ms Murphy has not been seen since she left her home in Ballarat East at 7am on February 4 to go jogging in a state forest on the outskirts of the regional town.
Legendary Melbourne journalist John Silvester said detectives are investigating whether Ms Murphy’s killer is someone from the Ballarat community who volunteers their time to search for her.
“We now know that the local people, the volunteers, have selflessly gone out to search again and again,” he told Radio 3AW on Wednesday.
‘The police will also consider one of the investigators to be the murderer.
“In that, they have instilled themselves in that situation to be seen as part of the community, but also to be attentive to what is happening.”
Samantha Murphy has not been seen since she left her Ballarat East home at 7am on February 4 to go for a run in a state forest on the outskirts of the regional city.
Silvester said Victoria Police had already ruled out Murphy having self-harmed, having a medical episode or orchestrating his own disappearance.
Extensive searches also ruled out the possibility that he had fallen down a mine shaft, leaving the suggestion of foul play and “probable murder.”
“Many different theories have been analyzed because in these circumstances the victim has no secrets,” said the veteran police reporter.
‘You have to go deeper into that person to discover potential enemies or what could have happened. One particular theory they’re looking at, surprise, surprise, it turns out the person of interest is fully cooperating.
His comments come as a successful repair business owned by Samantha’s husband Mick Murphy became a major focus of the police investigation.
The Inland Motor Body Works i storeIt is the largest in the Ballarat region, northwest of Melbourne, and has a “strong reputation” in the area.
Speculation about outlaw biker gangs patronizing the store has circulated in the Ballarat community since the 51-year-old went missing.
The Ballarat community is no stranger to cycling violence, with a senior member of the Bandidos being shot in their clubhouse during the club’s national race just a few months ago.
Volunteers have organized a large-scale search for missing woman Samantha Murphy. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any of them were involved in the search for Ms Murphy.
Volunteers gathered for a briefing in Ballarat on Saturday, 20 days after Murphy disappeared.
Victoria Police Missing Persons Unit Superintendent Mark Hatt on Friday refused to answer questions about possible links to the motorcyclists and Ms Murphy’s disappearance.
However, he said Mr Murphy’s financial records were being “closely examined” and officers were also seen removing a number of “items of interest” from the store.
“We are absolutely investigating everything we can to find out what happened to Samantha,” Superintendent Hatt said.
When asked if police had executed any search warrants in relation to the search, Superintendent Hatt refused to answer.
The car shop’s website describes itself as “Ballarat’s preferred choice for major repairs” and has developed a “strong reputation over 60 years”.
Ms. Murphy is listed as the head of administration and “backbone” of the office, and her duties include “keeping Mick under control.”
The Murphy family business, Inland Motor Body Works, (pictured) is being investigated by police as part of their search for Samantha Murphy.
Mick Murphy is seen leaving Buninyong Police Station on February 9.
Superintendent Hatt also said police suspect Ms Murphy’s body may have been removed from the area where they are 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.
Although not stated directly, Superintendent Hatt suggested that police believed whoever helped Ms Murphy disappear had specifically targeted her.
He said police had “no information or evidence” to suggest other people were at risk.
Ms. Murphy’s family and close loved ones are considered “persons of interest,” but no suspects have been identified.
Murphy was wearing an Apple Watch while running, but police have not yet revealed whether they obtained any information from the device.