A respected forensic psychologist has speculated that detectives who found Samantha Murphy’s iPhone were “tipped off” about its location.
Last week, Victoria Police discovered Ms Murphy’s iPhone in the mud next to a dam on a property in Buninyong, about 19 kilometers from her home in Ballarat.
The discovery comes four months after the mother of three went missing during a 14km run through Woowookarung National Park on February 4.
Tim Watson-Munro said it was “obvious” that detectives had been “tipped off” about the location of the phone and he was surprised to learn it was not damaged.
“I was wondering if the phone had been there for four months,” Watson-Munro told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.
Respected criminal psychologist Tim Munro-Watson has speculated that the detectives who found Samantha Murphy’s iPhone were “tipped off” about its location.
Victoria Police search teams last week discovered Murphy’s iPhone in the mud next to a dam on a property in Buninyong, about 19 kilometers from his home in Ballarat.
“I thought it was very unusual to have a phone exposed to water without a natural degradation of the integrity and wiring of the phone after that period of time.
“So it’s entirely possible they put it there later, but that’s purely speculative.”
Watson-Munro said the phone may provide information about where Murphy disappeared from and whether he made any calls during the escape.
“I saw the footage of when the police discovered it and they high-fived each other and they were very, very happy about it,” he said.
‘So they obviously see it as a positive development. What I find a little intriguing is why the police chose that dam out of all those in the Ballarat district.
“They must have been acting on other information to go to that dam, but we don’t know what it is and obviously they’re not going to reveal that because the investigation is still in progress.”
He said police would continue to keep their cards close to their chest.
‘They are not going to telegraph all the information they have. No, they will disclose information selectively,” said the psychologist.
“I’m sure they have a larger game plan in mind, which we’re not aware of.”
Ms Murphy’s body (pictured left) has not been found after she went for a run at Woowookarung Regional Park, in Ballarat, Victoria, on February 4.
Pictured is Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, charged with murder over the disappearance of Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy.
Daily Mail Australia understands police are still searching for other key evidence, including Ms Murphy’s missing watch and headphones.
In early March, almost five weeks after Murphy disappeared, local man Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with her alleged murder.
Stephenson has not yet entered a plea and will appear in court again in August.
Watson-Munro said first-time prisoners often struggle behind bars and those with high-profile cases can be targeted by other inmates.
“Generally speaking, people don’t do well in prison,” he explained.
‘Prisons are not holiday farms and for many of these people it is like landing in a totally different world, with new regulated rules, no decision making, etc.
‘Again, on general principles, high-profile people who go to jail can be targeted. They are perceived as individuals who may be vulnerable.
‘They may also be perceived as individuals who may have wealth in the community, so they may be overlooked for money.
“And it’s very difficult for those types of people to mix with the general prison population.”