It’s been three months since beloved mother of three Samantha Murphy disappeared and her family is no closer to knowing where her body may be.
The 51-year-old left her home in Ballarat East, northwest of Melbourne, on February 4, for her usual morning run, but never returned.
Her disappearance made headlines across the country, sparked countless police and community searches and left her husband Mick and three children devastated.
In early March, Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with her alleged murder.
Police allege that Ms. Murphy was murdered the day she disappeared in the Canadian State Forest, but no trace of her has been found since she disappeared.
Stephenson has not pleaded guilty and is understood to have not co-operated with police and questions remain over where his body could be.
Criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro said it was unlikely that more information about what happened to Murphy would be made public in the near future.
It’s been three months since beloved mother-of-three Samantha Murphy went missing and her family are no closer to knowing where her body may be.
Her disappearance made headlines across the country, sparked countless police and community searches and left her husband Mick and three children devastated.
“The accused has reserved his statement and in that context he has the right to the presumption of innocence, so it is unlikely that further information will come about her,” he told WhatsNew2Day Australia.
“I imagine he has maintained his right to silence.”
While speaking generally about those who have been convicted of murder, Watson-Munro said there may be reasons why they remain silent.
“They would rather go to the grave maintaining a position of innocence than an admission of guilt.”
He said another reason is that they may fear how their loved ones will react.
In early March, Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with her alleged murder.
In Victoria in 2017, the ‘no body, no parole’ law was introduced, meaning convicted murderers can be denied parole if they do not reveal where their victims were.
The law was introduced in New South Wales in 2022 and is also used in Queensland and South Australia.
A Victoria Police spokesperson confirmed to WhatsNew2Day Australia that there are currently no active searches for Ms Murphy.
“The community has been incredibly affected by Ms. Murphy’s disappearance,” Watson-Munro added.
“You would hope they could find the body for the sake of the family.”
Police used a cadaver dog during the search for Samantha Murphy’s body at Enfield State Park in Ballarat on April 11.
Victoria Police added that the investigation was still ongoing and they were “continuing to do everything possible to locate her.”
Missing Persons Unit detectives have been in a race against time to find Ms Murphy’s body.
In the three months since her disappearance, the area around Ballarat has suffered heatwaves, bushfires and heavy rain as search teams tried to retrace her steps.
Wild animals, including foxes, are also known to have large populations in the dense thickets of forests surrounding Ballarat.
If left uncovered in the harsh jungle, experts believe a body can quickly decompose, destroying important DNA evidence.
“The time it takes for a body to decompose depends on climatic conditions, such as temperature and humidity, as well as accessibility to insects,” the Australian Museum said.
“In summer, a human body in an exposed place can be reduced to bones in just nine days.”
Experts believe that if Ms Murphy’s body has been buried or dumped in one of Ballarat’s many mine shafts, detectives could still extract important evidence.
“A body buried 1.2 meters underground retains most of its tissue for a year,” the museum stated.
Hope fades in search for Samantha Murphy’s body
Last month, police bSpecialist cadaver dogs from New South Wales were used to scour the Victorian bush in multiple locations amongst dense bushland.
Teams of officers focused their search on Enfield State Park, 30 kilometers south of Ballarat, but another search team was also working 25 kilometers away, in thick bushland in the Durham Lead Nature Conservation Reserve.
The nature reserve is just south of Buninyong, where Ms Murphy’s phone was last detected by mobile phone towers at 5pm on the day she disappeared.
Just a few weeks ago, Ms Murphy’s long-suffering husband, Mick Murphy, told Channel 9 that he had not stopped looking for her.
“On that particular day, I was outside and I thought she was coming down the road pretty soon,” he said.
—Then he didn’t do it.
Mr. Murphy said it isThey search for each other daily, whether driving through the city or walking two hours through a pine plantation.
Patrick Orren Stephenson will appear in court again on August 8
‘Sometimes I go for a drive and it may not be anywhere specific, or I go for a two-hour walk. It varies every day,’ she said.
“It’s very good for my mind and if I stayed home I wouldn’t be doing myself any favors.”
Missing Persons Unit Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt has previously stated that police would never stop searching for Ms Murphy.
“I want to reassure members of the Ballarat community that police remain focused on doing everything possible to return Samantha to her family,” he said last month.
It comes as Ms Murphy’s accused killer was hit with new charges in relation to an alleged drug and alcohol-fueled binge last year.
The search for Samantha Murphy’s body
Stephenson was charged with drink and drug driving after he allegedly crashed a motorcycle into a tree on the night of October 1 after the AFL grand final.
He has also been charged with reckless driving.
WhatsNew2Day Australia is not suggesting Stephenson has been involved in any crime, only that charges have been laid.
He has not yet pleaded guilty to the new charges.
Stephenson is due back in court on August 8 on charges of driving and murder.
Anyone with any information regarding Ms. Murphy’s disappearance is You are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
