A veteran police officer has claimed investigators could still be a long way from finding the body of missing mother Samantha Murphy, despite the recent discovery of her phone.
Ms Murphy disappeared without a trace after leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, Victoria, on the morning of February 4.
The 51-year-old went for a morning run at 7am through nearby Woowookrung Regional Park, a 14km route she had done countless times before.
Months of empty-handed searches for Murphy led to police finding his phone at Buninyong Dam on Wednesday.
The breakthrough sparked silent celebrations among the researchers, who were seen silently high-fiving and shaking hands.
Samantha Murphy (pictured) disappeared without a trace after leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, Victoria, on the morning of February 4.
But retired senior homicide detective Charlie Bezzina warned police not to celebrate too soon as his alleged killer could have abandoned his phone to throw police off the scent.
Mr. Bezzina told the Herald of the sun It was possible that the alleged killer had left the phone in the dam while he discarded her body in a completely different location.
He added that they may also have abandoned the phone some time after she disappeared.
“We don’t know when that phone was thrown in there, it’s not unusual for criminals to keep items for a while, especially mobile phones… for all we know, they could have been discarded just a few weeks ago,” he told the publication. .
‘Often criminals come back and do things, put the phone somewhere or with them and then throw it away.
“And that’s where they’re going to get any evidence against it, if it’s been pinging…so it’s not at all unusual for it to be dumped in a separate location (from the body).”
He added that it “makes no sense” that the phone was found on Wednesday without prior information, as it would have been submerged underwater.
Police made a breakthrough in their case Wednesday after discovering a phone.
Retired Senior Homicide Detective Charlie Bezzina warned police not to celebrate too soon.
A leading criminologist previously warned that the phone may be too damaged for police to analyse.
Newcastle University criminologist Xanthe Mallett told Sunrise on Thursday that the discovery of the phone was “very significant” as it could provide information about where Ms Murphy had been.
However, Dr Mallett added that the phone had been exposed to the elements for an extended period.
“Unfortunately, it may have been damaged,” he said.
‘Samantha Murphy has been missing for 116 days, that is, almost four months.
“If it turns out (the phone) is theirs, they may not have gotten as much information as they could have if they had found it sooner.”
‘It really depends on the quality of the phone and how damaged it is. Remember, it’s been outside.
Dr Mallett said technicians would immediately assess the condition of the phone, but that process could take weeks.
‘They will work on it quickly, but it will not be in the short term. “We’re not talking about days, we’re talking about weeks at a minimum,” she stated.
“We’ll have to wait and see exactly what condition that phone is in.”
Officers located the mud-spattered mobile phone in a handbag at the water’s edge of a dam at a property south of Buninyong, approximately 14 kilometers from Ms Murphy’s home.
Criminologist Dr Xanthe Mallett (pictured) told Sunrise the discovery was “very significant” but depended on the condition of the phone.
The agents located the mud-spattered mobile phone in a purse at the water’s edge. It is believed he was found by a police technology detection dog.
In a statement issued shortly after the mobile phone was found, police said they had located some “items of interest” during the search for the missing mother.
The phone, along with other items found in the search, underwent forensic testing and sources confirmed that 7news the device belonged to Ms. Murphy.
The property owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said police contacted him about three weeks ago for permission to access his land.
The man said officers returned Wednesday and told him they were going to conduct a search along the highway.
“A dog found something on the shore and they came over and asked me and my wife to make a statement,” he said.
The man said police were interested in the levels of his quarry.
“I haven’t seen anything suspicious out there. We don’t have cameras. But yeah, I think one of those tech dogs found it,” he said.
The phone is believed to have been found by a police sniffer dog.
Police have been desperately searching for Ms Murphy’s body.
The man said detectives came and spoke to him about a month after Ms Murphy disappeared, but only returned in recent weeks.
“They just asked me if I had seen anything suspicious,” he said.
Daily Mail Australia understands police are still searching for other key evidence, such as Ms Murphy’s missing watch and headphones, or a possible murder weapon.
On Thursday, a police spokesperson said detectives’ search for missing persons at the Buninyong location had concluded.
“There is no update on the forensic evaluation of the items,” the spokesperson said.
The police update would be a blow to Murphy’s family after the latest search raised fresh hopes of finding his body.
In early March, almost five weeks after Murphy disappeared, local man Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with her alleged murder.
In early March, Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22 (pictured), was charged with the alleged murder of Ms Murphy.
Police allege Stephenson “deliberately attacked” Ms Murphy in Mount Clear, about 7km from her run.
Stephenson, who has no connection to the Murphy family, was charged with murdering the mother of three on March 7.
The 22-year-old is the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, who played 15 games for Geelong and Richmond between 2012 and 2014.
Stephenson remains in custody and has not yet entered a plea.
Stephenson is due back in court on August 8.