A former inmate has spoken out about what prison could be like for the man accused of killing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy.
Police arrested Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, on Wednesday in the Ballarat suburb of Mount Clear, about 5 kilometers from Murphy’s home in Ballarat East in Victoria.
Stephenson, who has no connection to the Murphy family, was charged with murdering the mother of three on Thursday afternoon.
The arrest and murder charge marked the first significant development in what became the highest priority police investigation in Victoria since the 51-year-old woman disappeared without a trace after leaving her home to go jogging in nearby Woowookrung Regional Park. around 7 am on February 4.
On Friday he was taken from Ballarat to a prison in Melbourne.
Reformed bank robber Russell Manser, who served 23 years behind bars in prisons across the country, said Stephenson would likely be housed in a “protective unit” that would protect him from the wrath of other inmates.
“It will be a protected species,” Mansen said.
You will be out of sight and out of reach of anyone who might hit you or do something bad to you.
Mother-of-three Smanatha Murphy (pictured) disappeared without a trace on February 4 at around 7am after leaving her Ballarat East home to run in nearby Woowookrung Regional Park.
Police arrested and charged Patrick Orren (pictured) Stephenson, 22, with Ms Murphy’s murder.
Reformed bank robber Russell Manser (pictured) has revealed how he will be treated in prison
Manser’s comments come after Stephenson was arrested in the Ballarat suburb of Mount Clear, about 5 kilometers from Ms Murphy’s home.
He is the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, who played 15 games for Geelong and Richmond between 2012 and 2014.
He appeared in court wearing a bright orange high-vix workman’s jacket on Thursday to face charges of murdering Ms Murphy on February 4, the day she disappeared.
Stephenson is understood to have repeatedly refused to co-operate with police and has given no indication as to where Ms Murphy’s remains might be, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.
Stephenson (pictured centre, with father Orren and mother Whitney) is the son of former AFL footballer Orren Stephenson and was also a renowned local football player.
Her family remains desperate for closure and her husband, Mick Murphy, pleaded with Stephenson on Friday to cooperate with police.
“We hope he changes his mind a little and cooperates.” That will help bring her home,’ she said.
“We would just like to have more answers now.”
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed on Thursday that Stephenson had not revealed the location of Ms Murphy’s body.
It’s unclear what specific evidence led police to Stephenson’s arrest.
However, it is understood a large part of Victoria Police’s investigation was CCTV footage from around East Ballarat.
Officers recently obtained video from a residential and light industrial area, with homes and businesses on Elsworth, Joseph and Butt streets confirming police requested their security footage.
Elsworth St leads to a bushland managed by Parks Victoria.
It is not known if any of the images obtained show Ms. Murphy or any vehicle of interest.
Officers also searched the area, which includes car sales businesses, roll-up doors and gyms.
However, Commissioner Patton revealed that police would not continue planned searches over the weekend unless the location of Ms Murphy’s remains were discovered by other means.
Dedicated volunteers have scoured Ballarat bushland for five weeks but have found no trace of the missing mother.
