Sunday, February 4 at: Mother-of-three Samantha Murphy was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East heading out for a run.
7.16: She is caught on a neighbour’s CCTV wearing a brown singlet and black mid-length leggings.
11:00: Mrs. Murphy doesn’t show up for a planned brunch with the family. She has been reported to the police as missing.
Monday, February 5: Victoria Police launch a public appeal to find Ms Murphy. A search area has been established just outside the suburb of Buninyong, about 14km from where Ms Murphy was last seen, as well as near her home. Police revealed Ms Murphy’s mobile phone had pinged in Buninyong
Tuesday, February 6: Ms Murphy’s husband Mick tells the media he is ‘not too bad in the circumstances. He was pictured speaking to police as the desperate search continued. The search expanded to include more than 100 specialist police officers, SES personnel and teams from Forest Fire Management Australia and Parks Victoria.
Wednesday 8 February at 12.30: A The search party found possible evidence near a hiking trail in Woowookarung Regional Park
13.45: Mick Murphy appears at the cordoned off stage at Woowookarung Regional Park and appeared visibly stunned as he was turned away by officers. Police said items found in the bushland were not related to her whereabouts.
Police later released what they initially believed to be CCTV of Ms Murphy leaving her property and heading in a north-easterly direction towards Yankee Flat Road near the junction of Warrenheip Road.
Thursday afternoon, February 8: A runner came forward to reveal they are the person seen on the CCTV footage, ruling out an important investigation.
Friday, February 9: Victoria Police are stepping up efforts with the arrival of officers from the Missing Persons Unit.
Saturday 10 February: Investigators are scaling back the search, saying a full-scale search will only resume if new information emerges.
Sunday, February 11: While police downgrade the search, locals continue their own search by scouring the area in small groups.
Monday, February 12: Cin Hobbs, administrator of the ‘Find Samantha Murphy’ Facebook group – which gained thousands of members within days announced she would be removing the group as it ‘has served its purpose’.
Tuesday, February 13: Daily Mail Australia reveals Mrs Murphy’s beloved dog, Ruby, had gone missing.
Wednesday 14 February: Victoria Police Chief Shane Patton confirms detectives are treating Ms Murphy’s disappearance as suspicious.
Detectives from Victoria Police’s Missing Persons Unit spend an hour at the Murphy family property.
Ruby is revealed to be dead.
Friday, February 16: Ms Murphy’s uncle and aunt, Allan and Janice Robson, tell Daily Mail Australia they believe their niece was a victim of foul play.
Ms Robson theorises the mother was targeted by a deranged stalker, saying: ‘I would say someone would have been watching her. I can’t believe it would be otherwise’.
Monday, February 19: Mick Murphy issues a public plea, saying: ‘We want Sam home, please.’
He claims his family is ‘doing the best we can under the circumstances’.
Thursday 22 February: Dozens of detectives from special units are assigned to the case.
Friday, February 23: Police admit ‘one or more parties’ are most likely behind her disappearance as the hunt moves to a new location at Mount Clear based on new phone data analysis.
Wednesday 28 February: The Inland Motor Body Works, a smashed repair business in Ballarat owned by Mrs Murphy and her husband, is becoming the focus of the investigation, amid speculation that outlaw motorcycle gangs were among the customers.
Monday 4 March: Investigators begin reviewing cellphone tower data to identify the movements of people in the area where Ms. Murphy disappeared.
6.00 on Wednesday 6 March: A 22-year-old man has been arrested at a Scotsburn home in Ballarat in connection with Ms Murphy’s disappearance.
Thursday 7 March: The man is charged with one count of murder and was due in court later in the afternoon.
Mrs Murphy remains missing and the search for her body continues.
Friday, March 8: The man charged with murder is revealed as Patrick Oreen Stephenson 22 after a suppression order was lifted.