Key points: All the information you need to know about Samantha Murphy’s disappearance

KEY POINTS

• Samantha Murphy, a 51-year-old Ballarat woman and mother of three, was last seen leaving her home on February 4 to go for a run
• A 22-year-old Ballarat man was arrested over Ms Murphy’s disappearance early on Wednesday morning
• Police say the man is not linked to the Murphy family
• No trace has been found of Ms Murphy, despite weeks of extensive searches by emergency services and concerned community members

WHO IS SAMANTHA MURPHY?

• She is married to Michael Murphy and the couple run a car repair business near their Ballarat East home
• Ms Murphy has been described as a caring friend, a valued Ballarat community member and a dedicated mother
• Her eldest daughter Jess described her as a “really strong woman” during a press conference
• She is physically strong and had been training for an upcoming race by doing 15km runs

ARREST INFORMATION

• A 22-year-old Ballarat man was arrested at his home at around 6am on Wednesday
• He remained in police custody as of 11am on Thursday and has not yet been charged
• He is not linked to the Murphy family
• Police have not revealed any further information, such as where he was arrested or if they expect to make any further arrests
• The investigation is ongoing and police are calling for information from the public
• Police in Victoria can only hold people in custody after an arrest for a reasonable time before issuing charges, however the law does not state what a reasonable time is

MS MURPHY’S DISAPPEARANCE

• She left her Eureka Street home in Ballarat East to go for a run about 7am on February 4, 2024
• Officers do not know the exact route Ms Murphy took on her run
• Her family members reported her missing that morning
• She was last seen wearing black half-length leggings and a maroon or brown singlet
• She had her smartwatch and phone when she left her home

PREVIOUS POLICE STATEMENTS

• On February 23, Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said officers were doubtful she was still alive
• He said police were looking into the possibility that Ms Murphy’s body was moved from where she vanished
• He said police were keeping an open mind about Ms Murphy’s disappearance but the most likely scenario was that it involved one or more parties

SEARCH DETAILS

• Members of Victoria Police, the State Emergency Service, the Country Fire Authority and concerned locals have scoured the greater Ballarat area for several weeks
• Areas of focus have included Ballarat East, the Canadian Forest area and Mount Helen
• Search areas include dense forest, private land and walking tracks

HOW CAN THE PUBLIC HELP?

• Anyone who has seen Ms Murphy or has information about her disappearance and is yet to speak to detectives should do so immediately
• People with CCTV or dash-cam footage from the area at the time are asked to come forward
• Police have acknowledged the high level of public interest in the case and on Thursday said it was “critical” that any speculation did not impact their investigation.