A renewed search for missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy that zeroed in on bushland south of Ballarat has concluded without finding the alleged murder victim.
Victoria police on Wednesday announced they would focus on combing bushland in the Buninyong area based on new intelligence. The “significant” search focused on the area where Murphy’s mobile phone was last detected on the day she went missing last month.
But police on Wednesday afternoon said they had concluded the search without locating the mother of three. No search was planned for Thursday but police said they expected to continue trying to locate Murphy in the coming weeks.
Earlier this month, police charged 22-year-old Patrick Stephenson, from the nearby farming town Scotsburn, with Murphy’s murder.
Police said the search area was based on “intelligence derived from a number of sources”.
Police said the search included the dog squad and that members of the public were requested not to take part.
Acting Det Supt Mark Hatt said investigators remained committed to finding Murphy so she could be returned to her family.
“We will also look at further searches in the Ballarat area as the investigation progresses,” he said.
Police allege Stephenson murdered Murphy, 51, in a deliberate attack on the day she vanished.
After Stephenson was charged on 6 March, Victoria’s chief police commissioner, Shane Patton, said the accused had not disclosed the location of Murphy’s body.
Murphy’s husband, Michael, issued an emotional plea after police charged Stephenson, saying he hoped the 22-year-old had information that would help police find the body.
Police have not disclosed how Murphy was allegedly murdered but Patton alleged it was an “intentional act”. He said Stephenson was not known to Murphy’s family and was believed to have acted alone.
Stephenson remains in custody and is scheduled to reappear in court for a committal mention hearing on 8 August.
Murphy’s family reported the mother of three missing when she did not return home from a run on Sunday 4 February. She had told family and friends she planned to go for a 14km run.
