Police have expanded an appeal for dashcam or CCTV footage as they investigate the disappearance of the Victorian woman Samantha Murphy.
Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her Eureka Street home in Ballarat East about 7am last Sunday to go for a run.
As they announced an on-the-ground search that has canvassed large areas of Ballarat would be scaled back over the weekend, police called on members of the public to submit any CCTV or dashcam footage covering the Ballarat East, Mount Helen and Buninyong areas last Sunday.
“Even if the footage does not depict Samantha, detectives are keen to review all footage in the areas between 7am and 7pm on Sunday, 4 February,” they said in a statement on Saturday.
“Police previously urged everyone in the Ballarat East and Mount Helen areas, particularly around the Canadian Forest, to check their CCTV for any possible sightings over the past six days however would now like to collect all footage.”
Despite extensive searches in the area over the past six days, no sign of Murphy has been found.
Police, with assistance from a number of other agencies, searched in the Canadian Forest area where Samantha was known to regularly run.
Following further information about possible run routes, the search moved to the nearby Mount Helen area to the east of Geelong Road on Wednesday.
The local community has also helped with the search, many on foot, others riding bicycles, on horseback or in four-wheel drives, with residents picking through scrub on the roadsides throughout the day or after finishing work.
Police said in a statement they continued to be in regular contact with Murphy’s family regarding the search and the status of the investigation.
“The investigative stage of the investigation continues and as any new information comes to hand identifying areas of interest, the search will be scaled up,” they said.
Police said the missing persons squad would continue to work with local police, as they had done since the early stages of Murphy’s disappearance.
The specialist detectives will manage the investigation into her disappearance and will work alongside local police, who will continue to lead the search when required. As of Friday, homicide detectives are not involved in the case.
Police again released two images of Murphy in the hope someone recognises her and can provide any information about her movements since Sunday.
On Thursday, the mother-of-three’s distraught eldest daughter, Jess, called for help to bring her mother home.
“I know she’s out there somewhere, so if you could please continue to search for her to give us something to work with, we’d really appreciate it,” she said.
Murphy’s husband, Mick, said: “People just don’t vanish into thin air. Someone has got to know something.”
Insp Bob Heaney said this week that Murphy’s movement’s last Sunday morning were in line with what she’d normally do.
“Samantha’s very fit – both physically and mentally – she would cover up to 14 to 15km on her runs,” he said.
“She’s normally due back from her run within a couple of hours and alarm bells went up when she didn’t return from that run.”
