Police have revealed more detail about the circumstances that prompted a missing mum’s family to raise the alarm in the crucial hours after she left for a morning run.
Samantha Murphy, 51, has been missing since Sunday morning when she went for a run near the Canadian Forest in East Ballarat but never returned.
During an update on Friday, Inspector Bob Heaney said it was Ms Murphy’s absence at a family commitment that encouraged them to alert police so soon after she disappeared.
“She had an appointment...a family commitment that she was expected to be at,” he said.
“And it was unusual for her not to be back in time for that, that was reported to us pretty much straight away.”
After an extensive search of the surrounding area produced no leads, detectives from the missing persons squad were handed control of the investigation on Friday.
“While no sinister factors have been identified in her disappearance at this time, there are significant concerns given it has now been six days without her being sighted or any signs of her current whereabouts,” police said in a statement.
The squad will have the ability to expand resourcing from specialist investigative units across the crime command.
“It is especially concerning that we have now gone six days without any contact from her or any potential sightings,” Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said in a statement.
It comes less than 24 hours after Acting Inspector Lisa McDougall told media the disappearance is not being treated as suspicious.
“There are no suspicious circumstances that we’ve identified at this stage,” she said.
On Thursday, her eldest daughter Jess Murphy spoke to media beside her father Mike Murphy, pleading with the community no to lose hope in the search for her mum.
“I know she’s out there somewhere, so if you could please continue to search for her and give us something to work with we’d really appreciate it,” she said.
“Mum we love you so much and we miss you … please come home soon.”
Her father comforted her by stroking her back as she struggled to get the message out through her tears.
Moments before Jess’ heartbreaking message, Ms Murphy’s husband urged the local community for information.
“People just don’t vanish into thin air. Someone’s got to know something,” Mr Murphy told media.
“Whether it be any little thing that you might think is relevant, just call the police and let them know.
“It’ll give us a bit of peace of mind, some hope.”
The search will continue on Friday with investigators still focussed on areas surrounding the Woowookarung Regional Park which includes an area known known locally as Canadian Forest.
CCTV footage released by police earlier in the week which was believed to show Ms Murphy’s last known movements has since been found to show another local woman.
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2024-02-09 01:21:13Z
CBMioAFodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZXdzLmNvbS5hdS9uYXRpb25hbC92aWN0b3JpYS9ob21pY2lkZS1kZXRlY3RpdmVzLWpvaW4taW52ZXN0aWdhdGlvbi1pbnRvLXNhbWFudGhhLW11cnBoeXMtZGlzYXBwZWFyYW5jZS9uZXdzLXN0b3J5LzE4MjJhMGRlNTU3MjlkOGYyN2RjMWE0NmQxZTY1YzQy0gEA
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