Emergency services are today continuing the search for missing Ballarat East woman Samantha Murphy, aided by the support of locals.
Ms Murphy, 51, headed out at about 7am on Sunday, February 4, for her regular morning run and failed to return home.
Police investigators late Wednesday released CCTV footage of Ms Murphy running along Eureka Street towards Yankee Flat Road at 7:16am.
Police are appealing for residents in the area to review any CCTV vision from between 7am and 11am.
Investigators are now largely focusing the search on the Canadian forest area of Woowookarung Regional Park.
Police said they searched near the Mount Helen area, to the east of Geelong Road yesterday, following further investigation into the area Ms Murphy was running.
Ms Murphy is a mother to three children and is well known in the community for her involvement in arts and theatre.
She and her husband Michael Murphy run Ballarat vehicle repair business Inland Motor Body Works.
Friends have described Ms Murphy as "someone who can be relied upon" and who is always caring for others.
Police have described Ms Murphy's disappearance as out of character as she was familiar with the trails she intended to run and walked or ran in the area every day.
Paula Heenan, director of the Ballarat Centre of Music and the Arts and a friend of Ms Murphy, said the situation felt surreal.
"We just can't fathom what might have happened or how it happened, how somebody can just disappear," she said.
"It is just indescribable ... how bizarre it is."
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Members of the Ballarat community have rallied, with many heading into bushland to help locate Ms Murphy.
Locals interested in joining the search have been asked to check the latest information outside the Buninyong Police Station.
A Facebook page dedicated to the search has attracted more than 7,000 members.
Residents are sharing photos, maps, and other information that can help locate her whereabouts.
Victoria Police previously said the search area was based on data from Ms Murphy's phone and areas she was known to run.
Ms Murphy's phone was on and with her when she disappeared.
"The area of search isn't completely remote. We are on the outskirts of Ballarat and it is not that far from urban areas as well," Acting Inspector Lisa Macdougall said on Monday.
Emergency service vehicles temporarily blocked an entrance to the Woowookarung Regional Park yesterday, across the road from her home, after items were discovered in bushland.
Police later said the recovered items were not believed relevant to the search.
A 'friend' of the community
City of Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson said the community just wanted to see Ms Murphy found safe.
"Samantha is a wife, she's a mum, she's a next door neighbour, she's a friend, she's part of our community through the arts area," he said.
"Obviously there is great community interest, and great interest to hopefully see a positive outcome.
"You can't be anything other than proud of our local community … turning out in such significant numbers.
"I think it does tug at the heartstrings when we're talking about a mum, a mum of young kids."
Ms Murphy is described as Caucasian, about 173 centimetres tall, of slim build, and with shoulder-length blonde hair.
She was last seen wearing black exercise leggings and a brown singlet.
Anyone who sees Ms Murphy, or has information on her whereabouts, as been asked to contact triple-0 immediately.
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2024-02-07 19:21:26Z
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