A vigil has been held for Samantha Murphy in her home town of Ballarat as the investigation into the disappearance of the 51-year-old woman enters its second week.
The morning vigil coincided with a visit to Ballarat by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the 20th anniversary of its ex-POWs memorial.
Mr Albanese said his heart went out to the family of the missing mother-of-three who vanished after setting off for her morning jog in the Woowookarung Regional Park on February 4.
"It has been, I'm sure, such a difficult time, and I thank all those people who are involved in the search," the prime minister said.
"I hope it has a good outcome but I thank those who are out there working every day."
The Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, echoed the concerns for Ms Murphy, speaking of the strength of the community volunteers.
"This has been a really distressing week [and] the Ballarat community has been extraordinary, as they always are," Ms King said.
"We are all desperate for a positive outcome.
"We have got an extraordinary community here, and I'm so proud of those volunteers.
"The Ballarat community has such big hearts."
Church vigil raises voices in song
Meanwhile, dozens gathered at the Buninyong Anglican Church near Ballarat to share their thoughts and prayers for the missing 51-year-old.
The vigil included a church service and songs in honour of Ms Murphy.
Vigil attendee Madeleine Witham said the community was saddened by the disappearance of the mother-of-three.
"A lot of people are talking about it and feeling confused and upset, and just wondering what could possibly have happened and why doesn't anybody know," Ms Witham said.
"The sense of powerlessness has really taken over the people in our community of Ballarat East. People really want to do something, they want to help find her, people are out searching.
"It must be so tough [for the family]. It's the not knowing that's really the hard thing.
"As the days tick by you start to lose a bit of hope about where she is, and what's happened to her.
"We just pray she will be found or she will come forward, and that she's still alive and that she'll come home."
What next for the investigation?
Local police handed the investigation to the Missing Persons Squad on Friday as the on-ground search wound up.
Investigations are focusing on Ms Murphy's movements and activities in the days leading up to her disappearance, analysis of her phone and smartwatch data, and a wider call-out for dashcam and CCTV footage.
The only searchers that remain on the ground are members of the public, but they are dwindling in number, have been hampered by the difficult terrain, and the threat of snakes and mine shafts.
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2024-02-11 05:26:25Z
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