Why the biggest questions surrounding Samantha Murphy’s disappearance could finally be answered in DAYS

An upcoming trial in the alleged murder of Samantha Murphy could finally provide answers to the question of how the mother of three disappeared.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, is due in court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing into the alleged murder of Ms Murphy.

Ms Murphy disappeared without a trace after leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, Victoria, on the morning of February 4.

The 51-year-old set off at 7am for her morning run through the nearby Woowookrung Regional Park, a 14km route she had run countless times before.

In early March, nearly five weeks after Ms. Murphy’s disappearance, police charged Stephenson with her alleged murder, despite her body never being found.

On Sunday, family, friends and the community of Ballarat commemorated the six-month anniversary of Murphy’s disappearance.

Many hope this week’s hearing will provide answers to the question of why Stephenson might have killed her.

Questions remain about whether Stephenson will appear in court, what his attorneys will argue and where Murphy’s body is located.

Her family, friends and the wider Ballarat community are hoping a preliminary hearing will be held on Thursday to answer questions about her disappearance and alleged murder (pictured: Mrs Murphy’s husband Mick (left) and daughter Jess (right))

“Everyone is tense about the case and wants to see what happens next,” a former schoolmate of Mr Stephenson told the Herald Sun.

“It’s a big ‘small town.’ If you’re not involved in some part of the business, someone you know is.

‘It’s being talked about, but next week the whole city will be wild about it again.’

The case is one of Victoria Police’s highest priority criminal investigations, with the Missing Persons Unit working tirelessly to gather compelling evidence for the case.

A breakthrough in the case came after police discovered a dam on a plot of land south of Buninyong, about 14km from her home, on May 29.

Officers found a mud-smeared mobile phone in a wallet at the water’s edge, probably found by a police sniffer dog.

Shortly after the cell phone was found, police said in a statement that they had found a number of “objects of interest” during the search for the missing mother.

The phone, along with other items found during the search, was subjected to forensic examination, sources confirmed. The device belonged to Mrs. Murphy.

Many hoped the phone would lead to Murphy’s body, but police are tight-lipped about the evidence found on the device.

Police launched a series of “targeted searches” in the wooded area and on surrounding properties in the hope of finding the missing mother’s body or finding crucial evidence to bolster the case.

In early March, nearly five weeks after Ms Murphy’s disappearance, police charged Patrick Orren Stephenson (pictured) with her alleged murder

A breakthrough in the case came after police searched a dam on a property south of Buninyong, about 14km from her home, and found Ms Murphy’s phone

Police allege Stephenson ‘intentionally attacked’ Ms Murphy in Mount Clear, approximately 7km after she had been out for a run.

Stephenson, who has no connection to the Murphy family, was charged on March 7 with the murder of the mother of three.

He is the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, who played 15 games for Geelong and Richmond between 2012 and 2014.

Stephenson, who remains in custody, has reportedly reserved the right to remain silent.