Tragic update after search for Samantha Murphy’s body
The latest search for the body of missing Victorian mother Samantha Murphy has turned up nothing of interest and has been called off.
State and federal police faced wet conditions on Tuesday as they began a new search in Grenville, south of Ballarat, which concluded on Thursday.
The 51-year-old was last seen alive when she went for a run on the morning of February 4.
In March, police charged 23-year-old trader Patrick Orren Stephenson with Ms Murphy’s murder.
The latest search remains focused on the Enfield State Forest in Grenville.
The location is about a 15-minute drive from Buninyong, where Ms Murphy’s phone was found buried in mud at the edge of a farm dam in May.
Samantha Murphy (pictured) went missing while on a morning walk near her home in Ballarat
State and federal police faced wet conditions on Tuesday as they began a new search in Grenville, south of Ballarat, which concluded on Thursday
Police searched on trail bikes for the remains of Samantha Murphy, who disappeared without a trace after a run last summer in Ballarat, Victoria
“Police have completed their current search of the Enfield State Forest and no items of interest have been found,” a police spokesperson said.
“The investigation is ongoing and is aimed at locating Samantha’s body.
“We are not currently in a position to provide further specific details on operational activities.”
Ms Murphy’s disappearance sparked an outpouring of grief in the Ballarat community and the nation, with an influx of volunteers joining several previous searches.
Stephen is due to appear in court in November after prosecutors requested a delay in going through an extensive evidence brief, including reams of CCTV footage.
He is the son of Orren Stephenson, who played 15 AFL games for Geelong and Richmond between 2012 and 2014.
Police searched an area around Enfield State Park in Victoria with dogs. The search was completed on Thursday
Mounted police joined a search in an area around Enfield State Park in Victoria in a new search for the body of Samantha Murphy