Samantha Murphy’s family have hit back at cruel trolls who waged a whisper campaign against her husband after she disappeared on Sunday morning.
Ms Murphy, 51, disappeared while jogging at 7.30am in the beautiful Woowookarung Regional Park spot near Ballarat, Victoria.
Now her family have angrily lashed out at those trying to falsely implicate husband Michael as the search for the beloved mother-of-three enters its fifth day.
“For those questioning Samantha’s husband, you have nothing to worry about,” the family said in a statement to the Facebook group created to help with the hunt.
“He is in more pain than anyone and would be the last to suspect anything of this.”
The family of Samantha Murphy (pictured) have hit back at cruel trolls who waged a whisper campaign against her husband after she disappeared on Sunday morning
Mrs Murphy’s family have angrily lashed out at those implicating her husband Michael (pictured at the scene on Wednesday) as the search for the mother-of-three enters its fifth day
Michael Murphy, the husband of missing mother Samantha Murphy, drove to the scene in Ballarat East about 1.45pm on Wednesday.
The family said they were keen to put an end to the attacks on Ms Murphy’s husband and also correct other claims circulating online.
“I have seen disinformation being spread on all the platforms I want to inform people about,” the statement added.
‘It’s not usual for Samantha’s phone to ring so far from home.
“Yes, she walked in different directions, but she stayed on the trails, never walking more than 6 miles in total, and letting the family know as she continued.”
And they stressed that Ms Walker knows the area and local conditions and is physically fit enough to cope.
“She is a very experienced hiker and is in great shape,” the statement said. “Some of the routes she’s done around Victoria are not for the frivolous.”
The statement, said to come from an unnamed family member, also revealed their pain during the search and their gratitude to locals for their help.
“We would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support from this wonderful community,” it said. ‘It brings tears of hope and joy to our hearts.
“We’re keeping it as strong as we can emotionally and physically. We pray that Samantha returns home quickly and safely. We all miss her very much.
‘The search that everyone has done has made a positive difference to the research as a whole. Without you we would easily be back for a few more days.’
The family said they had done everything they could to assist police in the search, but were now only as well known as the media.
“We have worked with authorities to provide all information and have tried all techniques currently possible to find her,” the statement said.
“We don’t know much more information than what is said in articles and news.”
Samantha Murphy, 51, (pictured) disappeared while jogging at 7.30am in the beautiful Woowookarung Regional Park spot near Ballarat, Victoria
Samantha Murphy left her Ballarat home at 7am on Sunday to go for a run in the nearby state forest and did not return home, and has not been seen since.
Police investigating the disappearance of missing mother Samantha Murphy found an item of interest in bushland on Wednesday, but it later emerged it was not linked to the disappearance
The family statement was published on the Find Samantha Murphy Facebook group, which was started by Ballarat local Cindy Hobbs.
She vouched for the authenticity of the family statement, adding: “They are clearly devastated. Everyone is so eager to bring her home.”
Ms Hobbs told Nine’s Today show on Thursday that although she had never met Ms Murphy, she wanted to do everything she could to find her safe and sound.
“There’s a mother who’s lost and there’s a family desperate to bring her home,” she said.
“She has so much love behind her. It’s hard to imagine someone not wanting to find her and bring her home.
“She is part of our community and we don’t want anyone to be there alone, especially if there are children looking forward to her being returned safely.”
Some locals have expressed fears that her running path has taken her past several hard-to-see mine shafts.
Volunteers have been seen looking under bushes and inspecting undergrowth immediately outside the Murphy home.
Across the road, officers were seen questioning a neighbor before then searching the rear of his property.
Search crews were also observed conducting similar line searches along nearby Eureka Road.
Mrs. Murphy, 51, had embarked on a run through the Canadian State Forest, an area her husband Michael claimed she knew well but never returned.
Mr Murphy, who runs a major repair business with his missing wife, has largely remained tight-lipped since Ms Murphy went missing.
Daily Mail Australia has been told media outlets who approached his company on Tuesday were met with a frosty response.
“It’s just up in the air, we don’t know,” Mr. Murphy said on Tuesday.
‘In the end it’s just a matter of time.’
A police car was in the driveway of Mrs. Murphy’s home Wednesday morning
Police are questioning one of Ms Murphy’s neighbors on Wednesday
On Wednesday, a concerned neighbor told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Murphy’s disappearance had shocked the community.
“It’s just such a concern because you just don’t know what happened. Is there anyone out there? We just don’t know,” she said.
Some locals are already starting to come up with a series of theories about what happened, while some are concerned about ‘suspicious’ individuals living in the region.
This was preceded by a large-scale search operation the Search and Rescue Squad, local police, more than 100 specialist officers from the dog brigade, mounted unit, solo unit and air wing.
SES crews and teams from Forest Fire Management Australia and Parks Victoria have also joined the search.
The Ballarat community has come together, with a growing number of residents and Ms Murphy’s friends joining the search.
On the morning Ms Murphy disappeared, she was captured on her own CCTV system wearing a brown shirt and black mid-length leggings.
On Tuesday, Acting Inspector Lisa MacDougall said Ms Murphy’s mobile phone had pinged in Buninyong but “investigations are ongoing to see if (the phone) is still on”.
“It’s clear that phone batteries can run out, but that’s part of the investigation,” she told reporters on Monday.
Mrs. Murphy is an administrator at Inland Motor Body Works, which she co-owns with her husband
“The search area is not completely remote, we are on the outskirts of Ballarat, and it’s not that far from urban areas either,” Insp MacDougall said.
Temperatures rose to a scorching 36C on Sunday and it is not known whether Ms Murphy had food or water with her.
“It was clear that (Sunday) was a hot day… there is clearly an increased risk there because of the heat,” Insp MacDougall added.
‘It increases the urgency of the search for us and of course we take into account that this has consequences for someone’s health.’
Ms Murphy is described as white, approximately 173cm tall, with a slim build and shoulder-length blonde hair.
Anyone who sees her is asked to contact police immediately.