Samantha Murphy: Startling new theory as man is arrested in Ballarat
Samantha Murphy’s phone may have been used to mislead detectives as a diversionary tactic, a top criminologist has suggested.
His comments come after a 22-year-old man was arrested in Ballarat on Wednesday morning as the search continued for the missing mother of three.
The unnamed man has no ties to the Murphy family and no charges have been filed.
Forensic criminologist Tim Watson-Munro responded to reports that Ms Murphy’s phone ‘pinged’ a Buninyong telephone tower at 5pm on the Sunday she disappeared, about 10 hours after she left her Ballarat East home for a 14km run on February 4.
Forensic criminologist Tim Watson-Munro
Since Ms Murphy’s disappearance, investigators have been scouring mobile phone mast records in the vast Woowookarung Regional Park.
Metadata has proven crucial to the search after pinpointing a precise location in the Mount Clear area an hour after her run through the national park.
Mr Munro-Watson said it seemed “unusual” to him that her phone had suddenly reactivated 10 hours later, with the caveat that phone service in rural Victoria may not be optimal.
“Why the phone didn’t ping during that time is really a matter of speculation,” he told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.
‘It could indicate that she was still around and alive at the time it could indicate that someone took her phone and waited a respectable amount of time before activating it in a completely different area to take people off the air, as some sort of distraction tactic.
‘The phone may have been thrown away and only connected to the network at that time.
“It seems more like a diversionary tactic than something that might be more important when it comes to locating her dead or alive.”
Since Ms Murphy’s disappearance, investigators have been scouring mobile phone mast records in the vast Woowookarung Regional Park.
Phone metadata has proven crucial to the search after pinpointing a precise location in the Mount Clear area, 7km from her East Ballarat home, an hour into her 14km jog
Mr Watson-Munro said it was likely that researchers have been looking at mobile phone metadata from day one as it is increasingly relied on to reveal crucial clues.
“Anything that pops up could be of interest to them, especially if that data indicates that the individual or individuals, whether a stalker or other people, were nearby at the time,” he explained.
“If we rule out that she ran away, then you have the possibility of a stalker, for example, and this person has been scrupulous in leaving no forensic evidence at all, as far as we know.”
Despite a significant investigation and extensive searches of Canadian forestland, no trace of Ms. Murphy has been found for more than a month.
“There are no further updates at this time and the investigation remains ongoing,” Victoria Police said after Wednesday’s arrest was revealed on Thursday.
‘We understand that there is still significant interest in this investigation and concerns surrounding the disappearance, but it remains vital that any speculation does not hamper any aspect of the investigation.
‘Detectives continue to appeal to anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage and has not yet spoken to police to come forward.
‘Anyone who sees Samantha is asked to call triple zero (000) immediately.’
Mr Watson-Munro said it was also likely that mobile phones belonging to Mrs Murphy’s family and friends would also be combed for information (her husband Mick Murphy is pictured).