Specialist technical sniffer dogs have been deployed to join the search for missing mother Samantha Murphy as detectives resume a new hunt in bushland for her remains.
Ms Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East about 7am on February 4 to go for a run in the vast Woowookrung Regional Park.
A new search area in the Buninyong Bushland Reserve will be explored by technological sniffer dogs on Thursday after a fruitless eight-hour search on Wednesday.
The specialized dogs are provided by the Australian Federal Police, which says the dogs can detect memory storage devices such as USBs, hard drives, mobile phones, storage device cards and SIM cards.
The dogs are considered the most elite of all sniffer dogs and are capable of detecting the micron-thin coating that protects computer circuit boards.
Their noses are so sensitive that they can detect cash hidden under stairs, SIM cards hidden in shoes and USB sticks buried in eskies full of food.
The dogs specialize in detecting items favored by criminals, including explosives, firearms, currency, drugs and electronic devices.
Specialist sniffer dogs will join the search for Samantha Murphy as police continue to search bushland for her remains (pictured, officers search bushland on Wednesday)
Ms Murphy, 51, was last seen about 7am on February 4 when she left her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East to go for a run in the vast Woowookrung Regional Park.
The specialized dogs were used during a search of the Leongatha home of accused mushroom chef Erin Patterson last November.
One of the dogs, Georgia, found a USB stick, a micro-secure digital card and a SIM card, while another dog, Alma, discovered a mobile phone, five iPads, a trail camera, a secure digital card and a smartwatch.
These items were not found during the initial searches by officers, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw told Senate Estimates earlier this year.
Victoria Police Chief Constable Shane Patton told ABC Radio the dogs would be tasked with finding Ms Murphy’s phone and Apple Watch.
“We are going to another location, but we will also be using the assistance of the Australian Federal Police today with technical sniffer dogs,” he said.
“We don’t have the capability – we’re trying to get that capability – to run a dog that can detect a cell phone SIM card and things like that.
‘We still haven’t found her phone and watch. We are going to use all those specialist skills.’
Victoria Police said on Wednesday new intelligence had led them to a new search area in bushland around the Buningyong Bushland Reserve
The specialized dogs were used during a search of the Leongatha home of accused killer Erin Patterson last November (pictured)
Mr Murphy has made a sincere appeal for any information that could help locate his wife
Victoria Police said on Wednesday new intelligence had led them to a new search area in bushland around the Buningyong Bushland Reserve.
The Missing Persons Squad, Search and Rescue Squad, the Mounted Branch, the Dog Squad and the Public Order Response Team took part in the eight-hour search.
Police previously identified the Buninyong area as a location of interest after Ms Murphy’s phone pinged near the Buninyong Golf Club.
The development comes after Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with Ms Murphy’s murder after being arrested on March 6.
The new search area is less than 2 miles from the house in Scotsburn. Stephenson had been staying at the house with his girlfriend at the time.
Mr Murphy made a heartfelt appeal for any information that could help locate his wife’s remains and urged the accused killer to co-operate with police.
He was seen driving his distinctive blue ute through bushland near the Buninyong Bushland Reserve on Wednesday afternoon, unaware that police had already called off the search at 2.30pm.
Stephenson will appear in court again on August 8 for a citation.