Shocking twist in search for mother who disappeared without a trace during a flight near Melbourne
Residents living near a national forest where a mother of three disappeared have expressed concern about unnoticeable mine shafts in the area.
The search for 51-year-old Samantha Murphy is now in its fourth day after she disappeared Sunday morning while out for a run in the Canadian State Forest, about an hour and a half northwest of Melbourne.
She was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East at 7am on Sunday.
The avid runner had embarked on a 12-mile run through the woods, an area her husband says she is very familiar with, but never returned.
One local resident said the mine shafts in the Canadian State Forest were a “big problem.”
The search for missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy (pictured) has entered its fourth day
“The mine shafts out there are not very noticeable in some areas,” she said A current issue.
Ms Murphy's elderly neighbor Ray said he was stunned by her disappearance.
“I can't believe it,” he said, adding that her husband Michael sometimes mowed his lawn for him.
“She usually goes for a run in the morning and waves at me.”
The couple owns and operates a large repair business.
On Tuesday, Mr Murphy said he wasn't feeling too bad under the circumstances.
“It's just up in the air, we don't know,” he told the station Herald Sun.
'In the end it's just a matter of time.'
Mr Murphy told Nine News he would not be joining the search and preferred to stay at home to try to keep his mind occupied while he waited for an update.
He was pictured speaking to police on Tuesday as the search continued.
Michael Murphy (photo with police) broke his silence about his missing wife on Tuesday
The couple are pictured in happier times while on holiday in Bali, Indonesia, in 2017
Mrs Murphy is listed as head of administration at the Inland Motor Body Works, a car repair shop run by the couple in Delacombe.
The large-scale search for the mother is being coordinated by the Search and Rescue Squad, involving 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.
Ms Murphy's 'appalled and concerned' family have serious concerns, describing her disappearance as 'out of character'.
On the morning Ms Murphy disappeared, she was seen on her own CCTV system wearing a brown shirt and black mid-length leggings.
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”.
“Obviously phone batteries can run out, but that's part of the investigation,” she said Monday.
Mrs. Murphy is an administrator at Inland Motor Body Works, which she co-owns with her husband
Mr Murphy (pictured) said his missing wife (right) runs through the national forest almost every day
Ms Murphy, an avid runner, was last seen wearing a brown/maroon shirt and black leggings
Mrs Murphy was known to be fit and walked through the national forest almost every day.
“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 36 degrees Celsius 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.
'For us it increases the urgency of the search and of course we take into account that this has an impact on someone's health.'
After she failed to return home on Sunday, a major search was launched for the missing jogger
Women gathered outside the Buninyong police station as the massive search continued