On the birthday of the disappearance of Samantha Murphy and death still presumed her family and local community desperately to answers.
Dressed in ActiveWear, the 51-year-old Ballarat Local went a run in nearby Canadian Staatsbos on the morning on 4 February 2024 and never returned.
Dozens of burning questions lingers about the events of that morning, with only one capable of giving a feeling of closure for her family – the location of her body.
In the days and months after her disappearance-massal led searches of the area around the 14 km run route of the mother of two could not find any trace of her.
Long after those searches had been called, her destroyed husband Mick Murphy would take his ute to the area where his wife's phone last ping and only searched the Bushland – partially still looking and partly to free his mind, said he last year.
Mrs. Murphy's mother Pam Robson said this week that she still missed her daughter 'more than anything' and the family still believed that she would be found.
'(We) hope for a day they find her, she must be there somewhere. We just want to give her a funeral, “said Mrs. Robson.
The Ballarat community is still in shock about the disappearance of one of them – not made easier for the fact that almost nothing is known, at least by the public, about what happened to her in the morning of 4 February.
Samantha Murphy (photo) went on February 4 on February 4 and never returned home
Samantha Murphy's daughter Jess breaks down in tears during a press conference with Father Mick on February 8, 2024 – four days after her mother was missing
In March, the police accused the 23-year-old trader Patrick Orren Stephenson of the murder of Mrs. Murphy. He has not argued guilty and will appear in a criminal trial.
Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves said that Mrs. Murphy's disappearance was an 'important monument' that brought 'many difficult feelings' for residents.
“People want to talk about Samantha and keep these kinds of stories in the middle again,” she told the sunrise of Channel Seven.
“I think our ballarat community hurt 12 months ago, a lot, and have experienced a lot and today there is a kind of continuation of that.”
Mrs. Hargreaves said that 'more trauma' was probably for the community when the case played before the court before the mother's body was found.
'Mrs. Murphy's mother who speaks, just reminds us that families are involved who hurt more than anyone, and Samantha's close circle of friends and people who knew her personally, I think we should have those people in our mind Keep, “she said.
'As far as the police are concerned, they definitely do everything they can. We are really sure that they will continue that work. '
In a statement released this week, the Victoria police promised that they were still dedicated to the effort to find Mrs. Murphy.
Ballarat Mayor Tracey Hargreaves (photo) said that Mrs. Murphy's disappearance would influence the local community
Long after the searches were called, Samantha's destroyed husband Mick Murphy (photo) would take his ute to the area where his wife's phone was last Pinged
The dense Bushland around Mrs. Murphy's Ballarat house has been extensively searched (a map with important locations in the investigation into her disappearance)
Detectives said last year that they would no longer perform widespread searches, but would remain targeted efforts outside the specific information.
In the past 12 months it has been Enfield State Park, the Canadian Forest and Buninyong Bushland Reserve by the police by the police.
The most recent effort was aimed at the Enfield State Forest in September 2024.
The location is approximately a 15 -minute drive from Buninyong, where Mrs. Murphy's phone was found in May buried in mud on the edge of an agricultural dam.
Detective inspector Dave Dunstan said his colleague officers had worked tirelessly.
“Although nothing can delete their grief and loss, Samantha is always to return to her family, always incredibly important to us,” said the Insp Dunstan on Sunday.
'I want to confirm the community again that the missing people's team is committed to doing everything we can to find Samantha – while a year is over, we still believe that we can find her.
“This year we will continue to perform searches in the Ballarat area, including searches in areas emphasized by information derived from a number of sources.”
Police searches in Buninyong for the body of missing wife Samantha Murphy in March 2024
Police divers saw a dam looking in Buninyong in Ballarat
Just more than a month after Mrs. Murphy had disappeared, Patrick Orren Stephenson (center) was accused of her murder and did not argue guilty
Det Intr Dunstan called on the local population to be aware of their environment and to contact the police immediately if they come across Mrs. Murphy's remains.
“There is nothing that we want more than to return Samantha to her family and we continue to commit to do this,” he said.
Prime Minister Jacinta Allan said that the birthday was a difficult moment for Mrs. Murphy's family, Ballarat and Women wider.
“We have to hold them in our hearts today,” she said.
'Too many women continue to lose their lives through the hands of a well -known former or current partner or a complete stranger. This violence against women must stop. '
Mr Stephenson was arrested in Scotsburn on 6 March and accused of murder the next day.
“We say that this was a deliberate attack on Samantha,” said Chief Commissioner Shane Patton during a press conference after announcing Stephenson's arrest.
'He is established by various research results that have come together, and as you know, we have paced telephones and follow research reports from members of the public.
“We have done ground search assignments, we did door knocks, so it is a whole series of information that came together.”
He is the son of Orren Stephenson, who played 15 AFL matches between 2012 and 2014 for Geelong and Richmond.
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