Suspected killer’s girlfriend breaks cover near the Ballarat retreat where man accused of murdering Samantha Murphy was arrested

A woman believed to be a close friend of Samantha Murphy’s accused killer has been spotted near the rural estate where he was arrested two days ago.

The identity of the man accused of Ms Murphy’s murder has been revealed as Patrick Orren Stephenson, the only son of former AFL star Orren Stephenson, after a suppression order was lifted on Friday.

Stephenson, 22, was arrested on Wednesday in Scotsburn – about 17km from Ms Murphy’s home in Ballarat East in Victoria. The next day he was charged with murder.

On Friday a woman, believed to be a close friend of Stephenson, was seen training and grooming a horse at the back of a property not far from where he was arrested.

She declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia but was seen standing, sitting and blowing kisses to the horse.

Stephenson was arrested a short distance away at another property on Yendon No 2 Road.

It is understood detectives raided the property at around 6.30am on Wednesday and seized a car.

Detectives are reportedly investigating whether Ms Murphy may have been hit by a car on the Sunday she disappeared, but police have ruled out a hit-and-run accident.

Stephenson, a tradie – who was himself a well-known local footballer – appeared in court on Thursday wearing a bright orange striking workman’s jacket charged with murdering Ms Murphy on February 4 – the day she disappeared.

He seemed interested in the legal proceedings around him and maintained his composure, occasionally staring at journalists, the magistrate and lawyers.

When asked by Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz if he could hear her, Stephenson, who had a scruffy beard, said: “Yes, your honor.”

The identity of the alleged killer can only now be fully revealed after a court-imposed ban was finally lifted on Friday.

A magistrate immediately banned the media from identifying him, but the blackout was lifted after an appeal from media outlets, including Daily Mail Australia, during a court hearing on Friday morning.

Stephenson’s family life

Stephenson’s father Orren made headlines when, aged 30, he made his elite AFL debut as a ruckman for Geelong in 2012 before joining Richmond as a rookie in 2013.

He was the oldest first-round draft pick in the history of the sport.

Orren married his high school sweetheart Whitney and the couple had three children – Stephenson was the middle child and only son.

‘It was fantastic and a huge bonus. For my wife and the kids, it’s something they’ll never forget, so I’m quite blessed to be able to share it with them,” Orren told AFL.com.au in 2013 when discussing his football career.

“Patrick rolled around the rooms with the Geelong Cats last year and this year he’s rolling around with the Richmond Tiger boys.

‘He wouldn’t pass it up for a pound. He loves it and the girls had a lot of fun with it too. Being able to share these wonderful times in our lives with our children is a huge bonus.”

The retired 41-year-old player grew up in Wagga Wagga in New South Wales – the birthplace of bona fide AFL champion Wayne Carey.

The family moved to Ballarat in 2002 to be close to Ms Stephenson’s family, and set up an electronics company, Elite Voice and Data, which had to leave their home, according to company records.

It is understood the family have now left the area after a horde of media invaded their home on Thursday afternoon.

Orren started playing AFL for Ballarat’s Redan Football Club and after winning premierships in 2002 and 2003, he was named best and fairest player in 2004.

He then joined North Ballarat Football Club and played for Victoria’s VFL competition before being promoted to the AFL competition.

The veteran was cut at the end of the 2014 season.

Stephenson follows in his father’s footsteps

Keen to emulate his father in football, Stephenson played for the same local Redan side that Orren had once played for.

In 2019, Stephenson appeared in the Ballarat Courier alongside teammates from the Redan Under 19s promoting the L.Watching the After Our Mates program.

It was an initiative that aimed at reducing the risk of players being affected by crashes caused by alcohol or other drugs.

The alleged killer attended Ballarat’s St Patrick’s College, a private Catholic boys’ school, which costs about $7,000 to $8,500 annually.

It is understood Stephenson was living between two houses when Mrs Murphy disappeared. He split his time between his parents’ home in Mount Clear and a share house in Scotsburn – about 10 miles from Mrs Murphy’s home.

Stephenson’s first appearance in court

On Thursday the court heard that Stephenson, a trader, did not suffer from drug or mental health problems.

However, his lawyer David Tamanika warned that his client was at risk of harming himself while behind bars.

He was given a suppression order on the spot, despite the protests of a dozen journalists present at the hearing.

That gag order was lifted on Friday amid a storm of reactions to Magistrate Mykytowycz’s quick decision to impose the gag order.

Lawyers acting on behalf of a group of Australian news media stormed the court on Thursday afternoon, postponing the planned fight against the suppression order from April to Friday.

Ultimately, no fight was necessary and the suppression order was withdrawn by Stephenson’s own lawyer.

But Tamanika criticized the Australian media for advocating an open justice system.

“It is concerning that the application or granting of such orders could immediately become or be perceived as a form of underhanded action or manipulation by a suspect,” he said.

Mr Tamanika said his client’s request for a gag order was made for ‘bona fide’ reasons and was not an attack on the Murphy family.

“It had nothing to do with any disrespect or disregard for the position of Ms. Murphy or her family,” he said.

Tamanika said his client had hoped to keep his father’s name out of the press.

“The interim injunction appears to have had little effect in assisting what the intent of the application would be,” he said.

“The current media storm now includes the suspects’ families and the defense’s intention to help has only become that much more destructive.

“For these reasons, my client has asked me to withdraw the application.”

Dressed in a bright orange worker’s vest and sporting a bushy beard when he appeared in court Thursday, Stephenson’s identity had been circulated for hours on news websites and television broadcasts.

On Friday morning, hours before the 11 a.m. gag order was lifted, Stephenson’s name was widely linked to the alleged murder via the internet and social media.

In accepting the withdrawal of Stephenson’s request for a suppression order, Magistrate Mykytowycz suggested he had little hope of actually obtaining a full order.

The magistrate said she brought the matter to court after speaking with Victoria’s chief magistrate Lisa Hannn.

“In the absence of any evidence or sufficient credible information, I would not have issued an order suppressing the proceedings today even if some of that evidence had been in court… it was very, very, very unlikely,” she said.

At a news conference Thursday, Victoria Police Chief Shane Patton told reporters that Stephenson was unknown to the family of his alleged victim.

However, detectives issued no warnings to the general public about potential threats to their safety during the months-long investigation.

Stephenson will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in August.