Ballarat missing mother Samantha Murphy: Mystifying clue at last moment she was last seen before disappearing without a trace

Missing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy was wearing what appears to be an Apple Watch when she disappeared, sparking hopes the device could help detectives locate her.

The missing mother-of-three, 51, disappeared on Sunday after leaving her home on Eureka Street, East Ballarat, at 7.16am to go running through a forest.

CCTV footage of Ms Murphy, captured by her own security system, shows the avid runner wearing black mid-length leggings, a maroon/brown singlet and what appears to be an Apple Watch on her left wrist, while carrying a bag of dog poo.

The small potential clue has sparked speculation online.

“She was (presumably) wearing her Apple Watch, which should have pinged on all calls/texts for the first 24 hours (battery life) even without her phone,” one person wrote.

Another detective suggested they could use the Find My feature to locate her Apple Watch.

If it is marked in 'Lost Mode', investigators will be notified when it comes back online.

While it remains unclear whether she was wearing the watch while running, the device can send an SOS signal if the user's heart rate drops.

Apple Watch SE or Apple Watch Series 4 or later can detect a “hard fall” and contact emergency services if the user has enabled the feature.

By pressing and holding the side button you can also call emergency services on some models.

The speculation comes as Mrs Murphy's family hit back at cruel trolls who are waging a whisper campaign against her husband Michael.

“For those questioning Samantha's husband, you have nothing to worry about,” the family said in a statement to the Facebook group created to help with the hunt.

“He is in more pain than anyone and would be the last to suspect anything of this.”

The family said they were keen to put an end to the attacks on Ms Murphy's husband and also correct other claims circulating online.

“I have seen disinformation being spread on all the platforms I want to inform people about,” the statement added.

'It's not usual for Samantha's phone to ring so far from home.

“Yes, she walked in different directions, but she stayed on the trails, never walking more than 6 miles in total, and letting the family know as she continued.”

On Wednesday, Mr. Murphy explained why he had largely remained tight-lipped about his wife's mysterious disappearance.

“I have spoken to the police and I have been advised not to say anything,” Murphy told police Herald Sun.

The panel beater said he was doing 'fine' and was not concerned about the commentary surrounding the search as he 'doesn't even look online'.

Earlier, he visited the bush area in Woowookarung Regional Park around 1.45pm and spoke briefly with police officers through a car window.

Mr Murphy appeared visibly stunned and was turned away.

There is no suggestion that Mr Murphy played a role in his wife's disappearance, only that he came to see what authorities had found.

Earlier on Wednesday, a heartbreaking update revealed that items discovered during a search were not relevant to Ms Murphy's disappearance.

The search for the mother of three children failed after possible evidence was found near a hiking trail around 12:30 p.m – giving her family hope that police were closing in on her whereabouts.

Officers were seen watching close to a plastic tree guard before some bushland was cordoned off after items were found in bushes.

However, detectives now believe the evidence is not relevant to the search.

“Items found during the search for Samantha today have been assessed and are not believed to be linked to her whereabouts at this time,” a police spokesperson said.

Police have not ruled out the possibility that Ms Murphy may have abandoned one of the routes, some of which are surrounded by hundreds of deep mine shafts dating back to the Gold Rush and lined by dense bush.

It comes as the massive search expanded to a new part of Ballarat on Mount Helen, a southern suburb of the city surrounded by bushland popular with runners and cyclists.

Meanwhile, Ms Murphy's teenage daughter has hit back at “malicious” comments about her mother's disappearance on Facebook.

“You have no idea what you're talking about,” she wrote.

“Be quiet and think before you post.”

A friend also jumped to the Murphy family's defense, saying she was defending them from “trolls” who posted “malicious” comments.

Mr Murphy runs a large repair company together with his wife, who works in administration.

Daily Mail Australia has been told media outlets who approached the Ballarat East company on Tuesday received a frosty reception.

Mrs Murphy was known to be fit and walked through the national forest almost every day.

Temperatures rose to a scorching 36C on Sunday and it is not known whether Ms Murphy had food or water with her.

Ms Murphy is described as white, approximately 173cm tall, with a slim build and shoulder-length blond hair.