The family of a missing woman in Ballarat, Victoria has urged anyone with knowledge of what happened to assist with investigations, as the search for Samantha Murphy enters its sixth day.
The 51-year-old mother was last seen leaving her home at 7am on Sunday February 4 for her regular morning jog.
Samantha Murphy’s husband, Mick Murphy, thanked the community for all the support, but called on anyone with a shred of information to contact police.
“People don’t just vanish into thin air,” Mick Murphy said to reporters on Thursday, outside the family home.
“Someone’s got to know something.”
Their daughter, Jess, spoke through tears about her missing mother.
“Mum’s a really strong woman and she’s far too determined to give up this fight,” Jess said.
“I know she’s out there somewhere, so if you could please continue to search for her, to give us something to work with, we’d really appreciate it.
“Mum, we love you so much and we miss you.”
The family contacted police hours after Samantha Murphy was last seen when she failed to return home from her jog.
This week, police have conducted a widespread search for the 51-year-old in the Canadian Forest area, the Mount Helen area and to the East of Geelong Road.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ballarat police asked neighbours of the area to review any CCTV footage they may have, and called on people driving in the area between 7-11am on Sunday February 4 to review dashcam footage.
“Police and family have concerns for Samantha’s welfare due to the length of time she has been missing and her disappearance being out of character,” the statement said.
“Anyone who sights Samantha is urged to contact 000 immediately.”
On Thursday, Acting Inspector Lisa Macdougall from Ballarat police spoke to reporters saying police are “keeping an open mind and considering all possibilities”.
“We are being extremely thorough and methodical with that investigation,” she said.
“There are no suspicious circumstances that we’ve identified at this stage.
“We are hopeful and we are continuing to search, which is why we are out there utilising all of our resources to throw everything at the search.”
Catherine King MP, the Federal Member for Ballarat, thanked everyone in the community who has been involved in the search.
This has been a very distressing few days for so many in our community with the disappearance of Samantha Murphy.
— Catherine King MP (@CatherineKingMP) February 7, 2024
Thank you to the many, many volunteers who have stepped up to help alongside @VictoriaPolice and @vicsesnews.
On Wednesday, CCTV footage that was believed to have captured Samantha Murphy jogging was ruled out, as another woman in the area came forward and identified herself in the footage.
Several items have been located during the search for Murphy, but police have concluded they are not “related to her whereabouts” at this time.
The community has rallied behind the Murphy family to help find Samantha. Mick Murphy thanked everyone for the support they have shown, including sending food for the family throughout the week.
A Facebook page called Find Samantha Murphy, created by Cindy Hobbs, has nearly 13,000 members, who are sharing tips that may be relevant to Murphy’s disappearance.
“This is a public group for locals to share search efforts, and discuss topics to help find Sam,” the page’s description reads.
“Please stick to facts about the case but feel free to ask questions.
“THANK YOU for being here, even if you are unable to search, just your presence in this group helps spread awareness.”