Samantha Murphy’s mother makes desperate plea one year after beloved Ballarat woman vanished

Police believe Murphy was killed by Patrick Stephenson, but her body has yet to be found.

Missing woman Samantha Murphy’s mother has made a desperate plea to find her daughter’s body, saying she wants to honour her with a funeral and lay her to rest.

Murphy, 51, was last seen on February 4, 2024, leaving her home in Ballarat, Victoria, for a run along a route she regularly travelled in the Canadian State Forest. She never made it home.

Police believe she was killed and in March charged Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, with her murder.

He has pleaded not guilty.

Murphy’s body has not been found.

“(We) are hoping one day that they find her — she’s got to be out there somewhere,” Murphy’s mother Pam Robson told the Herald Sun on Sunday, speaking publicly about her daughter’s death for the first time.

“We just want to give her a funeral.”

Robson said she missed her daughter “more than anything” and the family continued to take it “one day at a time” following her disappearance early last year.

Victoria Police have conducted extensive searches with a particular focus on the Canadian State Forest, Enfield State Park, and Buninyong Bushland Reserve.

In June, missing persons squad detectives found Murphy’s mobile phone in its teal-coloured case near a dam in Buninyong, approximately 10 minutes from her home.

On Monday, criminologist Xanthe Mallet spoke about the case on Sunrise.

“The police have worked tirelessly to bring this case forward — we’re going to see a court date in a couple of weeks, on February 18,” Mallet said.

“A lot of people want more information in the public domain and the police have necessarily kept that very close for investigative reasons.

“Please have confidence out there in the public that the police are absolutely committed to seeing justice for Samantha and her family.

“I’m expecting this case to go to the Supreme Court in Victoria later this year, or next year, but that’s actually quite quick for a case of this nature.

“Certainly, it’s got a long road to follow yet.

“We can see more searches this year going forward as they still look for Samantha.

“I am hoping the court case will bring some resolution for them as well.”

Although a year has passed, Victoria Police believe Murphy’s body can be found.

“As we approach the one-year anniversary, our thoughts are with the Murphy family and all of Samantha’s friends and loved ones,” Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan from Victoria Police’s Missing Persons Squad said.

“Since Samantha’s disappearance, police have worked tirelessly to locate her.

“We also know that Samantha’s death has had an enormous impact on the Ballarat community, as well as the wider Victorian community.

“I want to reaffirm to the community that the Missing Persons Squad remains committed to doing everything we can to locate Samantha — while a year has passed, we still believe we can locate her.

“This year we will continue to conduct searches in the Ballarat area, including searches in areas highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources.

“We also ask people who may be using these areas, particularly in the Enfield State Forest, to be aware of their surroundings and if they believe they may have come across Samantha’s remains to contact police immediately.

“There is nothing we want more than to return Samantha to her family, and we remain committed to doing this.”