Search for missing mum Samantha Murphy’s body underway in Buninyong

The small town is about 11km from Ballarat, where Murphy was last seen leaving her home on the morning of February 4.

Police have charged a man unknown to her, 22-year-old Patrick Stephenson, with her murder but her body has not yet been found.

Police have asked that members of the public not join in today’s search, as they are seeking Murphy’s body.

Searchers, including specialists from the mounted police, dog squad, and the search and rescue squad, among others, will comb through the Buninyong Bushland Reserve.

Police said the area being searched had been highlighted by “intelligence derived from a number of sources”.

“Hopefully today’s search will benefit the investigation or provide further avenues of enquiry for police,” Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said.

“We will also look at further searches in the Ballarat area as the investigation progresses.”

Murphy was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, about 7am on Sunday, February 4, to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest.

A police operation to find her was launched after she failed to attend a brunch later that day.

Initially, police said they did not suspect foul play.

Her phone was last pinged near the Buninyong Golf Club.

Her death was later treated as suspicious, but it was only on February 23 that police said publicly they believed somebody else was involved in Murphy’s disappearance.

Stephenson was arrested on March 6 and charged with murder.

Police said it would be alleged he killed Murphy the day she disappeared, in the Mount Clear region, where much of the search had been focused.

Police said at the time that Stephenson, an electrician and the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, was not known to Murphy or her family.

They also said they did not think Murphy was killed in a hit-and-run, though it’s understood police did also seize Stephenson’s white ute.

Stephenson’s name was initially suppressed, with his defence lawyer claiming the man was at a potential risk of self-harm.

However, the suppression order was lifted after a media challenge.

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