Six months have passed since Samantha Murphy went missing while she was running in the Woowookarung State Forest.
A man was charged with her murder, but her body has not been recovered. She was last seen on February 4.
At around 7 a.m., the 51-year old mother of three left her Eureka St home in Ballarat for a 14-kilometer run.
Her relatives reported her missing after she failed to come home. According to the police, she might have reached Mount Clear around an hour after leaving the house.
Despite the extensive searches that have been conducted, Ms. Murphy has not been found.
The police stated that they believe that Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, killed Ms. Murphy. He was not known to her.
He was charged with murder and is due to appear in court on August 8. The police claim that he killed the victim on his own. They are still looking for her body.
According to Shane Patton, the police believe that the attack was carried out deliberately.
On Monday, the police stated that their investigation into the matter is still ongoing. They also confirmed that a phone that was recovered in Buninyong was connected to Murphy.
The case has not been updated. Michael Murphy, the victim’s husband, reported the police after he failed to receive a call from his wife.
He then started searching the area surrounding their home. In April, he told 9 News that he had initially thought that his wife would be found soon.
Mr Murphy stated that he would not rest until his wife is found. He said that he would not wish this on anyone.
In April, he told 9 News that his wife was a kind and caring person who would always help others.
During his emotional statement, Mr Murphy spoke about his wife’s caring nature and how she would always provide for others.
He also stated that he wanted people to remember his wife as a happy and smiling person.
He spoke out against men’s violence in the region during a rally held in April. Three women were brutally murdered in just two months in the city.
He identified the victims as Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire. He encouraged people to speak up if they see something they deem inappropriate.
He also thanked the people of Ballarat for supporting the three women during the rally. In March, the community honored Ms. Murphy’s life at a memorial garden.
People at the vigil placed flowers at the memorial garden. A book was also available for people to write their condolences.
Several local politicians, including Catherine King from Ballarat and Juliana Addison from Wendouree, paid their respects to the victim at the vigil.
It was six months since Ms. Murphy went missing. National Missing Persons Week was held this year.
The Australian Federal Police launched a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the issue of long-term missing women following the increasing number of cases involving violence against women.
According to Commander Joanne Cameron, it is hard to tell how likely it is that these individuals will ever be found.
According to Commander Cameron, the reason why the number of cases involving missing women has increased is due to the people coming forward.
She also stated that the technological advancements that have occurred in the field of law enforcement could have contributed to the rise in the number of cases.