A fresh search has been launched for the body of Samantha Murphy, who went missing in February.
The 51-year-old was last seen leaving her home in Ballarat East, in Victoria, to go for a run. Her last contact with her family was on February 4.
On Tuesday, the police launched a new search within the region. This is the seventh time the search has been conducted.
A spokesperson for the Victoria Police confirmed the development.
The police stated that the search was carried out in the area around Ballarat. It’s part of the investigation regarding Murphy’s disappearance.
The spokesperson said that a number of detectives and specialists from the Missing Persons Unit, as well as other law enforcement agencies, were involved in the operation.
They noted that the police have carried out numerous small-scale searches since February.
The family of Samantha was notified about the search. Although the police did not provide additional details about the operation, they noted that it would resume on Wednesday.
The public was asked not to attend the search.
This development comes four months after the police discovered Murphy’s mobile phone near a dam in Buninyong.
During the search, which lasted for two days, a dozen officers and a couple of dogs were seen going through an area along Buninyong-Mt. Mercer Road.
The case has made headlines across the country due to the sensational nature of the incident. A man named Patrick Orren Stephenson was charged with murder in connection to the case.
He is scheduled to appear in court in November. During a previous hearing, the court was told that a substantial amount of CCTV material had been gathered as part of the investigation.
Patrick Orren Stephenson will appear via a visual link in the Ballarat Magistrate’s Court on November 14.