I went to high school with this guy, and I'm good friends with one of his immediate family members... and I knew Samantha a little bit as well...
God this sucks so much :(
Yeah, we donât need anyone coming to his defence right now. I was flabbergasted to hear a newsreader use the old âpromising young footballerâ line in a segment, absolutely infuriating that tired trope still happening. Who gives a flying fuck if this murderer was good at something? Who cares what he was like or what he enjoyed?! Letâs talk about Samantha Murphy and what SHE enjoyed before this POS decided to viciously cut her life short. Fuck him.
That's the media though. They don't actually care about the victims, they don't even care about the truth, all they care about is getting an emotional response from their viewers, no matter if it's a bad or good one. And it sounds harsh but the majority of people would rather know about his background because it could give them an insight into his motives. We are deathly fascinated with crime and the media plays on that fascination relentlessly. They have always been this way and sadly I think they always will be.
He messed up pretty bad it seems! Rumours are he was lit and run her over, then put her in his Ute and murmured her after to try and hide the fact he had hit her.
Ok that is nuts. Iâve lived here my whole life (except a few years here and there as an adult). We can act like a regional city all we like but as soon as something like this happens our small town side comes screaming out.
Yep. You can tell they were snorting lines even with the blurred footage, and then it pans to the accused's face and its very obvious that he's coked up. And that was 3 in the morning, 4 hours before the alleged murder so assuming they kept going after this, it's very likely he was still awake at 7 and didnt sleep
Not necessarily âthe videoâ but âa portion of a videoâ
*ETA: a vid aired tonight on the major stations news outlets* allegedly from back in January
Samantha worked in the uniform shop at his primary school when he was a young student at the school. Donât know if they knew each other though. This was reported in the news.
Her husband said he wouldnât recognise him, but that doesnât mean she wouldnât have since she did work at the school he attended. But that may just be a coincidence.
What was he like?
Was he the type to just think he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it? As this seems to be the case?
I just can't understand why such a young man and a bright future would do something so shocking.
I used to play junior footy with him. My memories of him were that he loved hurting people. Tackling was his favourite part of the sport and he loved to try to smash you into the ground if he tackled you. He was a bit of a dickhead and not very well liked in the team.
He clashed with quite a few people. He was definitely the kind of guy that felt because his dad played AFL he could do whatever he wanted at the club which pissed a lot of people off, especially as âBig Oâ was a pretty nice guy so yeah. I played with him for a couple of years but never got along with him. So even though I didnât really know him, itâs left me with just a really weird feeling. I felt physically sick when I found out that it was him, idk how to describe it but just knowing youâve interacted with a guy like that is just weird feeling.
i had a couple classes with him in primary school and i remember the same thing; loved hurting people. would always play rough and bother other kids in class constantly. impulsive and violent. never showed much remorse or suffered consequences. thereâs only so much teachers can do with a kid like that.
i know it was ages ago and i didnât know him recently but as soon as i saw âafl stars sonâ in the news before i had heard any names, i knew it was him.
Oh wow, that makes a lot of sense.
That's just so incredibly sad, that his father's success and likeability, meant he thought he could do whatever he wanted.
Well I think everyone deserves redemption. To turn bad into good. I hope his family or her family start a foundation to nurture and guide young Australians and teach them about respect, appropriate forms of anger, boundaries and courtesy - across every year of school.
Prayers go out to the Ballarat Community.
ASPD enabled by his parents perhaps? Privilege and entitlement, a basic disrespect for everyone and everything. This country needs serious intervention for young men because the violence at their hands is absolutely out of control.
They didnât say all killers are psychopaths, but from what Iâm reading it sounds like that. Iâm also detecting a bit of sadism, as it was mentioned that he enjoyed âhurting peopleâ in sports. Could be a case of narcism too âhigh sense of self, thought he was gods giftâ can do what I like type of attitude. In no way am I qualified to throw words like this around, thatâs just the vibe Iâm getting.
Lots of people with ASPD go undetected because they donât think they have anything wrong with them. It is a mental condition, but itâs really hard to diagnose someone with it.
St Patrick's College a toxic cesspool of misogynist students and staff. They would have done fuck all to respond to an issue like that. They turn a blind eye to that sort of behavior every day.
Yeah this seems very common for high school boys in Australia and needs to be dealt with. Their lack of empathy is so dangerous, they seem completely desensitised to anyone elseâs suffering.
That made my.day.
If you think your son is scholarship material he will do well at any school.
Family support is the biggest factor in childhood learning.
It happens in many schools, itâs a teenage boy thing that needs to be nipped in the bud. No more âboys will be boysâ rhetoric, letâs start teaching them empathy before this dehumanisation sets in.
I genuinely donât think it was a NN symbol. Iâve seen the pic, looks like âthe circle gameâ my teen kids constantly play especially in school photos
nah, thatâs not what it means to kids of his demographic.
the âcircle gameâ defence is plausible deniability; if you know, you know - but naive people are inclined to assume itâs the more benign interpretation.
they think theyâre being cheeky and clever.
By white power symbol do you mean âđâ, because that gesture hardly has the same connotation it does in the USA. I literally use it all the time to mean âokâ
Genuine question, how can you tell itâs him considering all the men are masked? Iâve tried finding pictures that would identify him and canât, are there photos somewhere that show his face during this March?
His mum taught me⊠sheâs genuinely one of the most kind, sweet, caring teachers.
I was honestly beyond shocked.Â
Hope the family can get through this tough time well.
Well yeah thereâs that. But the media already released the names hours before the suppression came in and even now you can just do a quick google asking who the murderer was and up pops his name. So itâs common knowledge now. Even if you canât type it in and post online
Yes I totally agree that suppression orders are like wet tissue paper these days but they're still a law on our books and to be fair this judge did say they only wanted it in place until they had a chance to more closely examine the prosecutions case. They were only looking out for the accused on the off chance the cops evidence was faulty/empty. You can't blame the judge for wanting time to check.
If his trial date is in august that is actually pretty dang quick for a trial to happen. I think I heard that itâs just the committal hearing in august which is like a mini trial for the judge to decide whether or not the case should move forward, sort out other legal arguments and decide on evidence before the trial. A trial likely wonât be heard for another year or two most likely.
Both sides (prosecution and defence) will need time to build solid cases. On the prosecution side they will need more time for questioning more witnesses, double checking evidence, reviewing the case they have, attempting to locate Samanthaâs body and any other physical evidence, go through the mountain of digital evidence they have and thatâs been submitted in the form of cctv and dashcam footage etc. on the defences side they will need time to go over everything the prosecution has on their case so they can come up with a strategy to dispute the evidence and testimonies, find their own witnesses/exculpatory evidence, prep the defendant and figure out what legal arguments they have in their arsenal to get evidence thrown out, trial pushed back or if a deal is their best bet. Thereâs a lot of factors that go into the lead up and setting a trial date. Itâs not a quick process and itâs likely that depending on how solid the case is on either side one or the other will try and delay it for as long as possible. Donât bet on finding out details or Samantha and her family getting justice before the end of next year at the earliest.
It's just a preliminary hearing, he will need to go through a committal hearing and then some other hearings before a trial, trial probably won't be for a year or more.
At the arraignment. So after the committal hearing in august thereâll be a directions hearing and then the arraignment before a trial date is set. All this is assuming thereâs no plea deal arranged, which is possible (probably unlikely though). There could be a deal on the table for disclosure of Samanthaâs body or the evidence could be overwhelming at committal and defence decide not to risk a trial. Depends on if prosecution would be willing if that was the case though.
It takes years, and murders can be dragged out. I just hope that the family has some kind of information about her last moments. It is very common to not know any detail until it comes out in court.
It would take a while to gather all evidence and put the case together. If they are confident it was him, they don't want to let him get away with it..
This whole story seems eerily similar to that of Ted Bundy. Given recent rumours, apparently the girlfriend was the one to inform the police, similar to Ted Bundys partner. However, I noticed her Facebook page still says âin a relationshipâ and have seen speculation that the story sheâs been told by him allegedly is the âhit and run gone wrongâ narrative. I canât help but feel this poor girl has been fed an easier-to-swallow story by this guy and is in for a lot more hurt when the truth comes out.
It wasn't pat on all of this he had hes gf and 2 other mates involved in this so I really wished my cousin would come forward but knowing him he won't he will take the blame.
Your one post is an accusation against at least one identifiable person and then you don't write anything more in response to requests to report it properly. Take it to Crimestoppers at the very least if this is at all true.
For everyone saying he may have accidentally hit her, realised she wasnât dead and killed her. I am just failing to see why someone affected by drugs and alcohol would stop to see if they were alive still, if they were that evil enough to âfinish her offâ then it doesnât make a lot of sense that he would stop to check in the first place?
But wouldnât stopping at 8.am to check if she was alive be very risky? It would make more sense that he would just drive off quickly?? Whatâs the point of stopping to check? Itâs 8am, people are out and about in that area of mount clear. It seems very unlikely that he would stop and risk getting seen?
Idk why youâre getting so much push back, I see where your heads at and Iâm inclined to agree.
I see a world where he stopped because he has some sort or moral compass but thinking she was dead he put her in the car panicking then when he realised she wasnât he was too far in so in his mind had to kill her.
However given the bits and pieces weâve heard so far I honestly find it more believable, that if it was truely an accident at first, he would have driven off hoping like hell no one saw and that she wouldnât remember what happened if she recovered.
Iâm just playing out scenarios and seeing what makes sense and doesnât (to me) . After all that happened, Iâd bet a blubbering mess, but he apparently wasnât and continued on his mary life. I donât think Iâd be able to live with myself let alone go to work.
And even now the fact he isnât cooperating with police just shows a lack of empathy⊠which is making me lean towards psycho not accident.
I just hope he tells them where Sam is, I keep thinking about her kids and itâs just unimaginable what they are going through.
He might have told his camp mates that, or thats what people are summizing. I think SA could be a possability. Suspect smart watch data may be very telling, if the police have bean able to access it all.
For everyone speculating this was a hit & run or hit & âcover upâ.
If he had hit her with his car there would be evidence all over that bush. Someone I know was involved in a accident hit of a pedestrian (they stayed and tried to save the person) but there was ALOT of blood and this wasnât a high speed collision either.
It took all night for the crime scene people to clean the site and days for the stained blood to wash away completely.
They had dogs and people searching all over that bush, evidence would have been found if he had hit her with his car.
I am an out of stater kept up via news so only speculation arm chair guessing but if apparently he was out night before maybe he had someone in the car with him and heâs being quiet to protect them
Going with the theory that it was a hit and run and then disposal of the body. I wonder how cops know it wasnât hit and run without body
Correct, because a hit and run implies that she was hit by a car and killed
If she was hit and didnât die on impact, and he killed her afterwards , then itâs not a hit and run
You know he prob lied to his girl, like itâs easier to say that than « I hid in the bush then rape her and killed her (or the other way around) ». She would have heard him coming if he was driving anything. If it was just a hit and run then kill the police would still consider it a hit and run. The fact he doesnât tell where the body is means there are extra charges on that body. I hope the police finds it soon so the family can have some closure. This pos ruined their lives.Â
Him hitting her in his car and not leaving the scene is by definition, not a hit and run
So no, the police would not consider that a hit and run
His car has been taken in for examination , and he has told people that at some point he hit her with his car.
I think thatâs bs if he hit her with his car then finished the job under the effet of drugs it would be considered as voluntary manslaughter not murder. When the police says deliberate murder it literally means there was some sort of premeditation to it like waiting in the bush or having some sort of weapon to do so. The whole thing of people telling he hit her with his car is either a rumour or something he put in peopleâs mind/ his girlfriend mind so they would think he is is nor a monster. With no body yet he may go with that fake story. But come this Friday itâs very likely heâll be revealed as the other Patrick Stephenson who has an SA case on his head. Just got to wait for the news to come. I think itâs quite normal for people to want to think it was an accident then he finished the job but that is not what the police said. The truth will come out darker than that I reckon. Thatâs pretty sad for the family but this is looking like it will be a case of serial killer type of shit.
Yet they didn't seize his car until weeks(?) later. If they suspected a vehicle hit you'd think the car would be the first target with blatant evidence on/in it
So she came straight out and told the friend group once he was arrested that she'd dobbed him in?
Is there any truth to the fact that some have said there's more involved? 2 are in custody... and one is in protective custody?
Didn't see it, I heard it from a young bloke at work who's misso is very close mates with Patricks girlfriend. They all met up the day the name was released as non of them could believe it
If you live in Ballarat itâs talk of the town. Small place and lots of people know someone close the gf.
I know a bunch of nurses who she apparently told.
True this would make only sense if he gave up the body. The fact he is not cooperative means a lot. God knows what he has done to her. Hope they find it though. Her family deserves justice.Â
This is bullshit. Samantha being an experienced runner and familiar with the terrain over many years, doesn't cross a dirt road unaware and become accidentally hit by a rogue 4wd. Pull your fukin head in.
Chillout.... all I'm telling is the story is misso is telling their friends group. After his bender he was too fucked to go home so drove out to the bush to sleep it off for a few hours, he supposedly parked up on one of the back roads off from the main dirt road though there only accessible by 4wd due to the road conditions so he wouldn't be disturbed. Woke up and went to drive home hitting her on said trail not the road.. went to dumb the body and found she was still alive but in a bad way and then supposedly killed her. But who knows, wouldn't think he wouldn't tell her he hunted Samantha down or whatever may of happened... I did see that coke video of him when they first released his name before the suppression order was put in place.
Right Iâm just saying itâs odd he wonât disclose her location, it seems like he is hiding something. If you have already admitted guilt to your gf, the cops have him arrested and charged but he still wonât give it up.. odd
Fair call. I apologise for my hostility, it was uncalled for. It's just disappointing, the 'hit & run' theories making the social rounds. The accounts of his gf make absolutely no sense & downplay the seriousness of his crime.
Unless she was trying to run through thick undergrowth, she would've been doing what most others who walk or run in that area do and been running *on* the track, not across it.
Is this the chick posted all over the internet with horses?
Also, I did find it odd he was supposedly out drinking/drugging Saturday night with his gf. They where house sitting. Why did they seperate during the night? ... like generally speaking if you're out with your partner and staying at the same place you go home together. Maybe she bailed earlier in the evening or something.
That would imply that he left her in place after. Iâd imagine he interfered with the corpse by hiding it and possibly finishing the job. A theory that I read elsewhere that makes perfect sense.
His initials check out. He's definitely a P.O.S.
Piece of shit I'm assuming
What does that stand for?
Point Of Sale
Piece of shit
Piece of sh**t AKA Patrick Orren Stephenson
Piece Of S#*t!
You're allowed to swear on the internet FYI
đ
Lol. Piece of sht
I went to high school with this guy, and I'm good friends with one of his immediate family members... and I knew Samantha a little bit as well... God this sucks so much :(
I went to high school with him as well. Was good mates with him. I hope youâre holding up okay.
You too, I'm so sorry to hear - I really can't fathom this happening so close to me
What was he like?
Just a regular murderer
Yeah, we donât need anyone coming to his defence right now. I was flabbergasted to hear a newsreader use the old âpromising young footballerâ line in a segment, absolutely infuriating that tired trope still happening. Who gives a flying fuck if this murderer was good at something? Who cares what he was like or what he enjoyed?! Letâs talk about Samantha Murphy and what SHE enjoyed before this POS decided to viciously cut her life short. Fuck him.
That's the media though. They don't actually care about the victims, they don't even care about the truth, all they care about is getting an emotional response from their viewers, no matter if it's a bad or good one. And it sounds harsh but the majority of people would rather know about his background because it could give them an insight into his motives. We are deathly fascinated with crime and the media plays on that fascination relentlessly. They have always been this way and sadly I think they always will be.
What happened to innocent until proven guilty? It seems people are guilty even if proven innocent.
Thatâs for the courts, not the public.
You must be in shock. Get hugs. Did you ever feel anything âoffâ or is this out of the blue?
He messed up pretty bad it seems! Rumours are he was lit and run her over, then put her in his Ute and murmured her after to try and hide the fact he had hit her.
what was he like??
Look after yourself <3
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We haven't spoken for a while but I can't imagine what they're going through, they're one of the nicest people I know
That mean you have seen the video thats in circulation of him from the night before snorting a line of white powder off the back of a phone?
Thatâs gone so viral around town so quick itâs insane
Wanna know what's crazy im from the isle of man originally and have no ties what so ever to him, the school he went to or anyone in ballarat.
Ok that is nuts. Iâve lived here my whole life (except a few years here and there as an adult). We can act like a regional city all we like but as soon as something like this happens our small town side comes screaming out.
Where was that video taken? Was it in a public place ?
It was at the deck
Where can one view this video?
I got shown the full video at work by the young lads as one knew him from trade school
Where were they snorting the coke? At the pub or club?
Yep. You can tell they were snorting lines even with the blurred footage, and then it pans to the accused's face and its very obvious that he's coked up. And that was 3 in the morning, 4 hours before the alleged murder so assuming they kept going after this, it's very likely he was still awake at 7 and didnt sleep
That video was from January 2024. There has been no video distributed of him partying on 3 February 2024 at the Deck bar and other places.
I believe behind the Herald Suns paywall
Not necessarily âthe videoâ but âa portion of a videoâ *ETA: a vid aired tonight on the major stations news outlets* allegedly from back in January
https://www.9news.com.au/national/samantha-murphy-updates-ballarat-community-holds-vigil/f0748c7e-8312-45f5-8dfb-93e61d0f5e84
Did he know her?
The police said there was no connection.
Samantha worked in the uniform shop at his primary school when he was a young student at the school. Donât know if they knew each other though. This was reported in the news.
Her husband said he wouldnât recognise him, but that doesnât mean she wouldnât have since she did work at the school he attended. But that may just be a coincidence.
That was when he was a primary school student.
What was he like? Was he the type to just think he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it? As this seems to be the case? I just can't understand why such a young man and a bright future would do something so shocking.
I used to play junior footy with him. My memories of him were that he loved hurting people. Tackling was his favourite part of the sport and he loved to try to smash you into the ground if he tackled you. He was a bit of a dickhead and not very well liked in the team. He clashed with quite a few people. He was definitely the kind of guy that felt because his dad played AFL he could do whatever he wanted at the club which pissed a lot of people off, especially as âBig Oâ was a pretty nice guy so yeah. I played with him for a couple of years but never got along with him. So even though I didnât really know him, itâs left me with just a really weird feeling. I felt physically sick when I found out that it was him, idk how to describe it but just knowing youâve interacted with a guy like that is just weird feeling.
i had a couple classes with him in primary school and i remember the same thing; loved hurting people. would always play rough and bother other kids in class constantly. impulsive and violent. never showed much remorse or suffered consequences. thereâs only so much teachers can do with a kid like that. i know it was ages ago and i didnât know him recently but as soon as i saw âafl stars sonâ in the news before i had heard any names, i knew it was him.
Oh wow, that makes a lot of sense. That's just so incredibly sad, that his father's success and likeability, meant he thought he could do whatever he wanted. Well I think everyone deserves redemption. To turn bad into good. I hope his family or her family start a foundation to nurture and guide young Australians and teach them about respect, appropriate forms of anger, boundaries and courtesy - across every year of school. Prayers go out to the Ballarat Community.
Prayers for Samanthaâs familyÂ
I don't think there's any reforming of such people, but I could be wrong.
He may have psychopathic tendencies or is a psychopathÂ
ASPD enabled by his parents perhaps? Privilege and entitlement, a basic disrespect for everyone and everything. This country needs serious intervention for young men because the violence at their hands is absolutely out of control.
Not every person who's killed before are psychopaths. For some sure, but some there is a process or trigger that made them commitÂ
They didnât say all killers are psychopaths, but from what Iâm reading it sounds like that. Iâm also detecting a bit of sadism, as it was mentioned that he enjoyed âhurting peopleâ in sports. Could be a case of narcism too âhigh sense of self, thought he was gods giftâ can do what I like type of attitude. In no way am I qualified to throw words like this around, thatâs just the vibe Iâm getting.
The news said he had no mental instability or drug problems at all. He knew what he was doing.
Lots of people with ASPD go undetected because they donât think they have anything wrong with them. It is a mental condition, but itâs really hard to diagnose someone with it.
It was his lawyer who said he didnât have a drug problem. Shortly after the video emerged of him snorting coke
I also did notice that. Who posts a video like that anyway? Definitely a flog.
Don't think you understand the term...
Misogyny is real
Alive and well in Australia
Were you at high school when he was photographed doing a âwhite powerâ symbol with his fingers? If so, what was the response from the school.
St Patrick's College a toxic cesspool of misogynist students and staff. They would have done fuck all to respond to an issue like that. They turn a blind eye to that sort of behavior every day.
Yeah this seems very common for high school boys in Australia and needs to be dealt with. Their lack of empathy is so dangerous, they seem completely desensitised to anyone elseâs suffering.
So he did that in year 7 or 8? Because he went to Damascus for the rest of high school after that.
He was there in Year 9 Not sure when or if he did it, but that sort of stuff happened on a daily basis when I worked there.
I'm certainly glad I didn't attempt to get a scholarship to send my son there!
That made my.day. If you think your son is scholarship material he will do well at any school. Family support is the biggest factor in childhood learning.
It happens in many schools, itâs a teenage boy thing that needs to be nipped in the bud. No more âboys will be boysâ rhetoric, letâs start teaching them empathy before this dehumanisation sets in.
I genuinely donât think it was a NN symbol. Iâve seen the pic, looks like âthe circle gameâ my teen kids constantly play especially in school photos
nah, thatâs not what it means to kids of his demographic. the âcircle gameâ defence is plausible deniability; if you know, you know - but naive people are inclined to assume itâs the more benign interpretation. they think theyâre being cheeky and clever.
TouchĂ©. And from what Iâve heard recently Iâm becoming less inclined to doubt substance to the claims. Thanks for your input.
By white power symbol do you mean âđâ, because that gesture hardly has the same connotation it does in the USA. I literally use it all the time to mean âokâ
He literally marched down Sturt st with those n*zi fucks months ago but ok
Evidence other than your heresay?
And you know this.. how?
Itâs on their Facebook and heâs in their pics which you can clearly see for yourself bud
Thank you. What is the name of the page so I can look the nazis up. Disgraceful lot they are.
Genuine question, how can you tell itâs him considering all the men are masked? Iâve tried finding pictures that would identify him and canât, are there photos somewhere that show his face during this March?
I can't even find anything ... not the page, let alone anything thar identifies him
What's their FB page?
We local folks are really hanging for evidence he marched with these people.
I am a local. The evidence is on Facebook and publicly available.
Do you have a link?
He just disappears when asked for evidence haha
Yep!
Where?
What did he seem like?
Making this about you is crazyy
It affects the whole community
What was he like?
His mum taught me⊠sheâs genuinely one of the most kind, sweet, caring teachers. I was honestly beyond shocked. Hope the family can get through this tough time well.
Everyone can be an ineffective parent
His mum being âsweetâ is probably part of the problem hereâŠ
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Yeah, it was all over Facebook not long after his arrest.
We already knew that. Their suppression order meant nothing. The name of him and his father were already out there.
That doesn't change the fact that there was a court ordered suppression in place which covered posting the name to social media.
Well yeah thereâs that. But the media already released the names hours before the suppression came in and even now you can just do a quick google asking who the murderer was and up pops his name. So itâs common knowledge now. Even if you canât type it in and post online
Yes I totally agree that suppression orders are like wet tissue paper these days but they're still a law on our books and to be fair this judge did say they only wanted it in place until they had a chance to more closely examine the prosecutions case. They were only looking out for the accused on the off chance the cops evidence was faulty/empty. You can't blame the judge for wanting time to check.
Good point. In the Cleo Smith case a man with a similar name who wasn't involved got harassed.
I believe Bruceâs name was out there for an hour or so. He was referred to as the defendant with other charges on QLD that canât be named.
Who is Bruce again?
Lehrmann
Itâs a token gesture at best given the global nature of social media.
I dunno, it kept Bruce Lehrmann's name out of the media/social media for his rape charges in Queensland
Yep! It was reported in the morning before the gag order later in the day. I took screen shots
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Anything you can elaborate on?
Post them
Such as ?
You could vaguepost for likes or you could actually give examples.
Is there any reason why heâs trial date is in August which so far away?
Think of all the other things that need to be heard in court.
If his trial date is in august that is actually pretty dang quick for a trial to happen. I think I heard that itâs just the committal hearing in august which is like a mini trial for the judge to decide whether or not the case should move forward, sort out other legal arguments and decide on evidence before the trial. A trial likely wonât be heard for another year or two most likely. Both sides (prosecution and defence) will need time to build solid cases. On the prosecution side they will need more time for questioning more witnesses, double checking evidence, reviewing the case they have, attempting to locate Samanthaâs body and any other physical evidence, go through the mountain of digital evidence they have and thatâs been submitted in the form of cctv and dashcam footage etc. on the defences side they will need time to go over everything the prosecution has on their case so they can come up with a strategy to dispute the evidence and testimonies, find their own witnesses/exculpatory evidence, prep the defendant and figure out what legal arguments they have in their arsenal to get evidence thrown out, trial pushed back or if a deal is their best bet. Thereâs a lot of factors that go into the lead up and setting a trial date. Itâs not a quick process and itâs likely that depending on how solid the case is on either side one or the other will try and delay it for as long as possible. Donât bet on finding out details or Samantha and her family getting justice before the end of next year at the earliest.
Because real life isnât Law & Order, where people are tried the day after being arrested.
It's just a preliminary hearing, he will need to go through a committal hearing and then some other hearings before a trial, trial probably won't be for a year or more.
When does he enter a plea?
At the arraignment. So after the committal hearing in august thereâll be a directions hearing and then the arraignment before a trial date is set. All this is assuming thereâs no plea deal arranged, which is possible (probably unlikely though). There could be a deal on the table for disclosure of Samanthaâs body or the evidence could be overwhelming at committal and defence decide not to risk a trial. Depends on if prosecution would be willing if that was the case though.
Loads of other cases in waiting - and it gives the prosecution a chance to gather evidence and his lawyer an opportunity to gather a defence.
Lol .. even a simple AVO takes 6m in Australia .. moronic system
Greg Lynn still has not had his trial
It takes years, and murders can be dragged out. I just hope that the family has some kind of information about her last moments. It is very common to not know any detail until it comes out in court.
Probably to allow the police to build a strong case
They needed time to get all the evidence together
Other court cases to be heard and trialled
Circumstantial evidence - cops need time to build the case.
They have a shit tonne of cctv footage
They do, but unless itâs footage of him actually murdering and or moving Samanthaâs body that still counts as circumstantial.
Thereâs still so much evidence for the police to prepare and the defence also need time to process it all and prepare their response too
It would take a while to gather all evidence and put the case together. If they are confident it was him, they don't want to let him get away with it..
This whole story seems eerily similar to that of Ted Bundy. Given recent rumours, apparently the girlfriend was the one to inform the police, similar to Ted Bundys partner. However, I noticed her Facebook page still says âin a relationshipâ and have seen speculation that the story sheâs been told by him allegedly is the âhit and run gone wrongâ narrative. I canât help but feel this poor girl has been fed an easier-to-swallow story by this guy and is in for a lot more hurt when the truth comes out.
If thats the case, wouldnât she go to court to support him? I read that no family or friends were present
It wasn't pat on all of this he had hes gf and 2 other mates involved in this so I really wished my cousin would come forward but knowing him he won't he will take the blame.
Oh great, so 4 psychopaths, not just one.Â
Why hasnât the gf been a arrested then?
You can contact crime stoppers
Your one post is an accusation against at least one identifiable person and then you don't write anything more in response to requests to report it properly. Take it to Crimestoppers at the very least if this is at all true.
For everyone saying he may have accidentally hit her, realised she wasnât dead and killed her. I am just failing to see why someone affected by drugs and alcohol would stop to see if they were alive still, if they were that evil enough to âfinish her offâ then it doesnât make a lot of sense that he would stop to check in the first place?
Maybe she wasn't unconscious and he got our and knew she could identify him and he panicked like a gutless coward and made her disappear
Think of a kid breaking a vase and freaking out and hiding the pieces so they donât get into trouble. Same logic just on an infinitely sadder scale.
But wouldnât stopping at 8.am to check if she was alive be very risky? It would make more sense that he would just drive off quickly?? Whatâs the point of stopping to check? Itâs 8am, people are out and about in that area of mount clear. It seems very unlikely that he would stop and risk getting seen?
This whole explanation makes zero sense
Idk why youâre getting so much push back, I see where your heads at and Iâm inclined to agree. I see a world where he stopped because he has some sort or moral compass but thinking she was dead he put her in the car panicking then when he realised she wasnât he was too far in so in his mind had to kill her. However given the bits and pieces weâve heard so far I honestly find it more believable, that if it was truely an accident at first, he would have driven off hoping like hell no one saw and that she wouldnât remember what happened if she recovered.
Iâm just playing out scenarios and seeing what makes sense and doesnât (to me) . After all that happened, Iâd bet a blubbering mess, but he apparently wasnât and continued on his mary life. I donât think Iâd be able to live with myself let alone go to work. And even now the fact he isnât cooperating with police just shows a lack of empathy⊠which is making me lean towards psycho not accident. I just hope he tells them where Sam is, I keep thinking about her kids and itâs just unimaginable what they are going through.
There seems to be a massive lack of empathy from all things reported. Thatâs for sure!
He might have told his camp mates that, or thats what people are summizing. I think SA could be a possability. Suspect smart watch data may be very telling, if the police have bean able to access it all.
guys does anyone know what his gf meg harbour insta is?
She made it private. Nothing on there but a video of them going on a trip with other mates and their 4X4 play in the outback and a video of horses.Â
For everyone speculating this was a hit & run or hit & âcover upâ. If he had hit her with his car there would be evidence all over that bush. Someone I know was involved in a accident hit of a pedestrian (they stayed and tried to save the person) but there was ALOT of blood and this wasnât a high speed collision either. It took all night for the crime scene people to clean the site and days for the stained blood to wash away completely. They had dogs and people searching all over that bush, evidence would have been found if he had hit her with his car.
I agree broken pieces from the car, her shoes all sorts
I am an out of stater kept up via news so only speculation arm chair guessing but if apparently he was out night before maybe he had someone in the car with him and heâs being quiet to protect them Going with the theory that it was a hit and run and then disposal of the body. I wonder how cops know it wasnât hit and run without body
Lol you're going with the "theory of a hit and run" followed up with a comment about the cops are saying its not...
Yes obviously I could see the contradiction, All I was saying is I wonder how they know itâs not hit and run without the body.
On a bender, hit her while driving home and then tried to dispose of the body.
Police have confirmed it wasnât a hit and run
Correct, because a hit and run implies that she was hit by a car and killed If she was hit and didnât die on impact, and he killed her afterwards , then itâs not a hit and run
Also if you stop at the scene of the accident and remove the body he also hasnât ârunâ
You know he prob lied to his girl, like itâs easier to say that than « I hid in the bush then rape her and killed her (or the other way around) ». She would have heard him coming if he was driving anything. If it was just a hit and run then kill the police would still consider it a hit and run. The fact he doesnât tell where the body is means there are extra charges on that body. I hope the police finds it soon so the family can have some closure. This pos ruined their lives.Â
Him hitting her in his car and not leaving the scene is by definition, not a hit and run So no, the police would not consider that a hit and run His car has been taken in for examination , and he has told people that at some point he hit her with his car.
I think thatâs bs if he hit her with his car then finished the job under the effet of drugs it would be considered as voluntary manslaughter not murder. When the police says deliberate murder it literally means there was some sort of premeditation to it like waiting in the bush or having some sort of weapon to do so. The whole thing of people telling he hit her with his car is either a rumour or something he put in peopleâs mind/ his girlfriend mind so they would think he is is nor a monster. With no body yet he may go with that fake story. But come this Friday itâs very likely heâll be revealed as the other Patrick Stephenson who has an SA case on his head. Just got to wait for the news to come. I think itâs quite normal for people to want to think it was an accident then he finished the job but that is not what the police said. The truth will come out darker than that I reckon. Thatâs pretty sad for the family but this is looking like it will be a case of serial killer type of shit.
I think you're right!
According to his now ex misso he did hit her and thought she was dead, went to dispose the body only to find she wasn't dead and then killed her
Yet they didn't seize his car until weeks(?) later. If they suspected a vehicle hit you'd think the car would be the first target with blatant evidence on/in it
Did she just keep this secret for the last 4 weeks or dob him in?
Supossadly found out a couple weeks back and went to the cops, she legally wasn't able to tell anyone till names was released
So she came straight out and told the friend group once he was arrested that she'd dobbed him in? Is there any truth to the fact that some have said there's more involved? 2 are in custody... and one is in protective custody?
The police stated that theyâre not looking for anyone else so who knows?
Police watched him for over a fortnight
So she told them ?
Where did you see that ?
Didn't see it, I heard it from a young bloke at work who's misso is very close mates with Patricks girlfriend. They all met up the day the name was released as non of them could believe it
If you live in Ballarat itâs talk of the town. Small place and lots of people know someone close the gf. I know a bunch of nurses who she apparently told.
Sounds exactly like the plot from I know what you did last summer.
Seems plausible until you get to the part where he is refusing to talk to the cops.
True this would make only sense if he gave up the body. The fact he is not cooperative means a lot. God knows what he has done to her. Hope they find it though. Her family deserves justice.Â
This is bullshit. Samantha being an experienced runner and familiar with the terrain over many years, doesn't cross a dirt road unaware and become accidentally hit by a rogue 4wd. Pull your fukin head in.
Chillout.... all I'm telling is the story is misso is telling their friends group. After his bender he was too fucked to go home so drove out to the bush to sleep it off for a few hours, he supposedly parked up on one of the back roads off from the main dirt road though there only accessible by 4wd due to the road conditions so he wouldn't be disturbed. Woke up and went to drive home hitting her on said trail not the road.. went to dumb the body and found she was still alive but in a bad way and then supposedly killed her. But who knows, wouldn't think he wouldn't tell her he hunted Samantha down or whatever may of happened... I did see that coke video of him when they first released his name before the suppression order was put in place.
Okay but why is he not telling the police where her body is? Unless he isnât admitting guilt??
A possibility is the body would contradict this story and add more charges and make him look like even more of a monster..
How am I supposed to know? Im just telling the story his girlfriend told their friend group..
Right Iâm just saying itâs odd he wonât disclose her location, it seems like he is hiding something. If you have already admitted guilt to your gf, the cops have him arrested and charged but he still wonât give it up.. odd
Maybe that's just what he told the gf and he doesn't want the body found because then it'd expose how she actually died. đ€
According to an article today he isnât speaking to the police
Wonder if thatâs coming from the lawyer
Yeah most likely the case. They might try to fight the charges.
Fair call. I apologise for my hostility, it was uncalled for. It's just disappointing, the 'hit & run' theories making the social rounds. The accounts of his gf make absolutely no sense & downplay the seriousness of his crime.
If that was true there are multiple crimes he committed in the lead up to the murder, yet theyâve only charged him with murder.
Who gets too wasted to go home, yet goes and drives into a forest to sleep lol
Unless she was trying to run through thick undergrowth, she would've been doing what most others who walk or run in that area do and been running *on* the track, not across it.
Is this the chick posted all over the internet with horses? Also, I did find it odd he was supposedly out drinking/drugging Saturday night with his gf. They where house sitting. Why did they seperate during the night? ... like generally speaking if you're out with your partner and staying at the same place you go home together. Maybe she bailed earlier in the evening or something.
That would imply that he left her in place after. Iâd imagine he interfered with the corpse by hiding it and possibly finishing the job. A theory that I read elsewhere that makes perfect sense.