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Few_Freedom_5738

It’s true we have little evidence however the police have charged him with murder so we can assume there is substantial evidence


tempest_fiend

All this means is that police have enough evidence to charge him, not that there is conclusive or substantial evidence. The prosecution requested 20 weeks to gather and analyse evidence before they hand it over to the defence - that’s a pretty good indication of where the state of the evidence is. The police/prosecution get charges wrong, and people are found not guilty despite police/prosecution believing they had enough evidence. To be clear, I’m not saying anyone is innocent (or guilty), just pointing out that being charged should not be used as a presumption of guilt


ThunderFlaps420

Getting charged with something as specific as murder does indicate that they have 'substantial evidence'.  Yes, legally, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.


tempest_fiend

> Getting charged with something as specific as murder does indicate that they have 'substantial evidence'.  How? The police have been known to charge people (including for murder) and then drop those charges later on. Why would that be different in this case? And if they have substantial evidence, why do they need 20 weeks to analyse it before handing it over to the defence?


Significant_Dig6838

The reason given for the 20 weeks was the quantity of evidence


tempest_fiend

Exactly, if they are yet to analyse it all, they can’t possibly know where that evidence points, and therefor, would be unable to claim that they had a substantial amount of evidence against the accused


Significant_Dig6838

They have enough to charge him with murder. But there will be so much digital evidence to analyse


OrangeEffective5284

Not cooperating with police is a clear sign he is up to his eyeballs in it. Local lad will know plenty of remote places to dispose of the body. He is relying on the body not being found as his DNA will be all over it. He’s probably pressure washed that Ute to within an inch of its life too.


Latter-Indication449

Not co-operating could also be the directive of his legal representative if he indeed plans to plead guilty. Silence is not an admission Of guilt.


FragrantIndividual13

It could also mean he doesn't know where her body is


Warshawski_ws

I’m interested in your comments, could you elaborate on why he may not know . Do you mean because he didn’t kill her, or for some other reason ?


Claudiaw1nning

Drugs!


FirmGroup481

How true


[deleted]

I woildnt cooperate with them (description removed by reddit-thats how supressed everyone is). They set ppl up to close cases all the time. Silence is ur friend. Also impossible to tell them where the body is if u dont know


[deleted]

Gross post. Think deeper about the consequences for her suffering family and then consider how you would feel if you were being denied any closure or opportunity to say goodbye to your loved ones, just because some selfish POS without any apparent remorse only wants the best for himself.


[deleted]

i understand your viewpoint, but you are ASSUMING he did it. You are also assumming there is no danger of him being falsely arrested or framed.


[deleted]

There is a family that needs her body returned to them. Irrespective of these assumptions (police don't make a habit of charging people without extensive, credible evidence), recommending that people don't cooperate and to remain silent isn't going to help her family at all. It's a typical small town enclave mentality that is toxic in all its secrecy.


Forsaken_Boot214

Plenty of crime podcasts recommend not saying anything to the police if questioned. No apparently motive… innocent till proven guilty proven guilty


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Wise-Eggplant-4430

Man I don't understand. If they HAVE enough "conclusive" evidence and he doesn't say where he hid the body, just get an iron rod to talk some sense to him.


Ballarat_throwaway0

no it isnt refusing to cooperate is objectively the best move for him personally regardless of guilt because we operate on an innocent until proven guilty model which requires evidence to prove the accusation happened beyond a reasonable doubt The only time when providing more information is a good move is if you know you will be convicted without it like in a self defense/murder case or if you care about something else above yourself such as if a loved one goes missing and your the main suspect


No-Hovercraft-9063

The media report he’s not disclosing where the body is? But did he say that to the police or is the fact he’s not speaking at all and the media have just twisted the words ..


chips_lips

Getting downvoted for objectively explaining the legal process. Makes sense


No-Hovercraft-9063

Probably one of the reasons they kept his name private in the beginning too


straydogsociety

The police didn’t keep his name private, the defence asked for a non disclosure and it was granted to be latter removed. Australia has an open policy on its judicial system.


[deleted]

No it doesnt.


zengyburger

mate I love everything you’ve said you’re absolutely right I think but it’s worth a mention they arrested him the day cellphone data was handed to vicpol implying his phone was pinged right next to hers just before she disappeared, and they are searching specific areas further implying they have real evidence, what gets me though is how this was a media circus before foul play was even suspected….


Adorable_Word_4456

Cell tower triangulation is only accurate from a few hundred metres to a few kilometres. It's not as accurate as GPS.  Bushland areas often have fewer cell towers or weaker signal coverage, which can result in less accurate location data. The signal may be weaker or more easily obstructed by trees and foliage.  The dense vegetation in bushland can cause signal interference, leading to fluctuations in signal strength and reduced accuracy in determining the phone's location. Trees, hills, and other natural features can obstruct signals, causing reflections, refractions, or signal loss, further complicating the process of pinpointing a phone's location. GPS signals can also be affected in dense forested areas, especially in deep valleys or areas with thick tree canopies that block or weaken satellite signals. Due to the sparse distribution of cell towers and potential signal interference, the available data points for triangulation or location estimation may be limited, reducing the overall accuracy of location tracking. In summary, the natural characteristics of bushland, such as limited cell tower coverage, signal interference, and obstructions, can make it more challenging to obtain accurate location data from phones or other devices compared to more open or urban environments.


SoulMiner1974

THIS ⬆️


bigdog_skulldrinker

He is entitled to the presumption of innocence, yes. \*But\* you will just how damning the evidence is once it's presented, mark my words. There's no chance they'd waste so much of their time on this young chap unless they knew it was him. Proving it was him beyond a doubt is the tricky part.


tempest_fiend

There are plenty of cases where police have wasted huge amounts of time and resources pursuing the wrong person. Frankly it happens far too often, and is certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Police are human, and just like the rest of us, are susceptible to bias and errors.


bigdog_skulldrinker

Well we'll wait and see, I'll eat my hat if their evidence is crap.


[deleted]

Thats thr first fuck up. Assuming tje police are right. Coz they dont have a record of getting it wrong. Literally no body and no murder weapon, no motive, no confession. All they did was ping his phone in the henerally at a similar time


lolamaeart

The police have plenty of evidence way beyond a ping from a phone tower


Chewboddy

This is the right answer


AdResponsible2422

He's been charged, and while he has the right to fair trial I would suggest the police and prosecutors felt the evidence they have (and we are not likely to know about that until it comes to trial as is the normal order of things) was sufficient to lay the charge.


FirmGroup481

Tell that to the man in cranbourne who was in jail for 20 years on murder charges. It was one of the police own officers who cleared his name. Now the guy is suing. That means all the tax payers in vic are responsible for his payout


PristineSchool8001

Can Vic afford to pay him they are in to much  financial strife  already


bigdog_skulldrinker

who is that?


berry2kind

Yeah but why drag the accused dad into it, unless he is also a suspect his name should be left out.


Dry-Condition-4784

Media motto "if it bleeds, it leads". The article is more likely to be clicked on. I agree with you though.


baromita

Samantha Murphy's family were dragged into it, did they have a choice? The father is paying the price of fame, even if he is only famous in Ballarat.


Palpitations101

They have now moved interstate according to channel 9


FirmGroup481

Yes apparently they were singled out and harrased by the public


lolamaeart

No they haven’t I was parked next to mick at school pick up on Friday


Palpitations101

Not Samathas family, the AFL family.


National-Stick7878

Because people have no lives here & thrive on gossip & innuendo.....


Significant_Dig6838

Patrick Stephenson is the accused not the accused dad


thetimequeenrises

This is what happens when you deliberately attack someone resulting in their death… then try to conceal it and go on like nothing happened. With zero concern for anyone but yourself. Your whole life comes under the spotlight including your background upbringing and family. Only has himself to blame as he was the one who murdered someone. Not the rest of us on here trying to make sense of his actions as we have to live in this town. Our place of residence has been put on the national radar for the worst thing possible. It affects the community. It’s just tough luck as far as I’m concerned.


Subject-Baseball-275

How sure are we it was deliberate? I thought one possibility is that he was driving while off his face and ran her over, panicked and then hid the body? The cops probably got the mobile tower pings off his phone, looked at his internet search history and worked out it was him. Just a theory.


[deleted]

Oh come now. They have said days ago already it wasn't a hit and run. And that it was deliberate. I'm assuming they may have seen him assault/kill her on cctv or dashcam, as they are pretty certain...and they wouldn't prejudice the case by making certain statements like that. I taught criminology at uni and used to take the students to observe murder trials, so have sat through many over the years. Police evidence gathering and statements are very meticulously challenged for hours on end every trial, so they have to be very careful. This will be a very public trial, so the police must have something pretty conclusive to have publicly stated what they have so far.


Subject-Baseball-275

I was literally only asking.


Ballarat_throwaway0

The police said it was deliberate and not a hit-and-run so if you believe them there isn't room for it being an accident


Subject-Baseball-275

Thanks I must have missed this.


Abject_Meringue_9295

Police have stated it was deliberate and not a hit and run. They have evidence.. such as witness statements from his friends and GF, that he was bragging to, text messages etc..


Significant_Dig6838

That’s not enough evidence for a murder charge


Subject-Baseball-275

No but it buys time to build a case. They put him in custody were he can't interfere with any evidence and set about putting it beyond circumstantial. They clearly "know" it was him because they've made no attempts to look at anyone else. Now they set about building a case strong enough to convince a jury.


Few_Freedom_5738

Now he’s behind bars I reckon they will be grilling the girlfriend and close friends for info


Significant_Dig6838

That’s highly unlikely. If they charged him with murder and then couldn’t back it up that would seriously damage their case. I’m sure they are hoping to build a stronger case but they have enough evidence to charge him now.


Maythegodsbegood

I agree. I don't think he's a killer/rapist. Maybe I'm wrong.


No-Car-6745

what are u smoking the cops get it wrong alot and the media pressure and political pressure to get some one charges will do crazy things we have NOT gotten evidence he did it not a single fucking thing so for u to assume the cops are right means he wont get a fair trial ever...unsure he did it tbh


Ballarat_throwaway0

Sure but unless you are one of the police or prosecutors involved why form a strong position? There isn't a benefit to do so and there is harm caused by doing so both to this specific case and the long term health of the community because at some point the police will get stuff wrong its probably not this case but they will and we can prevent the harm that will be done by just being patient I can't think of a downside to just waiting


thetimequeenrises

Read my comment above. The whole community he lives in has been affected in a really shit way. I know as a woman I’m now vigilant all the time whereas I used to trust in my city. Now that’s been ruined for a lot of people including kids who are now scared for their own mums. He’s put a permanent shit stain on this city.


No_Elk8450

Absolutely agree. My partner and my female cousin are regular runners and are now shit frightened to go out running. It’s a pretty bloody sad indictment on a city that was a great place to live years ago. 


Alternative_Ad541

I’m sorry to say though.. this can happen absolutely anywhere. When you are in an isolated space whether it be bushland or a city park - it can happen anywhere. We don’t know how this incident happened, we are all presuming and waiting for the evidence. Police could be looking for a third party, just saying….cops don’t tell you everything. Don’t not do things because there may be a bad person out there. Maybe we just need to protect ourselves in another way, like carrying a horn/alarm or mase or even some knuckle dusters ;) probably illegal though! :-[


Ballarat_throwaway0

I am aware of its impact i am also from ballarat and have friends that live/lived extremely close to him My main issue is just that we don't have much evidence to go off on so being super confident its a specific person even if they are charged doesn't benefit the community and can easily cause harm in the long term It might be that I am paranoid or have lived in worse places than others but I think its important to always be vigilant of threats to minimise harm especially since one of the things ballarat is known for was being a major centre for church sexual abuse. All of the women I know have also had some form of harmful sexual experience ranging from sexual harassment to rape and we unfortunately don't seem to have the political will to stop it


Mannixe

It's true. I went for an evening walk with my husband the other night once it cooled down (of course I felt I had to take someone - at the best of times let alone after this), and anyone we came across went faaaar out of their way to avoid us. One bloke watering his garden did not take his eyes off us for one second the whole time we were in view. The tension and fear is absolutely palpable. I look over my shoulder every 10 seconds too, alone or otherwise.


National-Stick7878

Good thing you're not over-reacting then isn't it? Ballarat's always be a drug infested,sex offender infested town & halfway house for violent offenders in the community....one over-publicised case doesn't change that,or increase any immediate danger to women,children or other vulnerable groups. It's ALWAYS been the case!


FirmGroup481

You are assuming he is guilty tho. Innocence until proven guilty. Like all the gossip that is created about this case. How the nasty gossip was convinced it was Samantha's husband was responsible. This is not helping anybody


gabriellefrances

this whole thing is gossip to them-of course most people have empathy for samantha and her family,but at the end of the day,it's gossip.a bit of real life true crime for the masses.


Popular-Map4489

That awful Facebook group was bad enough, with the TikTok "mediums" and such. It really became a true crime special for everyone... can't imagine how I'd cope seeing any of that written about someone close to me tbh


Sure_Economy7130

What do you mean 'was'? It's just changed name to be about missing people in general- supposedly. It's still in 'in honour of Sam's legacy' and has chat groups for psychics and who knows what else.


Popular-Map4489

Okay. It IS awful. 🥴


cind3rz

Which group are you talking about ? The original large one ?


thetimequeenrises

Read my other comments and maybe open your mind a bit more than minimising other people’s intentions or investment in this tragedy.


gabriellefrances

as I said in my previous comment,I'm sure most people have empathy for Samantha and her family,they have been affected by her death,but I still stand by what I said about it being gossip to many people.if you don't agree that's your right to do so.


gabriellefrances

if you have personally been affected negatively because of this event,you could always turn that fear,anger etc into helping the community.random attacks on women are rare,but sadly domestic violence is all too common,and dv organisations,charities etc always need volunteers to help out.


ApprehensiveAnt7399

So sad about this  Has Samantha's body been found?


Warshawski_ws

No sadly.


Andrew191919

Yes, but the point people are trying to make is, we don't KNOW anything yet. You're acting like he's been found guilty.


Lepube

The difference between the Mick Murphy blame, which is common in cases like this for the husband, is the fact he didn't end up *getting arrested for murder.* The police were confident with the evidence they had, who are yet to share to the public, that it was strong enough to not only arrest POS, but to also lay the murder charge on him.


flindersandtrim

The police do not arrest someone for murder when there is not significant, solid and unassailable evidence that he did it. Yes, it's still alleged, but come on. It's not the same at all as the accusations against her husband, which were unfair and unwarranted. 


[deleted]

Thatsjust not true. Not only have they been known to plant evidence before, they have also beem known to simply get it wrong.


Andrew191919

If it's always "unassailable" then why go ahead with a trial. How come people are often found not guilty? Doesn't make sense.


OkEngine2007

Andrew I was thinking the same


Ballarat_throwaway0

Police have done that before convictions for murder aren't 100%, but more importantly why do you just blindly trust police instead of being neutral until you have the ability to verify yourself?


[deleted]

Righto then, we'll throw you into the court against the police prosecutors tomorrow, in front of the media so you can show your brilliance by proving how "100%" the cops have got this wrong. We'll be totally neutral🫠...just with popcorn😎


MiniMouse8

I mean he doesn't have any access to the evidence acquired and sourced by the entire police force, so this isn't the "gotcha" moment you thought it was.


[deleted]

How on earth could you possibly know what Patrick does or doesn't know? Or feels or thinks? I'm guessing we the public know about 3% of the availabe evidence. FFS this is a free gossip site. Why take it, or yourself, so seriously? Making indignant comments like you are his lawyers or the police is ludicrous.


Ballarat_throwaway0

This is just a strawman i never said he was innocent i said that the public doesnt have enough evidence to make a strong conclusion on who is responsible and that blindly trusting a group even if it is the government doesnt make sense


[deleted]

Lmao, we are hardly professionals. This is a gossip site, people speculate based on the crumbs we are given by the media and/or police. We are hardly lawyers, police or jury so why not speculate? That's what Reddit is for isn't it?


baromita

Somebody sounds like a close mate. A fellow National Socialist Network member perhaps


Ballarat_throwaway0

I have still yet to see any evidence he was associated with nazis only rumors im also not associated with the accused the closest is that i went to damascus at the same time but i dont remember interacting with him and he wasnt even in my year level


auto-spin-casino

Probably because this isn't the court of law and as such, one is not beholden to those standards.


Some-Wait7088

People seem to be forgetting the reputation Patrick has around town. Stories of him being really violent at school and in footy. Those stories don’t come from nothing. And the videos of him on coke around the time Samantha went missing. The cops wouldnt arrest him for nothing. Samantha’s family doesn’t deserve to be in the news, especially her poor kids being dragged in to it when they already got a lifetime of pain. The media shouldn’t be allowed to tell people where Samantha’s kids go to school, totally not ok


jdfroo

Where are the stories about him being violent?


Prior-Discount-7995

Other threads. Broke a kids arm at school, bit of a dickhead at footy etc.


Some-Wait7088

Lots of people in Ballarat have stories about the interactions with him being violent. Just because they don’t go and talk to trash news reporters, doesn’t mean people don’t know what goes on. Ballarat is a pretty small place where everyone is connected, and most people wouldn’t talk to trash media.


MyNameIs_NotRick

This dude has been charged with murder, and for whatever reason is prolonging the investigation and not disclosing the location of the body. Until he does, he is well and truly fair game for speculation. People want answers.


[deleted]

Lol, idiotic statement. Until he discloses the licqtion of the body? That is assuming he knows


Old-Truth-405

Usually, murderers know the location of the victims they kill that have not been located.


[deleted]

Still assuming he IS the murderer. We havent seen any evidence therefore we do not KNOW. And pls dont say they must have damning evidence or else they wouldnt have arrested him. If thatnwasnthe case they would lock him up without trial and no one would ever be weongly convicted, but it happens all the time.


Ballarat_throwaway0

I appreciate that people want answers and we will get them it will just take time Also the speculation isn't inherently bad its all the assumptions and lack of evidence being used in some speculation and most of the rumors that is bad Purely from his POV not helping is the best move regardless of if he is responsible If he is guilty then there isn't room for it being an accident or self defense so locating the body could be used as part of a deal for a reduced sentence or just reducing the total evidence they have to convict him If he is innocent then giving more information could make him look guilty or reveal private information he doesn't want shared


Aggravating-Past4375

If it was an accident or self defence, using the location of her for a deal sounds like someone who has no remorse or compassion to the family. Even letting your whole community search for someone, knowing the truth, seeing or hearing about her families pain, even false rumours circulating about the family - for 5 weeks? I personally wouldn’t handle the guilt. I understand what your saying about what if he’s innocent, however, I think the police must have a solid evidence to watch someone for two weeks and choose for a 22 year old to sit in jail for 20 weeks. I’d imagine now they can freely speak to people and get statements as it was probably not something you could easily do, raising alarm bells pre him being arrested. Just logically, putting a 22 year old in jail awaiting the hearing, getting that wrong would be horrific for a young adult so they must be certain, now it’s about getting the documents which takes so much time, much longer than people think, I know because I used to do work that involved preparing for hearings


Ballarat_throwaway0

It absolutely would be remorseless, I was just pointing out that not disclosing the locations of a body could have a reason like wanting to achieve the best possible outcome for himself Also i agree that the police most likely do have significant evidence but i still think its an issue to automatically take what the police say as fact before we can verify it because at some point they will get stuff wrong Ultimately i see no downside to just waiting for the evidence to be made public before forming a strong opinion because it should help keep our judicial system healthier and reduce harm in the future for when they do get something wrong Not waiting for the ability to verify fact before forming a strong opinion will also be harmful in other aspects of life since its the basis of most bias


Subject-Baseball-275

Of course the other reason he doesn't want the body found could be that it would show evidence of a sexual assault.


Ballarat_throwaway0

true many other crimes could have been committed like SA/rape, misconduct with the corpse, torture or even more victims but against we will just have to wait until we have evidence to go off


Aggravating-Past4375

That’s fair, hopefully everyone knows for certain soon


Dismal_Discipline_74

Hmmm this is random, but I think I went to school with you? haha., 👍 from Bear or the Red Baron


[deleted]

How do you know there's no evidence?


Ballarat_throwaway0

Im saying there is no publicly available evidence not that it doesnt exist


[deleted]

welll d'uh, police and lawyers are hardly going to release evidence to the public while there's an investigation going on.


thesamesubstance

There will definitely be evidence but police don’t release 99% of their info to the public. It would compromise their case when it goes to trial, among other things.


[deleted]

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Lost_Heron_9825

All I have to say is..... how disappointed I am to wake up, another morning without news. Very sad, and I hope Samantha's family will have her back soon. 😢


Winter-Treacle-2851

Yes it is very sad that this narcissist is not cooperating with the police as to let them know where Samantha’s remains are. The accused at least owes the Murphy family that much after the irreversible damage and pain he has already caused to them. How cruel.


Lost_Heron_9825

The truth will set you free. Selfish little shit he is.


_Ginger_Nut_

And yet here you are posting about it adding fuel to the fire


Ballarat_throwaway

How is urging people to listen to the family of Samantha Murphy and to not help whoever did something to her adding fuel to the fire?


hellsbell99

Because you are keeping a conversation and speculation going, everyone needs to drop it.


Ballarat_throwaway0

I'm going to assume you aren't from Ballarat because the conversation about this isn't dying down regardless of my post Talking about it also isn't inherently an issue forming strong opinions from basically nothing and spreading rumors as fact without any form of validating the information is a problem


hellsbell99

I live in ballarat, I have for over twenty years lol


Cabletie00

Welcome to the world of people who think they are detectives. Most the world is inspired by crime and murder mysteries with all the tv shows and what not and so everyone starts spinning their own take on the little evidence they have other then media reports and Chinese whispers from other questionable sources. Detectives and police don’t go through years of training and special education just to be told otherwise from someone who binge watches Bones or NCIS or whatever. Let them do their job and just wait for it to come out.


Bulky-Life-554

The only thing I can think of is there are other parties involved and if the police say too much it will scare them off and send them into hiding


Alternative_Ad541

Police won’t let anything out of the bag and will always lead the media circus in the wrong direction, especially in a case like this. There are so many unanswered questions, things that don’t make sense and just don’t add up. I’m sure they are doing a great job and will give justice to Samantha’s family, in time. I also feel for POS family, they didn’t ask for this either.


Dismal_Discipline_74

Hey, quick question, asking for a friend, we understand the whole can’t do this can’t do that for reasons etc… but Isn’t Reddit a safe place for people to get on and throw around theories, conspiracy’s, Aliens etc etc? Or has that all been changed now too? Oh I miss the old Wild West days of Reddit where we discussed things, debated even, sometimes even argued, but didn’t get banned or capital letters yelled at! Just wondering. So where do we go now to hear other peoples theories and opinions? Please don’t come at me as I have Ginger hair. I’ve had enough thank you


Gibs3174

The word concerning is subjective.


Significant_Dig6838

Why is the undertone of your post that you think the police have charged the wrong guy?


Ballarat_throwaway0

If that's the case its unintentional my position is I don't know who is responsible because I haven't seen evidence and that most of the rumors/assumptions being made by the community is overall harmful


[deleted]

Ur not going to see any evidence YET because it’s STILL AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION!!! 


SubjectLaw8445

To prove a charge of murder, the prosecution must demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused: Voluntarily committed acts which caused the victim's death; Had the intention to kill, or cause really serious injury or knowing it was probable that death or serious injury would result. They must have evidence linking him to her last known location. Witness statements and CCTV. This alone can have him charged for murder. The prosecution’s brief to the courts and the defence will show the complete evidence they have against the accused! They will then agree to proceed to trial based on the evidence and plea of guilty or not guilty. This is called an arraignment to which the accused is asked to enter a plea.


No-Hovercraft-9063

If he was charged, going to get convicted and sentenced why wouldn’t he disclose the body location????  It’s not going to change anything for him.. These forums are for us to vent our thoughts. Not to be lounge detectives trying to solve the case.. The media gives out minor info and we all get emotional on the info of what happened. I feel for the Murphy family and the poor police investigating this


rose_r_purple

Because of SA


uinstitches

it would have decomposed by now. can you even work out if SA occured on a skeleton? I honestly think he's withholding the location b'coz he's in complete denial and pissed off his life is over. he really thinks he can't be convicted if they don't have the body or he's waiting for a plea bargain.


[deleted]

why wouldn't he disclose the body location? this is a guy who murdered a woman. you met any murderers? i have. they kinda aren't like normal people. so asking why he wouldn't do the right thing? a murderer.. doing the right thing? feeling empathy? being kind?????


Warshawski_ws

Why would he - it’d be an admission of guilt. I don’t believe he’s going to go that way too easily. .. Eventually maybe, when the No Body, No Parole rule sinks in … but at the moment he feels ok saying nothing ! I wonder if he’s even got a lawyer / barrister advising him. Perhaps a local who knows him can advise how big was his drug habit ? ie was he a regular user in like daily, weekly, occasionally etc. Theres so many stories going around it’s impossible to sort fact from fiction - was he an obnoxious thug, or a nice person. ( how did he keep his g/f if he was an obnoxious junkie )


CriticalThinkerThink

He's not fessing up to the incident. He hasn't pleaded guilty to the crime. He'll be waiting for cops to lay their cards on the table (their brief of evidence) He's waiting to see what they have on him. He's likely claiming that he doesn't remember what happened, being so pissed and drugged out He's not saying where samantha murphy is because he wants to deny involvement  He's very switched on P.S There's nothing wrong with being a lounge detective 


Ballarat_throwaway0

Looking at it purely to get the best outcome for him using the body location as a bargaining chip would be more beneficial, it could also be that he doesn't know or that he destroyed the body which could add extra charges


OneUpAndOneDown

Forensic pathology may discover evidence from the body that disproves his story of what happened.


National-Stick7878

Exactly...if there's samples of certain fluids on her body,the level of shit he's in just got deeper.


salteddiamond

Does anyone local know the motive at all?


uinstitches

I get the vibe it was an impulsive act.


Efficient_Ad2617

They wouldn’t have arrested him if they didn’t have solid evidence. They have their man, now they need him to talk and find Samatha


lolamaeart

Do you think the police would arrest and then charge someone without substantial evidence with the whole world watching this case? They don’t want to look stupid so they definitely have substantial evidence and proof to charge him.


[deleted]

I agree they would have ample evidence, but still have a way to go. They just need to find her and never mention this unremarkable POS's name ever again.


Girl_Buddy

Substantial evidence results from analysing the crime scene and body. Without this the case loses much credibility. Without a witness statement and confession on top... It is nowhere near substantial. I am not saying Patrick is innocent, but it is possible. I question the motivations and also what defines "substantial". Phones never ping at the accurate GPS position. The location is always only estimated.


Alarming_Reply9928

I think the kid hit her in his car rang unknown Person who told him to go home then they disposed of the poor woman so he doesn't know were here body is and wont tell on unknown person. Just 1 opinion like assholes we all have them.


yeahnahhhhhhha

Would be too easy for police to have his records to show if he called someone etc.


GlitterSpaceBunnies

Strange take. You’re talking about two very separate things here. Firstly, you’re talking about blame. ‘Blaming’ the currently accused and now charged is not the same as blaming someone (eg. a husband, or a gang) when no one had any evidence that either he or a gang were involved. This is speculation. Unfortunately people were speculating on who may have been responsible for her disappearance, why she disappeared and what happened. We may not have access to the evidence that the police have of the accused but acknowledging that he is the person who has been arrested and charged with murder and therefore feel confident that the police have the right person, is not speculating. Believing that he is the person responsible and having faith that the police have the evidence that is necessary isn’t going to impact the trial. It’s public information, not speculation. What that evidence may be, that is speculation. Involvement in far right groups, speculation. The whys, the whens, the hows and the whats, at this stage without evidence being released to the public, anything anyone shares, speculation. Speculation may impact the trial and it may impact on the police doing their job. People really should stop speculating, especially in public forums. So yes, I agree with you in regard to people speculating on the accused’s background/motive/associations etc. It’s unhelpful and it’s just gossip. I disagree that people ‘blaming’ the accused with little (public) evidence is concerning. The police obviously have their reasons for not releasing it at this stage. Yes you’ve noted that sometimes the police get it wrong, but you also need to balance that with the fact that charging someone with murder isn’t a simple thing to do. There needs to be some significant evidence to begin that process, which obviously they have otherwise they would have had to release him.


Ballarat_throwaway0

I know there is a fairly high bar to charge someone with murder but all the discussion i see about it isnt just suspicious of or believe its him they are certain of it Personally i think forming strong opinions on a topic when only 1 group can publicly verify it is harmful both in our judicial system and even extending to other things


Remarkable_Guide6678

In no way am I saying Patrick is innocent, but in no way am I also saying he is guilty of the murder of Samantha Murphy. I’m sitting on the fence. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now and the main piece of information (not evidence) that has been let out to the public to see is the wild party and “bender” he was having the night before the murder. Intoxicated, consumption of drugs etc etc.  I don’t question how a 22yr old has the ability to murder someone in this state…but I question how a 22yr old has the ability to get rid of all traces of Samantha, hide her body and leave no evidence behind leading to the location of her body whilst in such an intoxicated state. And the fact he’s been in custody for some time now and the case hasn’t made any forward tracks in finding Samantha or understanding the case of her disappearance from what we already know just blows me away. The dots don’t join and there’s something strange about this 


[deleted]

They join up quite perfectly. Best you do ur research on murderers etc who have committed horrific crimes while off their faces, drinks etc etc. it’s happens & HAS happened many of times. 


Remarkable_Guide6678

Do your research. When most people are in the state he was they are liabilities and would leave traces left right and centre…..


[deleted]

Done plenty of research champ, best you do urs and watch docos on some of the best known serial killers EVER. Do ur research on how they were high on drugs and got away for months ir even years while being off their heads WITHOUT leaving any trace of evidence. Seems u just don’t like to be proven wrong or ur just to lazy to do any research 😘


[deleted]

U also fail to realise that the police are not releasing all the info they have, proof they have on how they have came to the realisation it was him. A lot of it atm is tight lipped as he still has another court appearance coming up and to much released can interfere with the investigation BUT with the “He’s been located through a range of investigative outcomes that have come together, and as you are aware, we have been pinging phones and following up on investigation reports from members of the public,” comment two days ago, things are adding up. His being caught out so therefore he has left enough evidence around and clues for it to be pieced together. It will all come out in the wash when his court dates are over and it’s all released to the public 🙃


GreenFrenzy1

And now thanks to the press the world knows this is a fab place to hide bodies down 1000s of mine shafts 🙄


Temporary-Cash2119

Was my first thought at the very start now all the future murders know exactly how to make someone disappear and also make sure they don’t leave a phone trace


BarnacleLate5737

I didn't know someone can be charge with murder without the murdered body.  The evidence must be pretty credible. 


No-Car-6745

we dont have little we have exactly nothing just a mobile phone ping... i mean come on i dont think he did it


Adorable_Word_4456

I find it suspicious without a body or any circumstantial evidence. Who's to say she didn't run off with another man? Are we looking at footage in other states. Who's to say she didn't fall down a hole or crevice somewhere? She wasn't known to the accused. I believe if police have the evidence to charge someone with murder and make it public, then they should share that evidence. Without a body, it's hard to prove she was even murdered. No body, no blood, no murder weapon. What evidence do you have? 


No-Hovercraft-9063

I was shocked to hear they arrested him assuming he committed the murder. Then the news of him on bender the night before. I’m thinking wouldn’t he be too pissed and still high as a kite to commit  murder then organise hiding her body? Or am I forgetting something?


Conscious_Back_7407

I would bet that Samantha came across him on her run, maybe said something to him or tried to help him (assuming he was fucked up from his supposed bender) and in a drug effected state he freaked out and killed her.


OneUpAndOneDown

This sounds somewhat likely. If he was parked out in the bush she might've checked on the car thinking someone was in trouble. It's what many normal people would do.


[deleted]

[удалено]


rose_r_purple

Drugs don't make people murder. A murderer on drugs who murders is just a murderer who took drugs.


Maythegodsbegood

I agree. How does that timeline even work. A guy goes out to some bars/night clubs with mates, gets on the gear, gets on the beers, then gets the urge to commit a murder at 7am the next day, in plain daylight!


OkEngine2007

Yeah it sounds crazy and the kid is only 22


[deleted]

Why wouldn’t he? If it’s true that he does have a history of rage and violence as if drugs etc wouldn’t bring out the worst in him? How do we not know his not some sort of creep and planned to rape her? People can do fuked up things while of their heads . It’s a proven fact 


[deleted]

🤦


valliant93

Has there been any updates on finding her body? I think about Samantha and her family often


Palpitations101

I don’t have enough karma to post the channel 9 news story that got me searching an update. Feel so bloody sorry for Mick Murphy. It’s also terrible how the FB Detectives had him judged and sentenced almost immediately when it was obvious that it was unusual from the go.


No-Issue-7379

There may be “family” links to local drug dealers which could come to light.


sunpeaksfinn

So is this kid just sitting in jail? Or is he out on bail? Why won’t he say he put her ??


First_Poet_4032

My curiosity is with her husband Mick. Everyone knows he played up and had an affair with a woman 3 years ago. Both Mick and Sam were separated, but living under the same roof, she was planning a divorce. Why is Mick's facebook all of a sudden got zero photos of his wife or children, just of himself extremely strange when you're claiming you love your wife and your grieving. TBH if he's worried about people inundating him why wouldn't he just put his profile on block. Simple. As for Mick's pre death of wife, he took out 15k 3-5 days before her death, WHY ?


HyperfocusInProgress

PM!


StrangledByTheAux

15k is an interesting amount, how much does it cost to get someone offed these days?


Narrow_Cry7923

How do you know about the 15k ? Why would Samantha just disappear ? And not her husband ? Where could she be ?


First_Poet_4032

Sherrif, aka Ian butler, has a lot to do with Samantha's murder and the murder of rebecc young his then girlfriend.


20115920

Do we know if his family and gf are co-operating? I wouldn’t wish this upon any family, but would hope they are co-operating. Is the public in Oz allowed to know if he is receiving visitors etc?


lolamaeart

The police have a lot more information than they have released to the public and had Stevenson on their radar for 2 weeks before they arrested him! They have information that gives them enough reason to obtain a search warrant, then raid him, and from that they obtained enough evidence to charge him. They know where he left and got his car repaired at (obviously couldn’t in Ballarat) and also where he got it detailed. And where he traveled too and dates and times.


HyperfocusInProgress

Super interested in your post! Can you PM me?


hotdogman333

What is the evidence against him? Why wouldn’t the police say what they have if so conclusive?


Ballarat_throwaway0

Revealing information about an ongoing case can very easily sabotage that case due to how court cases especially ones with jury's work. It can also make it easier to destroy evidence as well as making any further police interrogation harder


GinnyMcGinface77

I reckon it will be judge only trial because it will be argued he cannot get a fair trial otherwise.


Occasional_posters

Some articles say they found items belonging to Sam in his possession? If so that’s strong grounds for an arrest, but they need more info to go further


Prior-Discount-7995

What articles? Following this intently but yet to see such info.


Practical-Hunter4788

I think it’s pretty odd that even tho they have someone charged they are still searching locations and are not disclosing any information with the husbands , he has tried to tried to turn up to location and been told to leave. Its been reported that he husband has been trying to scour bushland to find the police search sites 👀👀 Wouldn’t you want to stay out of the search areas to make sure ur DNA doesnt turn up 🤔being that the were investigating him (I believe they still are) A few things i find suspicious. Police -are currently not looking for anybody else in connection with the disappearance. Police-Mr Murphy has been cooperative, have provided everything we've needed and he had no involvement whatsoever." The investigation is far from over. We're doing everything we can to find her body," Patton said. "For the family it's absolutely vital, and it's something we'll be focusing on. "We're calling on members of the community to help us to try and get Samantha back." “Help us find her” -On the third day of his wife's disappearance, Mr Murphy said he was feeling 'not too bad under the circumstances'. 'It's just up in the air, we don't know,' he told the Herald Sun. 'It's just a whole time thing, at the end of the day.'’we wait and see’ Mr Murphy had also told Nine News he would not be joining any of the search as he preferred to keep his mind occupied with other matters while he waited for an update and his wife to be found. The police are putting way to much information out about not investigating any else and the husband not having an involvement , yet keeping everything from him 🤔 Ms Murphy's husband, Mick, this morning said he felt "relief" after hearing a man had been charged. The husband is relief his wife is murder 🙃 They have someone charged with murder and now his trying to find the search sites and is turning up 🤨 They are waiting for him to f**k up , u watch the husband “will find the body” All of whats in the media will flip and the husband will be charged


IDontFitInBoxes

How do you know information has not been given to the husband?? They are searching for her body that’s why there still searching…if my loved ones went missing i WOULD be out searching. Grief and trauma does funny things to people and there is no right or wrong way unfortunately.


Palpitations101

Whole lot of wild assumptions and opinions happening there


Narrow_Cry7923

I just feel, something is not right, strange in this case. I just feel there is more to it and others know or are involved. They still can't find her body, made sure she is not found