Samantha Murphy: 22-year-old man charged with murder of missing mum

The 22-year-old son of a former AFL player has been charged with the murder of Samantha Murphy, who disappeared without a trace while on a morning run.

Victorian police revealed early on Thursday morning that they had arrested the man, who is the son of former AFL player.

On Thursday afternoon, they confirmed that the 22-year-old had been charged with murder.

Ms Murphy went missing on February 4 after leaving her Eureka Street home in Ballarat East at 7am for a 14km run.

Her family reported her missing when she failed to attend a planned brunch that day.

Despite extensive searches of the nearby Canadian state forest area, the 51-year-old has not been found.

The police spokeswoman said the investigation remained ongoing.

“We understand that there is a continued high level of interest in this investigation and concern about Samantha’s disappearance, however it remains critical that any speculation does not impede any aspects of the investigation,” she said.

“Detectives are continuing to appeal for anyone who has CCTV or dash-cam footage and is yet to speak to police to come forward.”

In February, Victorian police said while investigators were keeping their options open, it was unlikely the missing mum would be found alive.

“Unfortunately given the time and the fact we’ve found no trace of her, we do have severe concerns and are very doubtful that she is still alive,” Det-Supt. Mark Hatt said at the time.

“Everyone in relation to Samantha is a person of interest in our investigation. We’re speaking to everyone that was in her life.”

Dozens of volunteers and search crews scoured areas of the Ballarat region including Buningyong, Eureka and Canadian state forest when Ms Murphy went missing.

Any members of the public who see Ms Murphy should call triple-0 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding her disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report online.

KEY POINTS

• Samantha Murphy, a 51-year-old Ballarat woman and mother of three, was last seen leaving her home on February 4 to go for a run
• A 22-year-old Ballarat man was arrested over Ms Murphy’s disappearance early on Wednesday morning
• Police say the man is not linked to the Murphy family
• No trace has been found of Ms Murphy, despite weeks of extensive searches by emergency services and concerned community members