Detectives from the missing persons squad have been investigating since the mother-of-three failed to return from an early morning run in the regional city of Ballarat.
While much of the timeline remains unclear, this is what police say they know about the alleged murder.
The 51-year-old is captured on CCTV wearing black leggings and a maroon/brown-coloured singlet – she also has her phone and smart watch with her.
She fails to return home, where she is expected to attend a brunch.
Emergency services and community volunteers begin to search in nearby Woowookarung Regional Park, or Canadian Forest.
Police launch an investigation. Detectives tell the media they don’t suspect anything suspicious has happened.
They reveal her phone last pinged near the Buningyong Golf Club, about 11 kilometres south of her home.
“People just don’t vanish into thin air, someone’s got to know something,” Murphy’s husband Michael said.
“Whether it be any little thing that you might think is relevant, just call the police.
“It’ll give us a bit of peace of mind if we get some hope.”
Detectives begin speaking with telecommunications technicians but do not give any more information.
Police follow up hundreds of pieces of information and conduct targeted searches of the area.
Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt tells media the possibility Murphy was still alive was slim.
”Unfortunately, given the time and the fact we’ve found no trace of her, we have severe concerns, and we are very doubtful she is still alive,” he said.
Investigators review about 12,000 hours of CCTV footage and follow up more than 500 separate pieces of information.
A 22-year-old man is arrested at his home in Ballarat about 6am.
He is taken into custody, where he is questioned.
Police inform the public of the man’s arrest.
The 22-year-old is charged with one count of murder and fronts court.
Samantha’s husband tells media he felt “relief” after hearing a man had been charged.
Police are yet to recover Samantha’s body and the investigation remains ongoing.
