The daughter of missing Victorian woman Samantha Murphy has made a heartbreaking plea for her mother to return home as emergency services search for a fifth day.
The 51-year-old was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest about 7am on Sunday.
Speaking to media through tears this afternoon, Murphy’s eldest daughter Jess said she “knew her mother was out there”.
“Mum’s a really strong woman and she’s far too determined to give up this fight,” Jess said.
“I know she’s out there somewhere.
”Mummy, we love you so much and we miss you and we need you at home with us.
Murphy’s husband Michael joined his daughter in appealing for public information, thanking the community for its help in the search.
He urged anyone with information to contact police.
“People just don’t vanish into thin air, someone’s got to know something,” he 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.”
Police yesterday declared a crime scene and evacuated part of a walking trail after a number of mystery items were discovered in the scrub during their search, later deemed to be inconsequential.
Addressing media today, Acting Inspector Lisa McDougall said while police didn’t have any evidence to indicate foul play was involved, they were keeping “an open mind”.
“There are no suspicious circumstances that we’ve identified at this stage,” McDougall said.
“We’re keeping an open mind and we’re hopeful.
“We throwing resources at it in the hope we find Samantha and get answers for her family, who are obviously concerned.”
The case has sparked intrigue into the mysterious circumstances of Murphy’s disappearance and the lack of answers so far.
Murphy’s disappearance comes one year after a woman was brutally bashed and knocked unconscious while running in the Lal Lal State Forest, around 20 kilometres east of where Murphy went missing.
Asked whether it was safe for women to be running alone in the area, McDougall said it was up to people to make their own safety judgements.
“I’m not going to tell people what they can and can’t do,” she said.
“At the moment there are no suspicious circumstances that have been identified, and it’s up to people to assess their own safety.”
Police have expanded the search to the nearby Mount Helen area, east of Geelong Road in the hope of finding any clues linked to Murphy’s disappearance.
They also released CCTV footage captured of Murphy during her run, which was captured about 7.16am on Eureka Street on the day she went missing.
The vision shows Murphy running north past a neighbour’s home near the intersection of Warrenheip Road toward Yankee Flat Road.
They are urging locals to access dashcam and any CCTV footage they might have to help police in the investigation.
