New search for Samantha Murphy's body launched

The small town is about 11km from Ballarat, where Murphy was last seen leaving her home on the morning of February 4.

Police have charged a man unknown to her, 22-year-old Patrick Stephenson, with her murder but her body has not yet been found.

Murphy was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East, about 7am on Sunday, February 4, to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest.

A police operation to find her was launched after she failed to attend a brunch later that day.

Initially, police said they did not suspect foul play.

Her phone was last pinged near the Buninyong Golf Club.

Her death was later treated as suspicious, but it was only on February 23 that police said publicly they believed somebody else was involved in Murphy’s disappearance.

Stephenson was arrested on March 6 and charged with murder.

Police said at the time that Stephenson, an electrician and the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, was not known to Murphy or her family.

They also said they did not think Murphy was killed in a hit-and-run.