Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton has conceded the disappearance of missing mother Samantha Murphy is “suspicious” but said no evidence of foul play had emerged.
It’s been 10 days since Murphy went missing after heading out for a run in the Canadian State Forest near Ballarat on February 4.
Police have been following up hundreds of pieces of information and are conducting targeted searches of the local area.
Investigators earlier said they didn’t have any evidence to prove the 51-year-old’s disappearance was suspicious or that foul play was involved.
Patton today said Murphy’s disappearance was suspicious due to the unusual and concerning nature of the case, and the amount of time she had been missing.
“It’s suspicious, whether that means there’s foul play involved, or not, I don’t know,” Patton said today.
“It’s certainly unusual when we haven’t been able to locate any trace of her or any other evidence within that period of time.
“But, obviously, detectives are investigating a matter where a woman’s been missing for a significant period of time.”
Investigators still have no leads on the baffling case and Patton warned the public against speculation.
The case has sparked intrigue into the bizarre circumstances of Murphy’s disappearance and the lack of answers so far.
In a statement, Victoria Police today maintained they had no evidence to suggest there was anything sinister behind Murphy’s disappearance.
”However, the fact she has been gone for ten days now and we haven’t located any trace of her despite a significant investigation remains suspicious in itself and is certainly highly concerning for police,” the statement read.
“Detectives are currently following up hundreds of pieces of information in relation to the matter, including the review of CCTV.”
No one has seen or heard from Murphy since she left her home at 7am on the day she went missing.
The last known images captured of the mother were from her own home’s CCTV before her phone was pinged near Buninyong.
Police have not revealed whether she had accessed her bank accounts or phone since then.
A second CCTV image of a woman running was later deemed irrelevant to the investigation after a local came forward to identify themselves.
The Missing Persons Unit has since taken the lead on investigations.
Murphy’s husband Michael last week lamented on the unusual circumstances around his wife’s disappearance.
“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.”
Murphy has been described as physically and mentally strong.
Anyone with information about Murphy’s disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
