New search commences for Samantha Murphy’s body
A new search for the body of Samantha Murphy is set to take place on Thursday in the dense bushland in Victoria.
The Ballarat mother, 51, went missing without a trace in February when she left home for her morning run and never returned.
Since various sources came forward with fresh intelligence, authorities will lead a search through bushland in the Enfield State Park area, about 25km from Ballarat where she was last seen.
"The search will focus on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources," Victoria Police said in a statement on Thursday.
"Since Samantha's disappearance over two months ago, a range of searches and other enquiries have been undertaken in the Ballarat area as part of this investigation.”
"This includes extensive large-scale searches such as we have planned this week, but also smaller targeted searches focused in very specific areas.”
"I want to assure those in the Ballarat community that police remain focused on doing everything we can to return Samantha to her family."
Police have urged members of the public not to join in the search, but assured concerned locals they will share updates on the search as they see fit.
In March, 22-year-old Patrick Orren Stephenson was charged with Murphy’s murder, as police allege he killed Murphy while she was on a run through the Canadian State Forest, but have not publicly identified any further details of their case.
Image credits: Nine