Police will today launch a major new ground search for missing mum Samantha Murphy after vital phone data has led them to a specific area of bushland.
The mother of three was last seen leaving her home in Victoria’s Ballarat East to go for a run in nearby Woowookarung Regional Park at about 7am on February 4.
But no trace of ever has been found since, despite a massive land and air hunt for her.
Now new phone data analysis has led police to an area around Mount Clear, 5km from Ms Murphy’s family home on Eureka Street.
Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad will lead the ‘targeted search’, said a Victoria Police spokesman.
The major new development will see ‘a significant number of detectives from across Crime Command and other specialist commands’ join local police in the hunt.
‘They will focus on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from phone data,’ police added.
Extensive searches have been conducted throughout the Canadian Forest area since Samantha’s disappearance almost three weeks ago, however no trace of her has been located at this time.
These searches have involved a range of specialist units from across Victoria Police and many local community members have also volunteered their time to assist the search.
The 51-year-old was last seen leaving her property on Eureka Street to go for a run, about 7am Sunday, 4 February.
Samantha was known to regularly run through the Canadian Forest area.
Police are treating her disappearance as suspicious due to the length of time she has been missing and given no trace of her has been found.
The Missing Persons Squad has primacy of the investigation and that team has been further expanded with experienced detectives from a number of units across Crime Command and other specialist areas.
The team will also continue to work closely with local police.
Investigators are currently in the process of reviewing about 12,000 hours of CCTV footage and following up over 500 separate pieces of information.
Police are again releasing two images of Samantha in the hope someone recognises her and can provide any information about her movements since Sunday, 4 February.
Samantha Murphy vanished without a trace on February 4
Samantha Murphy’s husband Mick Murphy addresses the media
Police released this image of Ms Murphy from the morning she vanished