Detection dogs to lead search for Samantha Murphy's body
Detectives have launched a fresh search for Samantha Murphy's body, but after spending eight hours on Wednesday trying to locate her remains in Buninyong to no avail, they are trying a different approach.
Technology detection dogs will assist detectives in their search on Thursday, at a new site that police have not specified, with the intention of trying to track her phone or watch.
“We’ll be going to a different location but we will also use assistance from the Australian Federal Police today in technical detection dogs,” Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told ABC Radio.
“We don’t have the capacity — we are trying to get that capability — to run a dog that can detect a SIM from a mobile phone and that type of thing.
“We still haven’t recovered her phone and her watch. We’ll use all those specialist skills.”
He also added that the "intelligence" they received, which sparked this fresh search did not come from interviews with accused murderer, Patrick Orren Stephenson.
“We are doing everything we can to try and find Samantha Murphy’s body. We weren’t successful yesterday but we will continue to do everything we can,” Chief Commissioner Patton said.
In another statement, Victoria police also said that the search on Thursday is not a "full-scale targeted search".
"This is not a full-scale targeted search as took place yesterday in Buninyong with a range of specialist resources," they said.
"Detectives from the Missing Persons squad have been based in Ballarat for over a month and regularly undertake a range of enquiries and small scale searches as part of the current investigation."
The accused murderer, who is the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, was arrested and charged on March 6, and was refused bail at Ballarat Magistrate’s Court.
He will next face court on August 8.
Images: Nine News