Key hearing for alleged Sam Murphy killer
Written by admin on August 8, 2024
The man police allege murdered a Ballarat mother will return to court just days after Samantha Murphy’s loved ones marked six months since she vanished.
Alleged killer Pattrick Orren Stephenson, 23, is expected to appear before the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning as both prosecutors and his lawyers provide an update on how the case is progressing.
The hearing comes five months to the day since he last faced court, with police granted a longer-than-usual period of 20 weeks to prepare their brief of evidence against the accused man.
This was due to be delivered to his legal team before July 25, allowing them two weeks to review the case and seek instructions.
The Ballarat-born son of a former AFL player, Mr Stephenson last month marked his 23rd birthday in custody, where he has remained since he was charged on March 7.
Police have remained tight-lipped about the methods used to identify the accused man, with Chief Commissioner Shane Patton saying the arrest came after a “painstaking and methodical investigation”.
“He has been charged with murder so, by definition, we are saying this was a deliberate attack on Samantha,” he said.
“In the interview with the suspect, he has not disclosed to police where her body is.”
Ms Murphy vanished after leaving her Eureka St home on February 4 to go for a run.
Her disappearance shocked the community and quickly became one of the most high-profile missing persons investigations in the state.
She is believed to have reached the Mount Clear area, adjacent to the Woowookarung Regional Park, about an hour after leaving about 7am.
According to court documents, Mr Stephenson allegedly murdered Ms Murphy within the Mount Clear area – where he resides – the day she vanished.
The 51-year-old’s family reported her missing to police later that day after she failed to attend a brunch.
Despite extensive searches by police and volunteers over the coming weeks, no traces of the missing mum were found until police revealed “items of interest”, including a mobile phone, were pulled from a dam in late May.
Last Sunday, Mrs Murphy’s family, friends and the wider Ballarat community marked a solemn milestone – six months since the mother of three left for a morning run to never return.
Details of the alleged murder have not been aired in court and Mr Stephenson has not been required to enter a plea.
