Samantha Murphy: alleged killer of Ballarat woman may be named as search for body continues

The man accused of murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy has been revealed as 22-year-old Patrick Stephenson, following the lifting of a legal order preventing him from being named.

The son of an ex-AFL footballer, Orren Stephenson, has been charged with murder of Murphy, a mother of three, who went missing on 4 February after going for a run. Police were still searching for her body.

The 22-year-old had attended St Patrick’s College and grew up in the Ballarat area. He was involved in the local football club.

Five weeks since Murphy vanished after setting out from her Ballarat East home, police on Thursday charged the 22-year-old man from Scotsburn with murdering the mother-of-three at Mount Clear.

Samantha Murphy Photograph: VIC POLICE

He appeared in Ballarat magistrates court on Thursday where his name was concealed.

The man’s lawyer had argued releasing the name could cause prejudice to the man’s right to a fair trial, and said his client had been suffering poor mental health since he was arrested.

The court lifted an interim order on Friday.

The man has been remanded int to custody and will next face court on 8 August.

Detectives from the missing persons squad arrested the man, who they said was not linked to the Murphy family, at his home about 6am on Wednesday before charging him with murder on Thursday.

“We are alleging a deliberate attack that has caused the death of Samantha,” police commissioner, Shane Patton told reporters.

On Thursday, Murphy’s husband, Michael, spoke of his relief over the development, describing the past few weeks as “shithouse” and told of how the community had rallied around his family.

“[It’s] like someone let a pressure valve off,” he told reporters.

“God, the adrenaline with everything that’s been going on, it’s just [been about] trying to be brave for everybody.”

He said while they had been putting on “a brave face”, the family was “doing as good as we can”.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast on Friday morning, the Ballarat mayor, Des Hudson, said the arrest had offered some “closure”.

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“I think the fact that Sam was a mum, had young kids, or young teenagers, and just disappeared without any trace, it really sparked the emotion of our community and communities from everywhere,” Hudson said.

“Samantha will never come home to her family [and] they will never have a beautiful mother, a beautiful wife to be with them as [they] go forward.”

Police and specialist detectives were continuing a search for the body of Murphy, who was last seen on 4 February.

“Investigations will continue at a very heavy pace,” Patton said. “Doing everything we can to locate Samantha’s body for the family is absolutely vital.”

Police said they were not looking for anyone else at this stage in connection to the alleged murder.

Anyone who has information, including CCTV or dashcam footage from the time Murphy went missing, has been asked to come forward.

Weeks of extensive searching began around Ballarat after Murphy disappeared, with trained emergency services workers joined by hundreds of concerned locals.

They combed dense bush, private land and walking tracks.

Murphy’s disappearance was out of character as she had been described as mentally and physically fit, and was training for an upcoming race by doing 15km runs.

A vigil will be held in Ballarat on Friday evening near Murphy’s home.