A former detective has urged the public to stop speculating and “let police do their job” as they continue to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy.
The call comes from former Missing Persons detective and 27-year member of Victoria Police Narelle Fraser following the closure of the Find Samantha Murphy Facebook group.
The group had been set up initially to coordinate search efforts and share information but had also become a haven for theories, speculations and accusations.
“I think people mean well, but the amount of information [police] would be sorting through right now would be overwhelming,” Ms Fraser said.
“I don’t think the public understands how much information is generated.
“Police are asking the media for CCTV — that creates an enormous amount of workload.”
Ms Fraser said many members of the public were trying to help but speculation was unhelpful.
“People listen to true crime [podcasts] now, they’re better educated now … Sometimes they feel like super sleuths [and] they mean well,” Ms Fraser said.
“[Police] feel enormous pressure [in these situations] but you’ve got to do what you’re trained to do, to put that pressure aside.”
Sounding the alarm early
Samantha Murphy hasn’t been seen since she left her Ballarat East home on Sunday, February 4, to go for a run in the Woowookarung Regional Park.
She was last seen wearing a brown or maroon top, black leggings, and is described as 173 centimetres tall and has a slim build.
There has been an enormous public and emergency service response to her disappearance, with police only winding back the resourcing into her search over the weekend.
Police are still calling for anyone with CCTV, dashcam footage, or information on her whereabouts to come forward.
Ms Fraser also dispelled the notion of the “myth” that someone has to wait 24 to 48 hours to report a missing person, praising Ms Murphy’s family for sounding the alarm on the day she disappeared.
“In any investigation the first 24 hours are so important,” she said.
“When it’s unusual or out of character there’s no ‘how long are you supposed to wait’ — if you’re concerned … and have genuine fears for their welfare, go to the police station immediately.
“A missing persons report cannot be made over the phone, you have to go down to the station and you have to report it in person.”
Get our local newsletter, delivered free each Wednesday