An area of remote bushland being scoured for the remains of Samantha Murphy is just steps away from the home where her accused killer was arrested.
Victoria Police launched a new search in Buninyong Bushland Reserve on Wednesday after they said they received ‘fresh intelligence’.
No trace of the mother-of-three has been found in the six weeks since her disappearance despite extensive search efforts from police and volunteers.
The new search area is located down Webbs Hill Road, a single-lane dirt track less than 2km from the Scotsburn home Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, had been house-sitting with his girlfriend when he was arrested on March 6.
Stephenson was charged with murder the following day, with police to allege he ‘deliberately attacked’ Ms Murphy, 51, in Mount Clear on February 4.
The new search area is located down Webbs Hill Road, a single-lane dirt track less than 2km from the Scotsburn home Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, (pictured) had been house-sitting with his girlfriend Meg Harbour when he was arrested on March 6
Victoria Police launched a new search in Buninyong Bushland Reserve on Wednesday
He was remanded in custody and police allege he has repeatedly refused to co-operate with police in their inquiries to find Ms Murphy’s remains.
Investigators were originally searching in the vast Woowookarung Regional Park, which is located around 10km from the new search area.
The Buningyong Bushland Reserve is a comparatively smaller area of bushland with a hidden dam and only a few properties scattered around its borders.
Police units are stationed at nearby Royal Park as dozens of specialist officers conduct a search of the reserve.
‘The search will focus on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources,’ a police statement read.
Members of the public who have spent the last six weeks looking for Ms Murphy have been advised to not join the latest search.
All available resources are being used including Missing Persons investigators along with specialist officers from the search and rescue unit, mounted branch, dog squad, public order response team and motorcyclists from Road Policing Command.
Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said police are committed to ‘doing everything we can to locate her and return her to her family’.
No trace of Samantha Murphy (pictured) has been found in the six weeks since her disappearance despite extensive search efforts from police and volunteers
‘Since Samantha’s disappearance, extensive searches have been conducted in the Ballarat area and today we will focus on an area of bushland in Buninyong,’ he said on Wednesday.
‘We will have a range of specialist resources involved, however as we are searching for Samantha’s body, we ask that members of the public do not try and join today’s search.
‘Hopefully today’s search will benefit the investigation or provide further avenues of enquiry for police.
‘We will also look at further searches in the Ballarat area as the investigation progresses.’