Detectives have conducted a “targeted search” in the Ballarat area as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Victorian woman Samantha Murphy.
Ms Murphy, aged 51 at the time she went missing, was last seen alive on February 4, 2024 when she left her home in Ballarat for a morning run.
Her body has not been found despite a number of police and community searches.
In March last year Ballarat man Patrick Orren Stephenson was charged with the murder of the mother of three.
On Wednesday Victoria Police released a statement confirming that detectives from the Missing Persons Squad were searching in the Ballarat area.
“Since February 2024, police have regularly undertaken a range of enquiries and small-scale searches as part of the current investigation,” the statement said.
“We are not in a position to supply further specific details of today’s operational activity at this time.”
Police have asked members of the public not to join the search at this time.
A spokesperson said the search was likely to resume tomorrow.
Mr Stephenson, 23, has been scheduled to face the Supreme Court on April 8, and has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
The trial will take place in Ballarat and is expected to last about six weeks.
