Samantha Murphy Ballarat * Patrick Orren Stephenson Charged With Murder

[Kurve]

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The Murder of Rebecca Young - Ballarat

The Murder of Hannah McGuire - Ballarat * Lachie Young

17

Lachie Young

Age

25

Ht

189cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.5

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

220.3

3star

D

9.0

2star

K

5.5

2star

HB

3.5

2star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.0

3star

MG

210.0

3star

D

11.2

3star

K

6.2

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

4star

MG

219.6

4star

charged



Allegedly

 

[MiguelM]

While it's possible, there would be risk of being spotted.
The white dot is the phone location. Blue dotted line is 30 meters. (20 meters from the fence line). So it's plausible to throw from the fence at least. But that western edge of the dam beside the fence is built up above the road, and that particular spot where the blue line crosses has high black berries as well.

View attachment 2006553

There are barbed wire fences and blackberries all along that fence line by the dam so I wouldn't attempt to cross there. You could go around but if it was me I wouldn't want to be seen wandering around that paddock in direct view of those two houses left and right on the horizon in the next image.

So next image is taken from about ten metres up the road (north of the blue line), where the road is higher and the blackberries are lower and we can actually see the dam.

Phone location marked with the red arrow is maybe 35 meters from the camera. It looks close only because it is zoomed in, also note that the 360* camera used for Google Street View is mounted high up on a pole above a vehicle.

I mean if you stopped a car on the verge, it'd be mostly hidden by the blackberries out of sight of the houses.
If you stood by the fence between those two white arrows centre frame, you'd just be able to see the dam and I guess throw the phone the 20 something meters to where it was found, as long as the case didn't open up and flail around like a butterfly.


View attachment 2006502

I live in Gordon which is similar blocks/farming area. Would be simple to stop the car, get out and through the fence. Nobody is seeing you. Could have been 3 in the morning for all we know.

 

[Spectrix]

I live in Gordon which is similar blocks/farming area. Would be simple to stop the car, get out and through the fence. Nobody is seeing you. Could have been 3 in the morning for all we know.

Are your fences in Gorden shrouded by 5ft of ruthless, barbed and unforgiving blackberry bushes?

 

[moncon]

I reckon the perp got out of the car to chuck the phone away.

Assuming the perp is right-handed, and driving a right-hand-drive vehicle, then if he's in the driver's seat the phone is being thrown either right-to-left over the car's roof towards the dam, or with a "side arm" throw left-to-right out of the driver's window.

I don't reckon either of those actions get the phone to where it was found.

EDIT: unless the perp was driving a convertible I suppose. Or a motorbike..?

 

[Xtreme]

DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING A CURRENT AFFAIR HAS TO SAY!!!!!

Put your faith and trust in a program that usually targets shonky builders is asking for trouble!!

 

[Flog111]

Hard for them to find a phone in a random dam. I wonder if they’ve somehow got access to his phone data which pin pointed his locations for that day?

 

[MiguelM]

Are your fences in Gorden shrouded by 5ft of ruthless, barbed and unforgiving blackberry bushes?

yep, but looking at the pic lots of gaps and usualy only the top wire barbed.

 

[31550]

Hard for them to find a phone in a random dam. I wonder if they’ve somehow got access to his phone data which pin pointed his locations for that day?

More likely the property was of interest to police. They had reportedly visited there before. Then they reportedly searched the side of the road with dogs. Something was reportedly detected on the fence line of the property, so they probably made arrangements to search the property including the dams in more detail. All this took time, Finally either the dam receded or was pumped out enough so that dogs could detect the phone. Owners may have noticed something revealed by dam water receding (either the phone or another suspicious object) and contacted police.

 

[Catch]

Are your fences in Gorden shrouded by 5ft of ruthless, barbed and unforgiving blackberry bushes?

Don't talk to me about blackberry bush! Could handle the barbed wire though

 

[Lady O]

Are your fences in Gorden shrouded by 5ft of ruthless, barbed and unforgiving blackberry bushes?

Neighbouring block has a log on top attached to the strainer post and no blackberries. Could have gone that way.

 

[Catch]

Neighbouring block has a log on top attached to the strainer post and no blackberries. Could have gone that way.

View attachment 2007034

But you wonder why this dam was chosen to throw the phone in ? When there are more easily reached dams and more private. It will be interesting to find out how long the phone has been in there for

 

[Ashon60]

But you wonder why this dam was chosen to throw the phone in ? When there are more easily reached dams and more private. It will be interesting to find out how long the phone has been in there for

As others have mentioned the phone may have rang/message tone alerted POS at the time he was passing this dam.

 

[31550]

But you wonder why this dam was chosen to throw the phone in ? When there are more easily reached dams and more private. It will be interesting to find out how long the phone has been in there for

It's very close to the road, and can (I think) be seen from the road. So, a passing motorist might suddenly get the idea that the dam is a good place to dispose of the phone. Especially if the road was quiet at the time and nobody was around. Wouldn't take long to pull over, walk close to the dam, chuck it in, then drive off without anyone passing by.

 

[DirtyLeeds]

It's very close to the road, and can (I think) be seen from the road. So, a passing motorist might suddenly get the idea that the dam is a good place to dispose of the phone. Especially if the road was quiet at the time and nobody was around. Wouldn't take long to pull over, walk close to the dam, chuck it in, then drive off without anyone passing by.

You've nailed that my friend, no need for a conspiracy, this dam is visible from 500m away, the seed is planted.....

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

I’m not convinced on the car theory until they have an opportunity to inspect the body, even after this long there should be signs of impact prevalent. It has been fairly quiet on that front from the public comms.

My colleagues in LEA across different states don't typically have cost or legal issues accessing phone data, unless they are talking about the effort of sifting the raw data. A good data scientist would work with bulk data comfortably. I hadn’t heard that. There are organisational instruments applied to different Acts (Tejecommunications) that allow easier access to data.

From the little we know of this guy, I don’t believe he set out to kill anyone, the day, time of the incident and what we know doesn’t lend itself to someone who went out for a kill. I don’t have enough insight to think otherwise. And that in some way lends itself to an accident, which resulting in a decision by the POI to escalate to murder. If there are substances involved, then reasonable decisive making goes right out the window.


But who knows, this thing could have so much more background that could blow all our minds.

Reckon your thoughts are pretty spot on. If you did want to kill someone you'd be extra stupid to do it in broad daylight on or around a common running route. Particularly on a Sunday. It doesn't seem consistent with other similar cases.

An accident where has has panicked and covered it up seems likely. Probably under the influence, obviously young which leads to some stupid mistakes in his cover up. Whether he "finished the job" afterwards or dumped her whilst still alive seems crucial but we will likely never know. Will stay silent from here and aim for a manslaughter charge.

 

[Percel]

Reckon your thoughts are pretty spot on. If you did want to kill someone you'd be extra stupid to do it in broad daylight on or around a common running route. Particularly on a Sunday. It doesn't seem consistent with other similar cases.

An accident where has has panicked and covered it up seems likely. Probably under the influence, obviously young which leads to some stupid mistakes in his cover up. Whether he "finished the job" afterwards or dumped her whilst still alive seems crucial but we will likely never know. Will stay silent from here and aim for a manslaughter charge.

That last sentence is bang on, legal will say let’s go for broke and get you out before you hit 50..

 

[DirtyLeeds]

Reckon your thoughts are pretty spot on. If you did want to kill someone you'd be extra stupid to do it in broad daylight on or around a common running route. Particularly on a Sunday. It doesn't seem consistent with other similar cases.

An accident where has has panicked and covered it up seems likely. Probably under the influence, obviously young which leads to some stupid mistakes in his cover up. Whether he "finished the job" afterwards or dumped her whilst still alive seems crucial but we will likely never know. Will stay silent from here and aim for a manslaughter charge.

If he is found guilty of murder, even circumstantially, and he has not disclosed the whereabouts of the body, it's the Maximum Sentence, in the vicinity of 35 years! Again, the Police have dismissed the 'accident' theory, and you may not remember that particular day but it was 30 degrees by 9 am, it was a stinker that day, hardly anyone out due to the heat that was building. And if you know Ballarat, no one gets out of bed before 8 am on ANY Sunday!! It's just not a common running route either, that would be Lake Wendouree!

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

If he is found guilty of murder, even circumstantially, and he has not disclosed the whereabouts of the body, it's the Maximum Sentence, in the vicinity of 35 years! Again, the Police have dismissed the 'accident' theory, and you may not remember that particular day but it was 30 degrees by 9 am, it was a stinker that day, hardly anyone out due to the heat that was building. And if you know Ballarat, no one gets out of bed before 8 am on ANY Sunday!! It's just not a common running route either, that would be Lake Wendouree!

It’s not going to be considered an accident if he kills her or dumps her body elsewhere after an accident, if that makes sense.

If he is found guilty of murder he will get the maximum with no body but that will also make it tougher to get a conviction. I think he and his lawyers are after manslaughter.

 

[Percel]

Interesting to see if the fam has her pass codes to the phone, notoriously difficult to get data if you dint have the right accesses. Even if Apple crack it, you stand to lose some if not all the data.

 

[mrskafoops]

Interesting to see if the fam has her pass codes to the phone, notoriously difficult to get data if you dint have the right accesses. Even if Apple crack it, you stand to lose some if not all the data.

I read an article saying they don’t know the code. Geez, everyone in my family knows everyone else’s codes.

 

[MiguelM]

It's very close to the road, and can (I think) be seen from the road. So, a passing motorist might suddenly get the idea that the dam is a good place to dispose of the phone. Especially if the road was quiet at the time and nobody was around. Wouldn't take long to pull over, walk close to the dam, chuck it in, then drive off without anyone passing by.

^^This.

It aint that hard!!

 

[Lady O]

They’re all related? So, Meg and POS could have been to the theatre and cafe, both places that Samantha and her family spent time? Maybe not the cafe but the theatre.

I don't think there would be any doubt that he knew her. But did he hold a grudge against her?

 

[31550]

Interesting to see if the fam has her pass codes to the phone, notoriously difficult to get data if you dint have the right accesses. Even if Apple crack it, you stand to lose some if not all the data.

If it's been underwater since she disappeared it may be damaged beyond data recovery.

Even if it can be restored functionally, there is the issue of accessing the data. Apple usually require a death certificate. But maybe there is a legal avenue for police to get it unlocked?

 

[Percel]

I read an article saying they don’t know the code. Geez, everyone in my family knows everyone else’s codes.

Same, my wife and eldest have mine. Youngest doesn’t because he’s a scheister

 

[Percel]

If it's been underwater since she disappeared it may be damaged beyond data recovery.

Even if it can be restored functionally, there is the issue of accessing the data. Apple usually require a death certificate. But maybe there is a legal avenue for police to get it unlocked?

You can apply for a court rider if no death certificate in certain circumstances, but you’re right, the water damage is the big kicker.

 

[31550]

You can apply for a court rider if no death certificate in certain circumstances, but you’re right, the water damage is the big kicker.

Unlikely to be useful data on the phone that they don't already have. It was suggested they have already accessed the cloud data from her watch which indicated an incident at Mt Clear, and they have cell tower dumps. What else can they get from her phone?