Police investigating the disappearance of missing mum Samantha Murphy have found an item of interest in bushland and declared a crime scene.
The search for Ms Murphy, 51, entered the fourth day on Wednesday with line searches largely focused outside the family home in Ballarat East, about 100km northwest of Melbourne.
The mother-of-three vanished without trace after going for a run in a state forest at 7am on Sunday.
Cops were seen inside her home on Wednesday while State Emergency Services crews scoured the ground outside.
But about 12.30pm a separate search crew found a potential item of interest just off a walking trail in nearby bushland at Woowookarung Regional Park.
Victoria Police declared a crime scene. Detectives were seen looking very closely at a plastic tree guard and ejected all reporters from the area.
Victoria Police closed down a walking track (above) in the nearby state forest and kicked out media after finding an item of interest and declaring a crime scene
Daily Mail Australia witnessed detectives closely inspecting a new tree’s plant guard, after discovering an item of interest
SES crews outside the family home of Samantha Murphy on Wednesday. A large effort was focused on scouring the area outside her Ballarat East property – before attention shifted
Police on horseback walk past the Murphy compound on Wednesday as the search entered the fourth day
It was not immediately clear what the item was. Police, SES and volunteers appeared to leave no stone untouched in the search this morning.
Volunteers were seen looking under bushes and inspecting scrubland directly outside the Murphy home this morning.
A person inside the home gave media outside ‘the bird’ before drawing closed the blinds of the home.
Across the road, officers were seen questioning a neighbour before then searching the rear of his property.
Search crews were also observed carrying out similar line searches along nearby Eureka Road.
Ms Murphy, 51, had embarked on a 20km run through the Canadian State Forest, an area her husband Michael claimed she was very familiar with, but never returned.
Mr Murphy, who owns and operates a smash repairs business with his missing wife, has remained mostly tight-lipped since his wife went missing.
Daily Mail Australia has been told media who approached his business on Tuesday were given a frosty reception.
‘It’s just up in the air, we don’t know,’ Mr Murphy reportedly told the Herald Sun on Tuesday.
‘It’s just a whole time thing at the end of the day.’
He was pictured on Tuesday speaking with police as the desperate search continued
A police car sat in the driveway of Ms Murphy’s home on Wednesday morning
Police question one of Ms Murphy’s neighbours on Wednesday
An SES worker looks for clues outside the Murphy compound
Police and SES crews gather down the road from Ms Murphy’s family home on Wednesday
On Wednesday, a worried neighbour told Daily Mail Australia Ms Murphy’s disappearance had shocked the community.
‘It’s just such a worry because you just don’t know what has happened. Is there someone out there? We just don’t know,’ she said.
Some locals are already beginning to come up with a range of theories as to what has happened, with some concerned about ‘suspicious’ characters living in the region.
A large-scale search has involved the Search and Rescue Squad, local police, more than 100 specialised officers from the dog squad, mounted branch, solo unit and air wing .
SES crews and teams from Forest Fire Management Australia and Parks Victoria have also joined the search.
The Ballarat community has rallied together, with a growing number of residents and Ms Murphy’s friends joining the search efforts.
Ms Murphy’s ‘upset and concerned’ family hold grave concerns and have described her disappearance as out of character.
On the morning Ms Murphy vanished, she was captured on her own CCTV system wearing a brown singlet and black half-length leggings.
Ms Murphy, an avid runner, was last seen wearing a brown/maroon singlet and black leggings
The search for missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy (pictured) has entered its third day
Ms Murphy is an administrator at Inland Motor Body Works, which she owns with her husband
On Tuesday, Acting Inspector Lisa MacDougall said Ms Murphy’s mobile phone had pinged in Buninyong but that ‘inquiries are ongoing as to whether (the phone) is still on’.
‘Obviously, phones can run out of battery, but that forms part of the investigation,’ she told reporters on Monday.
Ms Murphy was known to be fit and run almost daily in the state forest.
‘The area of search isn’t completely remote, we are on the outskirts of Ballarat, and it’s not that far from urban areas as well,’ Insp MacDougall said.
Temperatures soared to a scorching 36C on Sunday and it’s unknown whether Ms Murphy had food or water with her.
‘Obviously, (Sunday) was a hot day… there (is) obviously increased risk there because of the heat,’ Insp MacDougall added.
‘It raises the urgency of the search for us, and obviously we account for the fact that that will have an impact on someone’s health.’
Ms Murphy is described as Caucasian, about 173cm tall, with a slim build and shoulder-length blonde hair.
Anyone who sees her has been urged to contact police immediately.
