Stephenson will remain in custody until his next court appearance.

Samantha Murphy, a 51-year-old mother of three, was last seen on February 4, 2024, when she left her Ballarat East home for a run, captured on CCTV wearing a maroon singlet and black running pants.

Her family reported her missing after she failed to return home from her run, prompting extensive searches in the bushland around Ballarat.

Despite these efforts, Murphy's body has not been found since her disappearance.

In March 2024, police charged 23-year-old Patrick Orren Stephenson with her murder, alleging he killed her in the Mount Clear area, approximately 6 kilometers from her home, on the same day she went missing.

Stephenson, the son of late AFL draftee Orren Stephenson, was arrested in Scotsburn shortly after the charges were filed.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton emphasized that the investigation leading to Stephenson's arrest was thorough and involved public assistance.

During the search efforts, police recovered items of interest, including a mobile phone, from a dam in late May 2024.

Stephenson has opted to waive a committal hearing, allowing his case to be fast-tracked to the Supreme Court.

On November 14, 2024, Stephenson appeared via video link from Melbourne Assessment Prison at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

Magistrate Mark Stratmann has committed Stephenson to stand trial, with his next court appearance scheduled for a directions hearing in the Supreme Court on November 27, 2024.

In addition to the murder charge, Stephenson faces charges for careless driving, drink-driving, and drug driving stemming from a motorcycle collision in October 2023.