Samantha Murphy was last seen leaving her home on February 4, 2024. (Supplied: Victoria Police)

Twelve months ago, Ballarat resident Pauline O’Shannessy-Dowling didn’t give much thought to her daily runs.

But everything in the town has changed.

Through tears, she recounts the day Samantha Murphy was reported missing on her morning run, a stone’s throw from her own place.

“Every time I go for a run, I think about her,”

Ms O’Shannessy-Dowling said.

Ms O’Shannessy-Dowling says she thinks about Samantha Murphy every day. (ABC Ballarat: Eden Hynninen )

“The first thing I feel is profound sadness … it’s just really shocking and sad.”

This Tuesday marks one year since Samantha Murphy was reported missing, after going for a Sunday morning run in the Canadian area of the Woowookarung Regional Park.

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 23, was charged with Samantha Murphy’s murder in March and is awaiting trial.

Her body has never been found, despite several extensive police and community searches.

Patrick Stephenson was charged with the murder of Samantha Murphy. (ABC News: Paul Tyquin)

Women still don’t feel safe

Timeline of events

February 4, 2024: Samantha Murphy was last seen leaving her Eureka Street home at 7am.
February 5: Authorities start searching for Ms Murphy and her family plead for public assistance.
February 14: Police declare Ms Murphy’s disappearance “suspicious”.
March 6: A 22-year-old man is arrested in relation to her disappearance.
March 7: Police charge the man with murder.
March 8: A suppression order is lifted and Patrick Orren Stephenson is named as the man charged with Ms Murphy’s murder.
August 8: Mr Stephenson appears in court for the first time.
November 14: Mr Stephenson pleads not guilty during a court appearance.

In Ballarat, a feeling of caution and sadness remains, and many women still don’t feel safe.

“I’ve definitely changed the way I think about running,” Ms O’Shannessy-Dowling said.

“I’ve changed the route and what time of day I run. I always now wear a headlamp in the dark.”

And she’s not the only one making changes.

“I think men [runners] are making the effort to let you know that they’re not a threat,” she said.

“They smile, they say ‘Hi’… they want you to know that you’re OK.”

Taking a stand

Councillor Des Hudson feels a close connection to his community.

As the former mayor of Ballarat, he remembers when the mood in the community changed.

“[Last year] we saw the community being aspirational about absolutely doing better,” Cr Hudson said.

“We saw people wanting to take a stand, we saw marches in the street.

“We should never forget also the names of Rebecca Young and Hannah Maguire, two other females who lost their lives at the hands of male perpetrators.”

Cr Hudson says the Samantha Murphy case still occupies his mind.  (ABC News: Eden Hynninen)

Nationwide outrage

All three women died between February and April 2024, triggering concerns about women’s safety not just in Ballarat, but nationwide.

In May, the state government announced a “world-leading” trial in Ballarat to combat men’s violence against women.

The deaths of three women in the Ballarat area triggered community outrage about women’s safety. (ABC News: Paul Sellenger)

During his tenure in 2024, Cr Hudson fronted countless media conferences, becoming the public face of the Ballarat community.

But it was while addressing a community vigil that he felt the expectations of his city.

“There was a great weight on my shoulders, as to what I would say, what the community was looking for,”

he said.

“I just tried to speak from the heart, as to what people were feeling.”

Cr Hudson spoke at the vigil for Samantha Murphy in March 2024. (ABC News)

Twelve months on the case continues to occupy his thoughts.

“I think the ultimate thing that we’re looking for is for Samantha to be found, that her remains can be returned to her family, that she have a decent burial and be laid to rest,”

he said.

Detective Inspector Dave Dunstan from the Missing Persons Squad said Victoria Police remain committed to finding Ms Murphy and bringing closure to her family.

“While nothing can erase their grief and loss, being able to return Samantha to her family has always been incredibly important to us,” he said.

“This year we will continue to conduct searches in the Ballarat area, including searches in areas highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources.”

An angry community

Tori Baxter didn’t have the public profile of the mayor, but when Ms Murphy disappeared, she knew she had to act.

“Initially I headed out to Buninyong police station as they said community searches were welcome, and I noticed there was no organisation,”

Ms Baxter said.

Ms Baxter helped lead a community search for Samantha Murphy. (ABC News: Eden Hynninen)

Over the following months, she coordinated public search parties, spoke at vigils, attended court hearings and became a spokesperson for an angry community.

“I think myself and a lot of others are feeling disheartened that she still hasn’t been found, for her family,” she said.

“There are still people within our community that are searching weekly, that just don’t want to give up.”

Like local nurses Lois Abraham and Norma Shearer, who have spent years walking the local bushland in Ballarat.

Ballarat nurses Lois Abraham and Norma Shearer still search for Samantha Murphy. (ABC News: Eden Hynninen)

“Since Samantha disappeared, the enjoyment of freedom in the bush, and the beauty of the bush has changed,”

Ms Abraham said.

“Now whenever we go out, we’re looking.

“I cannot imagine how the family must feel, when they look out and see this vast expanse, and not know where their wife or their mum is.”