Patrick Orren Stephenson, son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of missing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy. The case has now been fast-tracked to Victoria’s supreme court.
On Thursday, the 23-year-old appeared in Ballarat magistrates court through video link from prison, charged with the murder of Murphy, 51, who was last seen on February 4.
Per The Guardian Australia, Crown Prosecutor Raymond Gibson KC said Stephenson was choosing to stand trial in the Supreme Court for the murder charge, meaning he wouldn’t face a committal hearing— a process where the magistrate examines the evidence in the case before it goes to trial.
Stephenson’s legal team confirmed he understood that this would happen.
When magistrate Mark Stratmann asked how he pleaded, Stephenson replied: “Not guilty, your honour.”
What allegedly happened to Samantha Murphy?
At about 7am on February 4, 2024, Murphy left her East Ballarat home for a run. The Victorian mother never returned home.
It’s alleged Stephenson killed Murphy in the Mount Clear Area, 7kmsaway from her home, on the same day she vanished.
Despite several extensive searches for Murphy, her body has never been found.
Stephenson will face the Supreme Court for a directions hearing on November 27.
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