What Happened To…

In this episode, we sit down with renowned criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro to unravel the complexities of the Samantha Murphy case from Ballarat. Samantha's disappearance has puzzled law enforcement and the public alike, leaving more questions than answers. Through an in-depth conversation with Tim, we explore the psychological underpinnings of the case, examine the clues left behind, and discuss the impact on the community and the ongoing search for justice. Watson-Muro brings his expert analysis and unique insights, shedding new light on one of Australia's most perplexing cases.

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A man has now been charged with the alleged murder of Samantha Murphy, but many questions about what happened on the morning she disappeared remain unanswered.

In this episode, former Victorian Police detective Damien Marrett helps piece together what investigators may have known before the arrest, how phone and location data could have shaped the investigation, and what happens behind the scenes when police decide they have enough evidence to charge someone with murder.

As the case moves towards court, we examine the evidence still missing from the public picture and why finding Samantha remains so important.

The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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As the investigation into Samantha Murphy’s disappearance intensified, police were not only searching the ground — they were also following a digital trail. Telecommunications expert Associate Professor Mark Gregory explains how mobile phones, smartwatches and tower data can help investigators map movements, identify devices in an area and look for unusual patterns. We examine how this kind of digital evidence may have helped police piece together crucial parts of the investigation.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode was originally recorded and published during the early stages of the investigation and reflects information publicly available at that time.

Since its original publication, criminal proceedings relating to Samantha Murphy’s disappearance have commenced. This episode has not been updated to discuss those proceedings and does not address the person currently before the courts, the evidence in those proceedings, or questions of guilt or innocence.

Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as commenting on, prejudging or seeking to influence any current court proceedings. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to law.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the search for Samantha Murphy intensified, police canvassed the area while hundreds of volunteers joined the effort to find answers. Bush tracker Jake Cassar travelled to Ballarat to help search the surrounding terrain, bringing years of experience from other missing-person cases. He takes us inside the search, explaining the clues trackers look for, the challenges of the bushland and what caught his attention on the ground.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode was originally recorded and published during the early stages of the investigation and reflects information publicly available at that time.

Since its original publication, criminal proceedings relating to Samantha Murphy’s disappearance have commenced. This episode has not been updated to discuss those proceedings and does not address the person currently before the courts, the evidence in those proceedings, or questions of guilt or innocence.

Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as commenting on, prejudging or seeking to influence any current court proceedings. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to law.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the morning of 4 February 2024, Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy left her home for a routine run and never returned.

Originally recorded during the early stages of the investigation, this episode retraces Samantha’s last known movements and the massive search that followed. We speak with former Detective Inspector Greg Lamey about what happens in those crucial first 48 hours of a missing-person investigation, what police look for, and why seemingly insignificant information can become an important piece of the puzzle.

What did investigators know in those early days and what were the missing pieces?

IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode was originally recorded and published during the early stages of the investigation and reflects information publicly available at that time.

Since its original publication, criminal proceedings relating to Samantha Murphy’s disappearance have commenced. This episode has not been updated to discuss those proceedings and does not address the person currently before the courts, the evidence in those proceedings, or questions of guilt or innocence.

Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as commenting on, prejudging or seeking to influence any current court proceedings. The accused is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty according to law.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years after  “Bob”  disappeared, his family were finally waiting for an answer.

In this episode, we revisit the case, the courtroom, and the evidence that emerged along the way  including claims involving a shooting, a mysterious vehicle, and other people whose names surfaced during the investigation.

But as the case reaches a crucial moment, Bob’s family is left facing questions they never expected to still be asking.

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In the days before he disappeared, Dylan Dickiewas struggling. After being discharged from a mental health unit, he sent his father Damien a heartbreaking message that sounded like a final goodbye. The next day, Dylan vanished. His motorbike, helmet, gloves, and other belongings were later found scattered through dense bushland, but Dylan himself has never been found. 

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Damien remembers Dylan as his best mate, a funny, mischievous kid who grew up riding motorbikes, making people laugh and eventually working alongside his dad as a plasterer. But in the year before Dylan disappeared, Damien began to notice changes. Money was going missing, Dylan’s appearance was changing and drugs had entered his life. In this episode, Damien reflects on the son he knew, the warning signs he saw, and the questions he has carried ever since.

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When 71-year-old Robert “Bob” Dickie suddenly stopped answering his phone, his son Damien drove to his remote property near Dubbo looking for answers. Bob was nowhere to be found. But a woman Damien didn’t know was at the property, claiming to be Bob’s wife and saying he had simply gone to a party. Robert has never been seen again.

Note: A woman investigated in connection with Robert’s disappearance was acquitted in the NSW courts in November 2023. No allegation is made against her contrary to that decision.

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Days after the inquest into Des Carr’s disappearance, a message arrives from a stranger named Robert.

Robert says he knew Des in the Kimberley—and is adamant that sometime after Des vanished in 1979, he bumped into him on a Perth street.

But when Robert called out his name, the man he believes was Des denied knowing him and claimed he had never even been to the Kimberley.

Then another extraordinary story emerges. Years after Des disappeared, a member of his own family remembers seeing a man in a Perth pub who she was convinced was her missing uncle.

Could Des have survived? Were both sightings simply cases of mistaken identity? Or does this completely change what we thought we knew about his disappearance?

Police are now looking into Robert’s account.

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