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.