In a dramatic breakthrough that has reignited hope and speculation in one of Australia’s most baffling missing person cases, newly surfaced “unreleased” CCTV footage has captured an unidentified figure trailing Samantha Murphy just 10 minutes before she vanished during her morning run in Ballarat on February 4, 2024.

The grainy clip, leaked anonymously to media on December 17, 2025, shows a hooded silhouette matching the description of a “person of interest” police have been seeking for months, walking approximately 50 meters behind the 51-year-old mother of three on Canadian Lakes Boulevard. Victoria Police confirmed in a press conference hours later that they have “identified the silhouette” as Patrick Orren Stephenson, 23, the man already charged with Murphy’s murder in March 2025. “This footage aligns with our timeline and strengthens the case,” Detective Inspector Mark Hatt said, though he stopped short of confirming it as “new evidence” leading to charges.

Murphy, a devoted wife to Mick and mother to Emma, Jess, and Dylan, left her Eureka Street home at 7 a.m. for a routine 10km run in the Canadian State Forest, her phone last pinging near the golf club. Despite extensive searches involving drones, cadaver dogs, and 500 volunteers, no trace was found until Stephenson’s arrest. Charged with murder despite no body recovered, he pleaded not guilty, with trial set for 2026.

The leaked footage—allegedly from a private residence camera not previously handed to police—shows Murphy jogging in bright activewear, the figure in dark clothing and a beanie maintaining distance. “It’s chilling—10 minutes later, she was gone,” a source told Herald Sun. Police urge the leaker to come forward: “This compromises the investigation.”

Mick Murphy, speaking outside court, was stoic: “If it’s him, justice for Sam.” Fans and locals rally: #FindSamantha trending renewed.

As Stephenson awaits trial, the “10-minute mystery” haunts Ballarat. The silhouette identified—but Samantha’s fate remains unknown.