An “item of interest” has been discovered in the bushland where Australian mother Samantha Murphy went missing while out on a 20km run on Sunday morning.

Police have now declared the area a crime scene following the discovery after the mother of three failed to return home four days ago.

The 51-year-old Ballarat, Victoria, resident was a regular runner in the Canadian State Forest, with police describing her disappearance as out of character.

On Wednesday a crew searching a walking trail in nearby bushland at Woowookarung Regional Park are believed to have found an “item of interest”.

“Police have located some items during their search for missing Ballarat East woman Samantha Murphy,” Victoria Police said in a statement.

“The items will be assessed to determine if they are relevant to the investigation.

Crews have been scouring dense bushland in the Canadian State Forest in Victoria, Australia, for missing woman Samantha Murphy.

“The search for Samantha continues, with the assistance of police search and rescue, uniform police, canine unit, mounted branch, SES [State Emergency Services] and CFA [Country Fire Authority].”

Police have declared a crime scene and taped off the area, forcing reporters and photographers to evacuate.

The morning Murphy vanished, she was seen on her own security camera system wearing a brown singlet and black half-length leggings.

Samantha Murphy, 51, went missing while out on a 20km run on Sunday morning.

On Monday, Acting Inspector Lisa MacDougall said Murphy’s mobile phone had pinged Buninyong, a town 11km from Ballarat, but “inquiries are ongoing as to whether [the phone] is still on”.

Her phone pinged just hours after she vanished and has since gone silent.

It comes as police released the last image of Murphy, who was seen running at 7.16am on Sunday past a house in Ballarat.

Victoria Police have released CCTV images of missing Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy running at about 7.16am on Sunday.

Previous chilling attack could hold key to mum’s disappearance

Murphy’s disappearance comes after another local woman, Sissy Austin, revealed she was brutally attacked while jogging in the same area.

The former Greens Senate candidate was attacked in February 2023 with a homemade weapon on a running track less than 20km away from the trail Murphy went missing.

Speaking to news.com.au, Austin said she was attacked about 4km into her run, close to where she would usually turn around and head back.

“I was almost at the 4km turnaround point when I was attacked. All I remember is seeing a male for a very quick moment and the rock tied to a stick coming for me. I woke up on the forest floor, I have no idea how long I was on the ground for.

“I remember standing up confused, covered in blood and flies. The whole bush was spinning. I knew those tracks well, but once I stood up everything was blurry. I got very lost trying to find my way back to my car.”

Sissy Austin posted photos of herself before and after the 2023 attack at the hands of a man with a rock tied to a stick.

After she reached safety she called the police. However, the attacker is still on the loose a year on.

Following Murphy’s disappearance, Austin said her “heart sank” and she is out searching to try to find the 51-year-old.

“I’m in absolute shock, I feel like I am living my attack all over again the last few days. I am angry that women clearly cannot go for a run and return home safely.”

While she doesn’t want to focus on drawing a link between the cases, Austin hopes speaking out will help raise concern in the community about the safety of women runners and she believes police need to take the issue more seriously.

Another possible clue in search for missing mum

In a possible twist that might change the direction and nature of the search, residents living near the forest where Murphy went missing have raised concerns about unnoticeable mine shafts in the area.

One local said mine shafts in the Canadian State Forest were a “major concern”, explaining to A Current Affair: “The mine shafts out there aren’t very noticeable in some areas.”

Paula Heenan, a friend of Murphy, told ABC they’re hopeful of her return but described the situation as surreal.

“We just can’t fathom what might have happened or how it happened, how somebody can just disappear.

“It is just indescribable ... how bizarre it is.”

Shell-shocked husband spotted at crime scene

The shell-shocked husband of Murphy has been spotted speaking to police at the crime scene where authorities located an item of interest.

According to Daily Mail Australia, Michael Murphy spoke briefly to police through a car window.

They described the husband as “visibly stunned” before being turned away.

It is not suggested Michael Murphy played any role in his wife’s disappearance, only that he came to see what authorities had found.

The Australian news outlet claimed the search party were seen looking closely at a plastic tree guard.

Michael Murphy had indicated he wouldn’t be joining the search, instead preferring to stay at home to try to keep his mind busy while he awaits updates.

He told the Herald Sun he’s doing “not too bad under the circumstances”.

“It’s just up in the air, we don’t know,” he told the Herald Sun.

“It’s just a whole time thing at the end of the day.”

The search continues.