Detectives have launched a fresh search for the body of missing mother Samantha Murphy, who disappeared nearly two years ago.

The 51-year-old Ballarat woman was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street, to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest on the morning of February 4, 2024.

Murphy’s disappearance gripped Victoria and the nation and led to an outpouring of grief in the Ballarat community, with an influx of volunteers joining multiple early efforts to find her.

In March 2024, police charged 23-year-old tradesman Patrick Orren Stephenson with Murphy’s murder, but the search for her body continues.

For a year, there have been extensive searches for Murphy’s body with particular focus on the Enfield State Park, Canadian Forest and Buninyong Bushland Reserve, near the central Victorian city.

Missing persons detectives searched areas around Ballarat on Wednesday, although the exact locations have not been disclosed.

Police have previously searched the Enfield State Forest at Grenville, about a 15-minute drive from Buninyong, where Murphy’s phone was found in May, buried in mud near an agricultural dam.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said no further details would be provided about Wednesday’s operational activity.

She said police had continued a range of inquiries and smaller searches as part of the ongoing investigation.

“Police ask that members of the public do not attend the search at this time,” she said.

-AAP