A fresh search for the body of missing woman Samantha Murphy has concluded near Ballarat after efforts to find any trace of the 51-year-old proved unsuccessful.
As police scoured bushland, Mick Murphy told 9News he still searches for his wife every day after she failed to return to their Ballarat East home on February 4.
Fresh intelligence from various sources led authorities to search bushland in the Enfield State Park area today.
READ MORE: How the investigation into the disappearance of Samantha Murphy unfolded
A NSW cadaver dog has also been utilised in the search today.
"The search will focus on an area highlighted by intelligence derived from a number of sources," Victoria Police said in a statement.
Members of the public are asked to not join the search as it is focused on finding Murphy's body.
"Today's search in the Enfield State Park involves a significant number of detectives from the Missing Persons Squad and police from a number of specialist areas," Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said in a statement.
"Since Samantha's disappearance over two months ago, a range of searches and other enquiries have been undertaken in the Ballarat area as part of this investigation.
"This includes extensive large-scale searches such as we have planned this week, but also smaller targeted searches focused in very specific areas.
"I want to assure those in the Ballarat community that police remain focused on doing everything we can to return Samantha to her family."
Mick Murphy today thanked all police for their efforts in the search.
He will attend tomorrow night's rally in Ballarat, where locals have been encouraged to march in honour of the three women whose lives were cut short.
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Patrick Orren Stephenson, 22, was charged with Murphy's murder in March.
Police allege he killed Murphy while she was on a run through the Canadian State Forest, but they have not publicly identified any further details of their case.
9News understands Stephenson is not cooperating with the investigation.
Stephenson, the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, remains in custody and will return to court in August.
Police said Murphy's family had been told about the new search area.
Investigators carried out a similar search in the Buninyong area on March 20, about 11km from Ballarat.
It was called off after about eight hours with no trace of the body found.
How the investigation unfolded
Murphy was last seen on CCTV leaving her house on Eureka Street at about 7am on Sunday, February 4, to go for a run in the Woowookarung Regional Park, or Canadian Forest.
She was last seen on CCTV footage wearing black leggings and a maroon or brown singlet.
She was reported missing after failing to return home for a brunch scheduled later that day.
Police initially said they did not suspect anything suspicious had happened, and that her phone had last been pinged near the Bunningyong Golf Club, about 11km south of her home.
Extensive searches were carried out in subsequent days through the park, with no trace of Murphy discovered.
It was not until February 23 that police said they now believed one or more people had been involved in Murphy's disappearance.
"Unfortunately, given the time and the fact we've found no trace of her, we have severe concerns, and we are very doubtful she is still alive," Hatt said at the time.
Stephenson, from Scotsburn near Ballarat, was arrested on March 6 and charged the next day.
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