Patrick Stephenson Pleads Not Guilty in Samantha Murphy Murder Case

The accused has opted to fast-track his trial to the Victorian Supreme Court, bypassing a committal hearing.

Patrick Stephenson, 22, is accused of murdering Samantha Murphy, a mother of three from Ballarat, who went missing on February 4.
Stephenson appeared via video link from prison in the Ballarat Magistrates Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
The case has been expedited to the Victorian Supreme Court after Stephenson waived his right to a committal hearing.
Murphy's body has not been found despite extensive police searches since her disappearance.
Stephenson, the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, is scheduled for a directions hearing in the Supreme Court on November 27.