A trial date has been set for the young man accused of murdering Victorian mother Samantha Murphy.

Patrick Stephenson, 23, will front court in Ballarat on April 8, 2026.

It was initially thought the trial was going to take place sometime this year.

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Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her home for a 14km run along a route she frequented in the Canadian State Forest on February 4 last year.

Stephenson was arrested and charged with her murder a month later. He has pleaded not guilty.

Murphy’s body has not been recovered.

Extensive searches have been conducted by police and members of the public in the forest as well as around Enfield State Park and Buninyong Bushland Reserve.

In June last year, Murphy’s credit cards, licence and iPhone in a teal-coloured case were found in mud at the bottom of a dam.