Murphy’s family used Find My iPhone to track her down to a 4,800-acre estate in Arrington, Virginia, but there was no evidence of her on the ground.

They were able to locate Murphy after getting her phone records, which led them to a gas station in Lovingston, Virginia, where security footage showed her alive.

Authorities discovered the white Nissan Murphy had been driving abandoned 70 miles from Lynchburg after receiving tips from the public, but there was no evidence of Murphy.

Authorities eventually reviewed the video footage from the gas station and discovered Murphy conversing with a man outside the station, whom employees identified as Randy Taylor, 48.

Taylor claimed Murphy was at the gas station with another man, and they followed him to his trailer to buy marijuana before leaving.

After failing to discover a man who matched Taylor’s description on Murphy’s social media, investigators secured a search warrant for Taylor’s house.

Fingernails, hair extensions, and a diamond earring that were proved to be Murphy’s were discovered inside. Murphy’s shattered phone was also discovered 70 feet away from Taylor’s trailer.

Taylor was found guilty of kidnapping and first-degree murder in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison.

The remains discovered near the end of 2020 were proven to be Murphy’s in February of 2021