guest star Melissa Murphy, a MIA case for KOJAK to solve

'The Best Judge Money Can Buy' is an exceptional episode, due to an above-average script, fine direction, capable detective work by Kojak's team and brilliant casting in the guest star department that includes reliable veterans John Randolph and Abe Vigoda plus 30-ish Melissa Murphy, a pretty blonde. Melissa Murphy.
In 1977 while directing a "Barnaby Jones" episode at QM Productions Leo Penn (Sean's dad), who directed this seg of "Kojak," 'The Best Judge Money Can Buy,' told me how impressed he was by Melissa Murphy and that he'd directed her twice before "Kojak," in "Judd, For the Defense" and "Lancer," both for 20th Century Fox TV in 1969. Decades later, I'm checking IMDB and it's apparent this actress "disappeared" after guest starring on a two-hour "Marcus Welby, M.D." in 1976. How does a performer with the high visibility and prominence of guest starring on three high-profile hours in one month vanish midway through the following decade? In Sept. 1969 Murphy guest starred on the 5th season premiere of ABC's "The F.B.I.," 2nd season premiere of CBS' "Lancer" and the 2nd episode of NBC's "Bonanza's" 11th season. She did two additional "Bonanzas" and the other hit western, "Gunsmoke," twice. Impressive credits all. Recently re-watching her stellar performance as the mute Mattie, who saves James Stacy's "Lancer" character's life in 'Blind Man's Bluff' (L.Q. Jones excellent as the killer), prompted and rekindled my curiosity about her vanishing from Hollywood. Why, it's a case for Kojak!
Aside from one brief 1969 newspaper interview, by syndicated columnist Stan Maay -- which tells us Murphy's been married 10 years to "a writer of industrial films" -- in searching the web there's no information, other than credits, available on this once promising star. Not even a decent photo, vintage or recent. A real Hollywood mystery.
Let's hope Melissa is "doin' just fine" and responds here with an update, or someone who knows her and her family credibly replies to that effect. Most significantly, with so many impressive titles on her resume and praise from a director of the stature of Leo Penn, why did she leave?