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Gregory Lynn (pictured) who police accuse of killing childhood sweethearts Carol Clay, 73 and Russell Hill, 74 faced a committal hearing this week, as the facts surrounding the campers’ deaths were heard in court
Far from any of the luxuries of modern life, the Alpine National Park is one of Victoria’s most remote locations and the setting for the mysterious disappearances of five people since the turn of the century.
None have quite captured the attention of Australia like the disappearance of two campers in March 2020.
The man police have accused of killing them faced a committal hearing this week, as the facts surrounding the campers’ deaths were heard in court.
Just days after arriving at Bucks Camp, nestled among the rugged and vast wilderness of the Wonnangatta Valley, Melbourne couple Carol Clay, 73, and Russell Hill, 74, vanished.
Ms Clay, a much-loved community member and stalwart of the Country Women’s Association, was excited to spend about a week alone in the secluded bush with her lover.
They were childhood sweethearts and, although they’d gone separate ways and had children with other partners, rekindled their relationship in the mid-2000s.
Mr Hill remained married – friends believe he kept his relationship with Ms Clay secret to avoid distressing his family.
He told his wife he would be camping alone.
Russell Hill (pictured) remained married while in a relationship with Ms Clay and friends believe he kept it secret to avoid distressing his family – he told his wife he would be camping alone
Carol Clay, 73, (pictured) had called a friend on the drive up to the Wonnangatta Valley who would later report ‘she sounded excited to be on the road’ during their brief conversation
Described as a ‘family-orientated man’, before his retirement he’d spent time as a logging contractor in the valley and had helped cut the Zeka Spur track that connected the valley to Howitt Plains.
As heard in court, witnesses would later tell police they saw the couple using the very same track to enter the Wonnangatta Valley in the afternoon of March 19, 2020.
Ms Clay had called a friend on the drive up who would later report ‘she sounded excited to be on the road’ during their brief conversation.
Mr Hill was an avid outdoorsman and would often go camping in the Victorian high country.
The burnt remains of Russell and Carol’s tent and belongings (pictured) were discovered by a camper on March 27 who immediately raised the alarm
The pair disappeared in the remote Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020 (pictured)
In fact, he’d been camping alone just a week prior further north and at a higher elevation than where he decided to take Ms Clay.
The last contact made by the pair was with an amateur radio group based in the East Gippsland region at about 6pm on March 20.
Those listening in over the radio said he seemed ‘normal’, the court was told
The burnt remains of Russell and Carol’s tent and belongings were discovered by a camper on March 27 who immediately raised the alarm.
‘I could see things didn’t look right and decided we should call the police,’ Colin Boyd would later say in a statement that was heard in court.
The court was told Mr Hill’s wife Robyn had reported him missing a day earlier – he had promised to stay in contact over high-frequency radio – telling police she hadn’t heard from him in days.
Just days after arriving at Bucks Camp, nestled among the rugged and vast wilderness of the Wonnangatta Valley, Melbourne couple Carol Clay, 73, and Russell Hill, 74, vanished
Emergency services launched a two-week search operation, covering vast areas of the valley by land, air and water, but no trace of the pair could be found.
The case was referred to Victoria Police’s missing persons squad in April. They began the arduous work of attempting to find out what had happened and bring the couple’s families closure.
The remote location where Mr Hill and Ms Clay vanished would make this task difficult.
Other than the remains of their charred campsite, a few missing personal belongings and the testimony of the few people who happened to be in the region, there was little to work with.
A breakthrough seemingly occurred when investigators turned to technology and a person of interest was identified – Jetstar pilot Gregory Lynn.
The court heard this week his car was allegedly photographed by an automatic licence plate recognition camera travelling on the Great Alpine Rd at about 9.48am on March 21.
Police will allege data, as heard in court, obtained from Telstra and ‘Truecall’ was able to geolocate Mr Hill’s mobile phone to the camera’s vicinity 10 seconds after Mr Lynn’s vehicle.
There were 12 vehicles photographed passing by the camera, operated by the Mount Hotham Alpine Resort, within a 20-minute window.
‘The accused’s vehicle was the only vehicle to travel through the site, while mobile phone data places Hill’s mobile phone travelling in the same direction at the same time,’ the case against Mr Lynn alleges.
Police released footage of a car and trailer they wanted to trace
Police alleged this week in court that Mr Lynn took steps to avoid being connected to the case, repainting his car (pictured) and selling his trailer – allegedly used to transport the bodies – on Gumtree
Allegations against the keen camper and hunter have been put before a Melbourne court this week as a magistrate weighs up whether there is sufficient evidence for him to stand trial on two counts of murder.
He has denied killing the pair, and his lawyer Dermot Dann KC told the court on Tuesday the allegations were ‘heavily in dispute’.
Less than four months after the pair were allegedly murdered, missing persons squad investigators turned up at Mr Lynn’s home in Melbourne’s northwest.
Senior Constable Abbey Justin told the court she quizzed him about his movements between March 16 and 22, with the conversation secretly captured on a micro-recorder.
‘At that point he was a witness,’ she told the court.
‘We were there to find out the movements of his car and confirm who was driving.’
Mr Lynn’s mobile phone records allegedly confirmed he travelled to the Alpine National Park on March 16 and returned home on March 22
Mr Lynn’s mobile phone records allegedly confirmed he travelled to the Alpine National Park on March 16 and returned home on March 22.
The data also allegedly shows Mr Lynn returning to the Alpine National Park in May and November when, police allege, he attempted to ‘destroy’ the couple’s remains.
Mr Lynn was quickly a suspect and, by the end of 2020, police were covertly surveilling him with telephone intercepts, listening devices and GPS trackers.
It’s alleged these devices recorded him talking to himself about Mr Hill and Ms Clay at home and out camping.
The data also allegedly shows Mr Lynn (pictured in a court sketch at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court returning to the Alpine National Park in May and November when, police allege, he attempted to ‘destroy’ the couple’s remains
Police alleged this week in court that Mr Lynn took steps to avoid being connected to the case, repainting his car and selling his trailer – allegedly used to transport the bodies – on Gumtree.
More than 20 months after the two lovers vanished, Mr Lynn was arrested while camping in Arbuckle – about 20km south of Wonnangatta.
Partial remains of the pair were allegedly discovered days later by a forensic team near the historic township of Grants – within the National Park.
What police believe led to the two campers’ deaths has not yet been revealed – the case against Mr Lynn alleges they were camping near each other and had a ‘confrontation’.
Witnesses later told police they saw the couple using the Zeka Spur track (pictured) to enter the Wonnangatta Valley in the afternoon of March 19, 2020
In a statement given to the court on Tuesday, forensics officer Mark Gellatly said he was told police were investigating the theory that Mr Lynn became ‘annoyed’ by Mr Hill’s drone flying.
The police’s theory, he said, was that Mr Hill and Mr Lynn allegedly wrestled over Mr Lynn’s shotgun that discharged and killed Ms Clay.
Mr Hill was then allegedly fatally stabbed in the fight.
Before the court, Crown prosecutor John Dickie said this account ‘might not actually reflect’ how police intend to put the case against Mr Lynn.
The case, he said, was that Mr Lynn acted with ‘murderous intent’ when he allegedly killed the couple.
The committal hearing will continue on Monday, with three witnesses due to give evidence – ballistics expert Paul Griffiths, officer Daniel Passingham, and Sergeant Brett Florence, who charged Mr Lynn.
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