Police to search Victoria’s Alpine region for the bodies of Carol Clay and Russell Hill
Police have revealed a specific area is being combed for the bodies of two missing campers after a man was charged with their murders.
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Police are narrowing their search for the bodies of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay after a Jetstar pilot was charged with their murders.
Greg Lynn, 55, from Caroline Springs, was charged with two counts of murder on Thursday night, three days after he was arrested in remote High Country bushland.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said authorities are now zeroing in on an region within the Victorian Alps in a bid to find the pair’s remains.
“We have located a specific area and we will establish a search parameter. We are hopeful we will find the remains,” he said.
“Our efforts to find the remains of Russell and Carol will continue. We are committed to finding the deceased persons.”
Investigators have stressed the investigation is far from over, forensic specialists from the Missing Person’s Squad to be sent in to search and examine an area with thick vegetation.
Police are hopeful they will be able to locate the couple and provide closure to their families.
“This has been one of the most significant investigations we’ve undertaken in recent years,” Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said.
“The investigators are relieved, but they appreciate there’s more work to be done. It has been a long haul, 20 months, in fact, of commitment and dedication that has been extraordinary.”
The new search is set to commence on Friday as Mr Lynn faces court charged with two counts of murder.
Another key part of the investigation will be the tracking down of an old trailer, believed to have been sold on Gumtree in the aftermath of the couple’s disappearance.
Chilling footage earlier emerged showing the deserted campsite where the dramatic arrest of Mr Lynn, 55, was finally made.
Dominated by thick shrub and countless trees, the area is located at Arbuckle Junction in a remote part of the High Country, almost 300km east of Melbourne.
Chief commissioner Shane Patton said authorities were still linking clues together in “one of the most complex cases” in Victoria’s history.
“We’re not rushing into anything here. We’re taking it methodically,” he said.
Mr Patton urged members of the public to come forward with any information about a missing trailer, which could help police crack the case.
“Anyone who has information about or purchased a silver trailer last year between March and July and they don’t absolutely know who it was they purchased it from or how they came into possession of it and that there might be something sus about it, if they could contact Crime Stoppers, that would be fantastic,” he said.
“We are still reliant on members of the public for information and we’re still trying to locate a trailer.”
Mr Hill and Ms Clay were last known to be alive in Victoria’s remote Wonnangatta Valley, 350km northeast of Melbourne, on March 20, 2020.
Students camping at the Licola wilderness village captured the dramatic police operation on video.
The video shows heavily armed Special Operations Group officers swarm the remote location in east Gippsland, before capturing the suspect.
A student from the group told the Herald Sun they saw and heard two helicopters from the air wing arrive near their school camp.
The group were told by police the situation was a training drill.
“They all felt a little overwhelmed and very confused as to what was going on,” one parent said.
“They were told it was a training session. Mind you, these are 14 and 15-year-olds, so they knew something was going down.”
Ms Clay’s sister broke her silence after the man being questioned over the mystery was identified as Mr Lynn.
Jill Clay said her beloved sister’s disappearance had been tough and hoped the man’s arrest would bring answers.
“Emotionally, it’s brought up everything during that time – a lot of grief and pain. We haven’t known how, we haven’t know why, they just vanished,” she told Nine News.
“Now all of a sudden there's a glimmer and we might get some answers.
“It would be such a relief to have those answers, to have a memorial for Carol and Russell.”
RUSSELL HILL AND CAROL CLAY:
— Cassie Zervos (@cassiezervos) November 23, 2021
This is the Nissan Patrol that belongs to the 55yo man in custody. Police allege he changed the colour from blue to beige in a bid to protect his identity.
The 4WD was seized this afternoon @7NewsMelbournepic.twitter.com/q2amNTjqdp
Police revealed late on Tuesday they had seized a four-wheel-drive belonging to Mr Lynn, which could become a vital piece of evidence in the investigation.
Mr Hill and Ms Clay were last heard from in March 2020 when they travelled via Licola, spending one night at Howitt High Plains before heading into Wonnangatta Valley.
Mr Hill – who did not tell his wife he was with Ms Clay – was last heard from the next day via HF radio.
Campers later found Mr Hill’s vehicle with signs of minor fire damage at their campsite, which was completely burned out, near the Dry River Creek Track in the Wonnangatta Valley on March 21.
Originally published as Police to search Victoria’s Alpine region for the bodies of Carol Clay and Russell Hill
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