Bodies of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay were reportedly burnt
A fresh twist in the case of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay suggests their bodies were set on fire after they were allegedly killed.
National
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The bodies of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay were allegedly set on fire after they were killed in the Victorian high country.
On Saturday morning, The Herald Sun reported that the pair were incinerated in a fire lit in bushland near Arbuckle Junction, in a remote area of East Gippsland.
The burning is believed to have taken place metres away from where their remains were located, near the Union Spur Track.
It may have been an attempt to destroy their remains.
The missing campers’ bodies were found on November 30 in the Grants Historical Area near the remote town of Dargo, 320km northeast of Melbourne.
Detectives from the missing persons squad combed the scene, making use of the same arson chemists who examined Mr Hill and Ms Clay’s original campsite.
Police say the remains were buried in a shallow grave under a root-ball hole – a pit caused by a large tree falling over.
On Thursday, they discovered a ring and a set of dentures at the same location that could hold the key to giving the two grieving families closure.
DNA testing of the bone fragments will continue over the coming days as experts search for more conclusive evidence that they belong to Mr Hill and Ms Clay.
Other key lines of inquiry for police working the case will be the results from forensic testing of a Nissan Patrol vehicle that was seized last week.
They will also investigate any leads after a public appeal to find a trailer sold on Gumtree between March and July last year, believed to be linked to the campers’ deaths.
The discovery of the remains was a major breakthrough in the captivating 20-month case after the pair vanished from their Wonnangatta campsite on March 20 of last year.
Greg Lynn has been charged with murdering Mr Hill and Ms Clay.
Mr Hill first left his Drouin home on March 19 before collecting Ms Clay from her home in Pakenham in his white Toyota LandCruiser.
They then 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, stating he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps.
It will be alleged that other campers found Mr Hill’s vehicle the next day with signs of fire damage at their campsite, which was completely burnt out, near the Dry River Creek Track.
Since that time, police have conducted extensive searches of the area, including missing persons squad detectives, local police, the search and rescue squad, air wing, dog squad and even the Australian Federal Police.
Mr Lynn remains in police custody and is expected to face court on May 31 next year.
Originally published as Bodies of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay were reportedly burnt
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