Greg Lynn’s car spotted in area morning after alleged murders

A “ripped up” label for Viagra in elderly camper Russell Hill’s name was found in his secret lover’s bathroom bin as police scoured for clues related to the couple’s disappearance, a court has heard.

The jury were previously shown images of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay’s destroyed campsite. Picture: Supreme Court of Victoria

A “ripped up” label for erectile dysfunction pill Viagra belonging to elderly camper Russell Hill was found in his secret lover’s bathroom bin as police scoured for clues related to the couple’s disappearance, a court has heard.

Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, 57, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of Mr Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, who disappeared during a camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill were killed during a camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley.

Senior Constable Amy Frost from Sale Police told the jury she had met with Mr Hill’s wife Robyn and Mrs Clay’s family in Drouin and Pakenham on April 7 – during the early days of the investigation into the pair’s disappearance – where she obtained statements and looked for evidence that might be able to assist in determining why they vanished.

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Dermot Dann KC, she revealed a “ripped up” box of Viagra in Mr Hill’s name had been found in the bathroom bin of Mrs Clay’s home.

She said she examined Mr Hill’s LandCruiser at Aerial Motors in Maffra, after it was transported from the Wonnangatta Valley, with a number of items including prescription medications in Mr Hill’s name taken for further inspection.

Constable Frost said detectives from the Missing Persons Squad travelled to Sale in mid-April before the unit took over the investigation.

How ‘true call’ data led detectives to Greg Lynn

A detective noticed accused killer Greg Lynn’s car had been repainted when she paid him a house visit four months after Russell Hill and Carol Clay vanished in Victoria’s High Country.

The former Jetstar pilot, 57, is standing trial in the Supreme Court for the murders of retirees Mr Hill, 74, and Mrs Clay, 73, who disappeared during a camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Abbey Justin on Wednesday told the jury investigators were led to Mr Lynn after “true call” data from Mr Hill’s phone indicated his handset travelled along the Great Alpine Road around 10am on March 21, 2020 – the morning after the alleged murders.

Mr Lynn’s Nissan Patrol was among a dozen vehicles captured on Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras on the boundary of Mount Hotham ski resort between 9.40am and 10am that morning.

Constable Justin, who was with the Missing Persons Squad at the time, said police used warrants to obtain the ANPR images and their analysis found only Mr Lynn’s vehicle travelled from the Dargo High Plains Road which leads to the Wonnangatta Valley.

Constable Justin and another detective visited Mr Lynn at his Caroline Springs home on July 14, 2020.

Upon arrival, she said she noticed his dark-coloured 4WD had been repainted to a “light brown” and she took a photo of it.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu previously told the jury Mr Lynn repainted his car to “avoid being linked to the murders of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay”.

Constable Justin said police obtained Mr Lynn’s bank records which indicated he paid for fuel in Moe on March 16, 2020 and Mansfield five days later.

Under cross-examination from defence barrister Dermot Dann KC, Constable Justin agreed the statements showed Mr Lynn had also paid for fuel in Traralgon on May 13, 2020 – when he returned to the alpine region to ensure Mr Hill and Mrs Clay’s remains had not been found.

Constable Justin said the Missing Persons Squad took over the investigation after detectives travelled to Sale in mid-April, where they were briefed by local police.

She said a number of media “stand-ups” were held, where members of the public were encouraged to come forward if they had any information about the missing campers.

“There was a very large response,” she said.

Greg Lynn’s 4WD spotted in area morning after alleged murders

A jury has been shown images of accused killer Greg Lynn’s 4WD towing a trailer on the Great Alpine Rd the morning after he allegedly murdered missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay.

Timothy Lunn, a former IT specialist at Mount Hotham, was on Wednesday called to the witness box, where he explained to the jury that he helped set-up and manage an Automatic Number Plate Recognition system for the ski resort.

A dark-coloured 4WD believed to belong to Mr Lynn was captured by ANPR cameras on the Great Alpine Rd the morning after Russell Hill and Carol Clay were allegedly murdered.

He said there were four cameras on the boundary of the resort on the Great Alpine Rd, including two at Buckland’s Gap, which were designed to detect motion and photograph vehicle number plates which were uploaded to a cloud-based system.

“Those cameras are used to enforce resort entry fees which are required for every vehicle,” he said.

Mr Lunn said a dozen vehicles travelled through cameras three and four between 9.40am and 10am on March 21, 2020 – the morning after Mr Hill and Mrs Clay were allegedly murdered.

Photos of one of those vehicles, a dark-coloured 4WD towing a trailer which passed the cameras at 9.48am, were shown to the jury.

A man behind the wheel can be seen as the vehicle’s sole occupant in one of the images.

Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu previously told the jury that the 4WD belonged to Mr Lynn and that it had been captured in the area on ANPR technology.

Drone footage of where the cameras are on the Great Alpine Rd and aerial footage of the Dargo High Plains Rd was also played to the court.

Mrs Clay ‘excited’ to be going on trip with Mr Hill

Earlier on Wednesday, a statement by Louise Heib, a friend of Mrs Clay, was read to the court by Crown prosecutor Kathryn Hamill.

Ms Heib said she met Mrs Clay through the Country Women’s Association, where she was the secretary but now treasurer, about three years before her death and they quickly hit it off as friends.

Pilot Greg Lynn is on trial for the alleged murders of Russell Hill and Carol Clay. Picture: Supplied

She said they spoke most days and Mrs Clay had divulged her relationship with Mr Hill and that they had been together when they were younger but broke up as it became more serious.

Their relationship “flared” back up when they met again years later but Mr Hill did not want to leave his wife because she was quite unwell, she said.

Ms Heib said she was supportive of her friend’s relationship with Mr Hill.

“Not that she needed my approval, but I told her to go for it,” she said.

She also revealed Mrs Clay did not mind the “situation” she was in.

“I don’t think that worried her. She was quite independent,’ she said.

She said she last spoke to her friend on the phone on the morning of March 19, 2020, as she drove to the Wonnangatta Valley with Mr Hill, and that she sounded “excited” to be on the road.