Wife’s plea after man arrested over disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay

Russell Hill’s wife desperately hopes a dramatic breakthrough in the long-running high country murder mystery will help uncover her husband’s body.

Airline pilot Greg Lynn has been revealed as the man in custody. Picture: Supplied

The wife of Russell Hill hopes the dramatic arrest of a suspect will lead police to the high country murder victims’ bodies.

Robyn Hill welcomed news of the arrest of a man at a remote East Gippsland campsite and is desperate for it to yield the remains of her husband and his secret lover, Carol Clay.

Greg Lynn, a 55-year-old Jetstar pilot from Caroline Springs in Melbourne’s west, remains in custody in Sale more than 36 hours after his arrest over the disappearance, which happened soon after Mr Hill and Mrs Clay arrived in the Wonnangatta Valley for a camping trip on March 20 last year.

No charges have been laid. Detectives resumed their questioning on Wednesday after an overnight break.

The Herald Sun has been told Mr Lynn had been under scrutiny for months and had allegedly had his Nissan vehicle repainted soon after the disappearances.

It can also be revealed that Mr Lynn had a significant firearm collection, consisting of rifles and shotguns.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill went missing while on a camping trip in March 2020.

Mr Lynn’s social media profiles have been taken offline since his identity was revealed.

“We want an answer,” Mrs Hill told the Herald Sun from her Drouin home.

“I just want them found, that’s all we want. The rest will follow. We need closure.”

Mrs Hill said it had been a difficult 20 months for her and her children, but she was coping OK.

“I’m fine,” she said.

“They are good (my children). They are the ones that are more involved with the police than me. Hopefully we can just move on.”

Greg Lynn is being questioned.

In a day of dramatic developments, a brown Nissan Patrol four-wheel-drive seized at the arrest scene at remote Arbuckle Creek emerged as a key element in the inquiry.

On Tuesday night the Nissan was trucked back to Melbourne where it will be examined at the Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre at Macleod.

It had a red mountain bike attached to the rear and a 1950s-style bomber art playing card affixed to the side.

On Tuesday night Mr Lynn was being questioned by missing persons squad detectives investigating the murder of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay, who were in a secret relationship, in March last year.

His Patrol was the same model but a different colour to the blue one detectives this month said they were trying to find.

It is expected police will examine whether the petrol motor four-wheel-drive seized at Arbuckle Creek had been repainted.

On Monday night members of the special operations group swooped on Mr Lynn after the investigation intensified.

The Herald Sun has been told there had been mounting concerns for Mr Lynn, an experienced and well-equipped bushman, causing the operation to be escalated.

The SOG, which is generally used for high-risk arrests, was called in at short notice, flying to the area in two helicopters.

The 4WD seized by police is being transported to a Melbourne forensics lab. Picture: David Caird

SUSPECT A ‘NATURE-LOVING FAMILY MAN’

Greg Lynn’s love of camping has been revealed as he was arrested over the disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay.

Mr Lynn’s neighbours have been left shocked after police swarmed the suburban street where he lives with his family.

A woman, who identified herself as a friend, said outside the family’s Caroline Springs home on Tuesday night: “We are not speaking to anybody – we have obviously just seen the news tonight, but we are not making any statements about it”.

Mr Lynn, a check captain at Jetstar and former Qatar Airways captain, was stood down by the airline following his arrest.

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‘EMOTIONAL DAY’ FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, COMMUNITY

Mrs Clay’s younger sister, Jill Walker, told the Herald Sun it was a day of strong feelings.

“Today is a really emotional day for the whole family,” Mrs Walker said.

“It brings it all up to the surface. We’ve had it inside us for 20 months.”

Mrs Walker said it was good to hear of a breakthrough but that had to be tempered by the fact it was only one step.

“It’s only an arrest. No charges have been laid yet,” she said.

Mr Hill’s best mate, Rob Ashlin, said it was a “huge relief” to hear of an arrest.

Mr Ashlin was the last person to speak to Mr Hill on March 20 about 6pm on his amateur radio network.

“We have been waiting a long time,” he told the Herald Sun.

“It certainly is very interesting, the arrest.

“Police will need to make sure it was him and hopefully they can lay charges. If they have arrested him, they must have a bit on him.

“The right thing will be done, if he is the guilty party — they have got to get the right people.”

Mr Ashlin said he and the community wanted closure after 20 months of agony not knowing who was behind the suspected murders

“It is exciting as we might get a bit of closure,” he said.

“That being said, I never get too excited, I have been saying from the start, I want to make sure our bush is safe to go camping in.

“The fact he was arrested in the bush shows he is still roaming around, and we don’t want that.”

Mr Ashlin said he hadn’t had a chance to speak to his amateur radio network since the news.

“Haven’t had a chance to talk to my radio mates, I am sure they will be relieved,” he said.

“We will get closure. That’s what we want.”

Rob Ashlin has spoken of his relief after a suspect was arrested. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Emily Theodore from the Dargo Hotel, located 83km southeast of Wonnangatta, said the arrest had been the talk of the town.

“We were quite surprised when we heard. It’s really good to hear something is evolving,” Ms Theodore said.

A Wonnangatta resident, who did not wish to be named, said the months without answers had been unnerving and he could now sleep more soundly.

“I am very happy they have someone and can hopefully put the matter to rest,” the local said.

He said it was curious for the man to return to the region amid a clear escalation in the police investigation.

“It’s a bit strange to come back and camp in the area. I think the heat was on him and they knew who he was for a while and have been working on him and waiting for him to make a move,” the local said.

A hunter who frequents the high country region told the Herald Sun he would breathe easier once charges were laid.

Russell Hill and Carol Clay’s damaged campsite in the Wonnangatta Valley.

“I’m not getting too excited yet. Let’s see if he gets charged,” he said

“We are all so interested about what will happen from now. People are always asking questions about it around here so it’s good to finally know and hopefully get some answers.”

Vicky Birch of the Pakenham Country Women’s Association told the Herald Sun the arrest was a welcome development.

“It’s great news,” she said.

It comes after the campers’ families in October spoke of the enormous pain caused by the pair’s disappearance.

“It’s really hard. It’s not getting any better. It’s not knowing … you’re just stuck,” Mr Hill’s daughter Debbie said.

Mrs Clay’s sister, Jill, said: We need to know what happened and we need to know where their bodies are so we can put them to rest”.

CWA member of honour Kaye Kyle, a long-term associate of Carol Clay, said it was a welcome relief to hear of an arrest. “Now it can be put to rest. It has to be put to rest. It was a relief to hear the news.”

Russell Hill’s daughters, Colleen and Debbie, in a public appeal for answers. Picture: David Crosling

HOW 20-MONTH SEARCH UNFOLDED

The breakthrough comes after a painstaking 20-month investigation, which began after 74-year-old Mr Hill, of Drouin, and Mrs Clay, 73, of Pakenham, vanished from the Wonnangatta Valley.

The inquiry appeared to be gathering momentum in recent months, with detectives recently releasing a CCTV image of a blue 1990s Nissan four-wheel-drive, which was towing a trailer and which left the area in the period after the pair disappeared.

It is one of the biggest missing persons inquiries in the state’s history.

Police returned to search the area near the one-year anniversary of their disappearance. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mr Hill and Ms Clay were last known to be alive on the evening of March 20 last year when Mr Hill used amateur radio to tell a mate they had arrived at Wonnangatta and were setting up camp.

Their campsite, which was extensively damaged by fire, was noticed the next afternoon by a park visitor but was not reported to police until days later.

Mr Hill, a retired former timber worker, and Mrs Clay, an energetic Country Women’s Association worker, had been friends for many years.