Witness saw ‘odd man’ before campers vanished; key drone clue still missing
A witness has described an “odd” encounter with a 4WDer in the high country, days before campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay disappeared.
Police & Courts
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The drone owned by Russell Hill remains a key part of the murdered campers investigation.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal extensive bushland searches and warrants at Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn’s home in Melbourne’s west have not turned up Mr Hill’s DJI Mavic drone.
It has emerged that Mr Hill was flying the drone above his isolated Wonnangatta Valley campsite in the hours before he and Carol Clay were murdered.
A bushland worker saw the elderly pair at the site on March 20, last year – believed to be the day they were killed.
The man said Mr Hill’s drone flew above campsites in the area just before nightfall.
The flight records of the missing drone have never been recovered but Missing Persons Squad detectives remain interested in finding the device.
It’s been a long-held theory that Mr Hill, 74, and Ms Clay, 73, met with foul play following an altercation at the campsite.
The witness saw a man with a blue Nissan Patrol and trailer near the Wonnangatta campsite as early as Wednesday, March 18.
He said the man was odd and that he stopped to ask for advice on the best campsites. It is not known if the man was Mr Lynn.
The search for the remains of Mr Hill and Ms Clay will intensify on Monday, as teams of specialist police and emergency personnel search an area close to Dargo, about two hours drive southeast of Wonnangatta.
The search centres on the Grant Historic Area, a gold mining district with a few landmarks, including marked and unmarked graves.
The region is surrounded by dense bush, poorly maintained tracks and dead ends.
It was described by locals as a very tricky and isolated part of the high country.
A crime scene guard remained at the entrance of the search area on Saturday.
It will be crucial for police to preserve the area until the major search begins on Monday.
Revelations of a crime scene were made public on Friday evening as police announced Mr Lynn had been charged with the campers’ murders.
He was arrested after Special Operations Group officers surrounded him at a remote campsite in Arbuckle Junction, also in the alpine region.
The arrest was brought forward due to concerns over his mental state.
He spent more than 72 hours in custody before being charged with the murders.
Mr Lynn was driven back to Melbourne on Friday and will be remanded until his next court hearing on May 31 next year.
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