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How police cracked mystery of missing campers
Words:  Mark Buttler and Brianna TaversProducer: Andrew Piva
It was one of the most baffling and high-profile mysteries of recent times. Two elderly campers, Russell Hill and Carol Clay, disappeared from Victoria's high country without a trace.
A remote crime scene, little forensic evidence and no witnesses meant it was an investigation that could have easily turned cold.
But senior police have hailed the efforts of a team of investigators who have taken major strides towards solving the case.
After an arduous 20-month investigation, where dozens of leads were followed, detectives charged pilot Gregory Lynn with two counts of murder. This is how the case unfolded.
THE
DISAPPEARANCE
Mr Hill, 74, and Ms Clay, 73, were last heard from on March 20, 2020, while camping in the Wonnangatta Valley, near Wonnangatta Station, about 350km northeast of Melbourne.
Wonnangatta Station
Campsite area
Campers found Mr Hill’s vehicle with signs of fire damage at their campsite, which was also completely destroyed by fire, near Dry River Creek Track, on March 21, 2020.
It was possible the elderly campers, who were in a secret relationship, had become lost in the bush after some type of accident. But to police, the scenario didn't make sense.
Mr Hill was an experienced bushman who knew the Wonnangatta region well, while Ms Clay was a highly respected member of the Country Women’s Association.
Investigators soon suspected the campers had met with foul play and started trying to piece together what had happened.
THE
INVESTIGATION
A combination of factors, including the high country’s isolation and the lack of forensic evidence, made the investigation challenging from the start.
Police examining the case zeroed in on a blue Nissan Patrol, which was captured on roadside cameras towing a modified trailer in the area at the time the campers disappeared.
Mr Lynn, who owns a Nissan Patrol, is believed to have been asked early in the inquiry about his presence around the Wonnangatta Valley. It is believed he told detectives he didn't see the campers.
THE
ARREST
Mr Lynn was taken into custody when SOG police swarmed a remote campsite in Arbuckle Junction, about 60km south of Wonnangatta, on November 22.
His Nissan Patrol was also seized by police near his campsite. It has since emerged the vehicle had been spray-painted beige soon after the Wonnangatta disappearances.
Following his arrest, the suspected remains of the missing campers were found burnt in a shallow grave at the Union Spur Track, about 60km south-east of Wonnangatta, on November 30.
Union Spur Track
Wonnangatta
Charge sheets allege Mr Hill and Ms Clay were murdered on March 20 last year, the same day they arrived at the campsite. Mr Lynn has been remanded until May 31 for a committal mention.
																																								

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/web-stories/free/herald-sun/how-police-cracked-mystery-of-missing-campers-russell-hill-and-carol-clay