Twist in search for missing Victorian campers

Police move search for Russell Hill and Carol Clay, believe ‘somebody else is involved’.

An officer loads two shovels into his car at Mount Hotham. Picture: Jason Edwards

A year-long mystery surrounding the disappearance of two campers in Victoria’s Alpine region has baffled detectives, but fresh attempts to locate the pair have uncovered new clues and the likelihood that “someone else” is involved.

Missing Persons Squad Detective Tony Combridge said police found two shovels in a search area off the Great Alpine Road at Mount Hotham in the state’s far northeast on Wednesday.

“I’m aware of the discovery; as to its relevance to the investigation or its importance to the investigation, that is still being assessed at this time,” Detective Combridge said. “(The shovels) have been collected and we will bring them back to assess them forensically.”

He said police hoped they might uncover a DJI brand Mavic drone which belonged to missing man Russell Hill, 74, but no other items were located at the site.

Missing Persons Squad detectives have so far been unable to work out what happened to Mr Hill and Carol Clay, 73 — who have been missing since March last year — and on Wednesday Detective Combridge said they would not rule out a suicide pact.

“I don’t think anything’s off the table, but I think if we look at … what is in front of us the most likely scenario here is that somebody else was involved,” he said.

While he conceded police may never find their bodies, police were getting closer to finding out what happened to Mr Hill and Ms Clay.

Russell Hill and grandson Carol Clay and Russell Hill have been missing in the Wonnongatta Valley area in Victoria since 20 March, 2020.

“I’m not really expecting to find anything (bodies) but I’m hopeful that we will find some answers for the families,” he said. “These are particularly challenging circumstances and it is an incredibly remote area. There are parts of that bush that probably have never been walked on by humans.”

Detective Combridge said a “significant” piece of information prompted the Missing Persons Squad to shift their search from Wonnangatta — more than 250km northeast of Melbourne, where previous efforts had been focused — along with other information that had been “accrued” from multiple sources over time.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill.

One week ago, search and rescue detectives were joined by cadaver dogs in the Wonnangatta Valley — about 70km from Mount Hotham — in a renewed bid to find the pair. Detective Combridge would not reveal further information about the nature of Mr Hill and Ms Clay’s relationship on Wednesday, saying: “It is a private matter for the families.”

Mr Hill is married and Ms Clay has been separated for several years. A theory the pair had eloped was not ruled out last year.

Detectives believe Mr Hill picked up Ms Clay from her home in Pakenham in a Toyota Land Cruiser on March 19 last year. His car was found with “minor fire damage” at the pair’s campsite, which police said “was completely destroyed by fire” in the Wonnangatta Valley on March 21.