The moment former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn left the remote wilderness where police say he murdered two elderly campers has been shown to a jury.
Lynn, 57, has pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court of Victoria to the murders of secret lovers Mr Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria’s Alpine region, on March 20, 2020.
Images captured from automatic number plate recognition cameras on the Great Alpine Rd captured Lynn’s vehicle passing by the morning after police allege he killed the secret lovers.
The jury has heard Lynn admitted to disposing of the couple’s bodies in the bush after taking them away in his trailer, which can also be seen in the photos.
On Thursday, photos of what was left of those remains were shown to the jury.
Image after image showed the charred fragments of Mr Hill and Ms Clay’s bones in a remote part of bush where Lynn had attempted to destroy what was left of their bodies with fire.
Victoria Police Forensics Services Centre expert George Xydias told the jury he believed Lynn had burnt the bodies at another location before attempting to dispose of them at a second site.
A car police say was being driven by Greg Lynn makes its way out of the wilderness the day after Russell Hill and Carol Clay were allegedly murdered
Greg Lynn claims the campers died as a result of a ‘tragic accident’
Lynn claimed the campers died after Mr Hill stole his shotgun, sparking a struggle that ended in the accidental deaths of both of them.
Mr Xydias told the jury Lynn had also likely set fire to the couple’s campsite where the deadly incident took place.
The fire expert said he concluded there was no accidental sources of ignition, suggesting the fire began with a portable gas stovetop or direct ignition from a lighter, match or cigarette.
In opening the trial, Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann, KC told the court Lynn’s burning of Mr Hill and Ms Clay’s bodies had ‘made him physically sick’.
Upon his arrest, Mr Dann claimed Lynn co-operated with detectives, telling them where to find the bodies of the campers.
‘On the defence case, when he does all that, he’s being completely truthful,’ Mr Dann said.
‘He’s being completely accurate just as the same way on the defence case he’s been completely truthful and completely accurate when he tells the police about the circumstances in which these two people died.’
On Wednesday, the jury heard it took Victoria Police’s Missing Persons Unit weeks to take charge of the case.
Another image captured by CCTV cameras police allege is Greg Lynn leaving the wilderness after killing the campers
Greg Lynn’s vehicle was captured leaving the mountains. His trailer, which police say he used to move the bodies of two dead campers, is clearly visible
The picturesque location where Russell Hill and Carol Clay camped close to
Detective Senior Constable Amy Frost was initially tasked with investigating the couple’s disappearance after they were reported missing on March 26.
Part of that initial investigation saw her attend the homes of Mr Hill and Ms Clay in the days after Ms Hill reported her husband missing.
She handed over the investigation to Missing Persons Unit Detective Leading Senior Constable Abbey Justin on April 20, kicking off an investigation that would ultimately lead to the arrest of Lynn.
Leading Senior Constable Justin spoke of the moment she first laid eyes on Lynn’s vehicle after tracking him down from the CCTV footage and phone records linking him to the crime scene.
On July 14 that year she attended Lynn’s Caroline Springs address where she noted his ‘blue grey’ coloured Nissan Patrol was now painted a tan colour.
Under cross examination from Mr Dann, the detective agreed Lynn’s later account to police of painting his car a ‘sandbank colour’ following his trip to the valley did match her observations.
The elderly couple’s accused killer claims it was Mr Hill who started the trouble that ended in tragedy.
The court has heard Mr Hill and Lynn had argued about Lynn hunting for deer so close to other campers.
Later that night, Lynn decided to turn the volume in his car stereo up loud in an effort to annoy Mr Hill, the jury heard.
Carol Clay’s purse was found in Russell Hill’s car
It was about 10pm when Lynn noticed Mr Hill had got into his car and stolen his 12-gauge shotgun.
Leading Senior Constable Abbey Justin was brought in to solve the case weeks after the couple were reported missing
Carol Clay and Russell Hill were killed after an alleged argument over loud music
The jury heard that as Lynn tried to wrestle the firearm away from Mr Hill, the gun discharged and Ms Clay was hit in the head.
Upon seeing what had happened, Mr Hill dropped the gun and rushed over to Ms Clay’s body.
Mr Dann said Lynn picked up the gun and fired its remaining shots into the air before being set upon by an enraged Mr Hill.
‘The next thing is Mr Hill’s advancing towards him with a knife screaming at him “she’s dead”,’ Mr Dann said.
‘A struggle developed over the knife. Mr Lynn trying to defend himself – they’re locked in this struggle – and as part of that struggle the two men fall to the ground and the knife goes through the chest of Mr Hill.’
The trial continues.
The burnt contents of Russell Hill’s tent
Part of Russell Hill’s side mirror was among the wreckage
What was left of the campers’ spectacles were recovered from the destroyed tent
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