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[Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
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time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
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and for a more detailed list of content warnings please please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on
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our website on Saturday March 21 2020 Andrew marwad his wife and their two children
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woke to crisp autumn Air at their campsite on the howt high plains in the Australian state of
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Victoria located within the Alpine National Park in the state's Northeast the area was popular with campers
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seeking a rugged and remote spot to be within nature after breakfast the Marat family
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decided to venture down into the nearby wangata Valley hoping to find a campsite
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closer to the river as they navigated the winding tracks Andrew an experienced Bushman
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kept a watch for suitable clearings at around lunchtime he turned into what looked like a promising
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spot once inside however it was a different story a white Toyota Land Cruiser you
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apparently new was parked in the clearing all along its passenger side canopy were black Scorch
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marks on the ground beside the vehicle was what Andrew first took to be the remains of a campfire but the blackened
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area sprawled far larger than any responsible camper would allow drawing closer Andrew realized he
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was looking at a campsite that had been entirely cremated chairs warning mattresses and a
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tent had all been reduced to Twisted Metal and dash the only thing left standing was a
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toilet tent set apart from the main side it had largely escaped to The Inferno save for some melted
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Zips the scene was cold there was no smoke or Embers and the ash had a long cool
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the Land Cruiser stood locked and empty deciding to keep moving the markarts pressed on Upstream eventually
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finding a suitable spot to settle near a suspension bridge but the memory of the burnt out
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camp nagged at Andrew throughout the night the next morning he walked back to the incinerated site
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alone nothing had changed yet something felt wrong a lead trailed from the land Cruiser's
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canopy to the ground the vehicle's passenger side mirror was missing as though ripped off
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and empty Bourbon and colar cans lay scattered behind the rear wheel peering through a window Andrew
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spotted a pink bag on the front seat there was an esy tucked under the Ute when Andrew lifted its lid he saw food
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inside that looked fresh increasingly uneasy Andrew returned to his family to talk the
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matter over they wondered whether there had been an emergency and a second vehicle
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had taken the Land Cruisers campers out for medical attention or supplies with no phone reception and
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unable to do anym Andrew photographed the scene once he was back in Mobile range
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he would report the discovery to the police [Music] 2 days before Andrew Marat had
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discovered the burnt out campsite a 74-year-old named Russell Hill Was preparing to go camping in the the one
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andeta Valley this would be Russell's third visit to the area in a month just one week earlier he had
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camped for a single night in the Alpine national park it was a 6-hour round trip from his
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home in the West gibsland Town of drwan but Russell relished his time in The Great
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Outdoors a former forestry worker who later worked as a truck driver Russell had embraced camping even more after
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entering retire enironment he was an experienced Outdoorsman and still relatively fit for his age though he
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moved more deliberately than he had as a younger man his wife Robin didn't mind that
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Russell often went camping without her he had struggled after he stopped working confiding in a few close friends
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that his new phase of life was more difficult than anticipated they had suggested he'd take
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up Hobbies such as p for gold or joining a social men's club but these suggestions hadn't worked out traveling
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out into the Wilderness however seemed to be something that helped him early on the morning of Thursday
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March 19 2020 Robin helped her husband Packy's bags including a bottle of bunder BG rum and some cans of cougar
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Bourbon and Coke she waved him off at 7:00 a.m. as he cheerfully drove away in his 2017
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white Toyota Land Cruiser four-wheel drive the Land Cruiser had been expertly fitted out for Russell's adventures and
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was ideal for driving to the one andata Valley considered one of the iconic drives in the Victorian High Country the
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journey included striking panoramic views and challenging four-wheel drive tracks Russell wounded the Land Cruiser
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through laola a small town on the banks of the mallister River before facing the
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more challenging tracks which were only accessible to wall terrain vehicles this was Russell's
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territory during his work as a forestry worker he'd helped build many of these tracks including the notoriously tricky
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zika spur despite the remoteness of the location Russell's Journey didn't go unnoticed multiple people in the area
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saw Russell's vehicle including a weed sprayer named Robert Williams who was working along a
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track Robert admired the Land Cruiser as it approached noting that it was fitted
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out with the custommade canopy but was less impressed when Russell roared past him without a customary greeting or
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friendly wave Robert had reason to be wary of strangers in the valley the day before
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he'd encountered what he described as a creepy fellow dressed in in a singlet shorts and
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Gators the man had pulled up in a four-wheel drive hauling a trailer his clothes stained with sweat and asked
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about camping spots Robert and his fellow sprayers had a joke to Darkly about the man's
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resemblance to Infamous Australian serial killer Ivan Mt whose crimes were covered in episode 109 of case
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File later Robert spotted the same vehicle at a nearby camp ground known as Buck's Camp which was a small group of
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sites on Dry River it was reversed deep into the bushes with only its bullbar visible as
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though its owner wished to remain [Music] unseen as Russell Hill neared the end of
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his drive to the wangata valley he was followed for a Time by two friends who had traveled down from Sydney to spend a
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few days foraging for mushrooms frustrated by Russell's slower driving the two men tried to overtake him
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without success they were relieved when the Land Cruiser finally turned into bucks
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Camp the Bucks campsite held personal significance to Russell Hill 25 years earlier Russell's cousin
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Gary Hill had been in the area hunting with his nephew during this ill- faded trip
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Gary's nephew had mist Aken his uncle for a deer and shot at him with his 35 caliber
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rifle the shot was fatal and Gary died instantly the shooting was ruled accidental with Gary's nephew blaming
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Buck Fever a term to describe a hunter's rash impulse to shoot but the death left its mark on the
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hill family and a white cross had been installed at nearby Hilly's Camp to commemorate
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Gary if featured a memorial plaque engraved with the warning not every stag under a rub tree is a
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deer the tragedy had shaped Russell Hill's views on Firearms he'd surrendered his inherited shotgun during
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a gun amnesty and never owned another yet Russell's respect for gun safety didn't extend to other
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regulations he brazenly ignored prohibitions on cutting snow gum for firewood dismissing Rangers warnings
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with a Curt I don't give a [ __ ] he'd also brought along a mavic drone the use of which violated the park
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rule about Flying Without permits Russell camped by his own code Russell parked his Land Cruiser
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just left of the Bucks Camp entrance there was one other campsite already set up in the prime spot next
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next to the River entrance so he'd have to make do with a less desirable spot Inland Russell insisted on top of the
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range Camp gear and had packed a black wolf turbo tent a portable fridge freezer sturdy chairs and a proper
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table instead of sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag he had a comfortable mattress with a blue
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Duna he even used a toilet tent instead of a drop dunny setting it up in front of the land Cruiser's Bonnet and
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securing it to the bullbar to protect against sudden gusts of wind Russell's entire approach was that
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of a seasoned and experienced camper not one to rely on smartphone apps he carried paper maps in his
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vehicle including hunting Zone charts that marked permitted seasons and weapons across the Alpine
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region in order to stay in contact with others while away Russell indulged in his true passion amateur
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radio this was more than just a simple hobby for Russell he'd sat for five different examinations to obtain the
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license that allowed him to operate across the high frequency channels used for ham radio
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communications Russell had a sophisticated setup that he took everywhere a home radio complemented by
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the portable unit in his car's console powered by its own dedicated battery PVC pipes that housed antenna wires ran
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along the underside of the Land Cruisers canopy curving to the roof their joints
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secured with gaffet tape known as the antenna guy among his mates Russell had perfected the art of
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stringing wires through the highest tree branches using weighted lines to achieve
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the ideal 10 to 20 M elevation for Clear transmission every evening at 6 the CL Russell joined a tight-nit group of
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fellow amateur radio enthusiasts on frequency 3.67 5 for their half hour net a ritual that was not only social but a
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form of safety check for those who were Beyond a mobile phone range his wife Robin would often listen
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in on these chats as a way to keep in touch and up toate with her husband's travels
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[Music] the following day of Friday March 20 Russell Hill was seen by other campers his drone was also spotted by
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weed sprayer Robert Williams who was still working in the area at around 5:00 p.m. Robert noticed
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the Drone circling directly over his head he wasn't a fan of the flying robots although they could take good
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photographs for their users and provide information about the surrounding ter rain Robert found their loud buzzing
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sound rude and disruptive to the Tranquility of the Bush Russell's purchase of the mavic
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Drone had also surprised some of his friends as he wasn't typically someone who was interested in higher
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gadgets but it was a hobby Russell had seemed enthusiastic about and he'd even named the new Gadget calling it
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Fred the Drone was a sophisticated and expensive piece equipment which Russell controlled through a smartphone
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interface the open one andata Valley provided perfect conditions for him to explore via the unmanned aerial
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vehicle as the Drone circled Robert Williams several times filming him with its camera he waved up at it the Drone
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dipped in acknowledgement then flew off it continued to hover nearby for about 35 to 40 minutes before
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disappearing Downstream not long after this at 6:00 p.m. Russell joined his regular evening
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amateur radio net using his call sign vk3 vzp he reported he'd been having transmission
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issues but sounded positive overall his last conversation was with mate Rob Ashlin discussing possible
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routes toward the nearby town of dgo Russell signed off at 6:40 p.m. Rob would delay to say that he'd
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sounded as happy as a piging [ __ ] Russell missed the next evening's scheduled call his amateur radio group
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wasn't concerned as equipment troubles weren't unusual and he'd mentioned transmission problems the previous
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day but two more days passed without any contact from Russell during their nightly Nets the radio
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enthusiasts called out to their friend asking him if he'd fallen asleep as the days wore on their jokes
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turned to concern as they were met with only static in reply by Friday March 27 a week had
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passed since Russell had last checked in with his radio buddies Rob Ashlin could no longer
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ignore his unees he contacted Russell's wife Robin she confirmed that she hadn't
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heard from her husband since listening in on his final radio conversation the same evening Rob had last spoken with
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him when Russell failed to return home that day Robin reported him missing advising police that she was worried as
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he was alone and it was unusual for him to be out of contact for so long two senior police constables from
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the town of ma AFA headed to the wetta valley Russell's last unnown location after checking the General
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Store at laa they combed local campsites but found no trace of the missing man they alerted the people they came
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across to watch for signs of a lone elderly camper while beginning their investigation into Russell Hill's
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disappearance the police came across a tip that had been reported sever days earlier a man named Andrew marwad had
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notified authorities that he'd come across a burnout campsite on Saturday March 21 the morning after Russell was
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last heard from on Saturday March 28 the day after Russell was reported missing officers
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set off for Buck's Camp to follow up on the lead what they found confirmed their
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worst fears a white Land Cruiser matching Russel the campsite itself was a wasteland of
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Twisted Metal and Ash covering a precise 3 m Square in the middle were the charred
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remnants of Russell's tent mattress table and camp chairs the toilet tent Russell had set
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up in front of his Land Cruiser was mostly undamaged though its Zips had melted anesi beneath the vehicle was
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also intact the fire Fire's intensity puzzled investigators though it had consumed
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everything within reach the esy and the Land Cruisers tires were unmarked suggesting an accelerent fueled Blaze
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that had been deliberately contained neither smartphones nor Russell's drone were found among the
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debris though an older mobile phone sat in the UT's center [Music] console through the vehicle's Windows
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police officers spotted not one but two open wallets both had been stripped of cash
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and credit cards and their contents scattered across both footwells while one wallet confirmed
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Russell Hills identity the other containing a health insurance card and a driver's license Drew
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Intrigue it belonged to someone named Carol clay a woman no one had reported missing Russell's family hadn't
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mentioned he was camping with anyone the discovery forced investigators to confront an uncomfortable
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reality they weren't looking for one missing person but [Music] two 73-year-old Carol clay resided in
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the outer Melbourne suburb of pakenham a former president of the country women's
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Association or CWA Carol Spearhead headed a diverse range of programs and actively sought to recruit younger
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members telling the pacam Gazette on the cwa's 85th Anniversary that it was a modern Organization of Women looking out
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for women her tenure as president saw her rubbing shoulders with dignitaries at government house traversing Australia
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and the South Pacific for conferences and holding positions on the boards of several high-profile organizations
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in 2018 Carol's tireless efforts were recognized when she was inducted as a member of honor of the
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CWA Carol's influence extended far beyond the association she volunteered with Hospital auxiliaries and the Red Cross
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and sat on various committees she was also so well known for her baking that she was in high
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demand for lessons and demonstrations generous with her time if a friend was sick Carol would be there
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every day dropping off Hardy meals until they got better described by one friend as a
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glamour Queen Carol was never seen without her signature red lipstick stylish still gray hair and pearl
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earrings though her children had grown and had families of their own she remained actively involved in their
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lives doting on her grandchildren from her newly downsized House near the shops and train
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station the discovery of Carol's wallet in an abandoned Ute nearly 400 kilm away
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at bucks Camp was both puzzling and deeply concerning police now faced the difficult task of advising Carol's
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daughter Emma that her mother had disappeared seemingly while in the company of 74-year-old Russell
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Hill the news came as a shock to Emma she had known her mother was away camping but Carol wasn't expected home
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until the following day of Sunday March 29 the fact that Carol had been with Russell however was not a
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surprise the pair had known each other since they were teenagers and Russell had been Carol's first
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boyfriend they'd ultimately broken up and married other people but stayed in touch Russell and his wife Robin had
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even attended Carol's first wedding however Russell had lied to Robin introducing Carl to her as his
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cousin Robin had believed at this ruse for years it wasn't until the early 2000s
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during joint camping trips with Carol and her then husband Linton that Robin noticed how Russell and Carol would
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frequently break away from the group for private walks though this made her uneasy Robin
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pushed her doubts aside wanting to believe in her husband's Fidelity the deception unraveled when a
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neighbor confronted Russell after witnessing Carol's visits whenever Robin was away the neighbor gave Russell an
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ultimatum confess to Robin or she would expose the affair herself backed into a corner Russell
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admitted everything to Robin and their daughters swearing to end the relation ship and repair his
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marriage Robin had believed him but the affair had secretly continued Russell's solo camping trips
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provided perfect cover for his and Carol's continued Liaisons he maintained the facade with a
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separate burner phone registered in Carol's name ensuring no suspicious bills would reach
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home the couple spoke of separating from their respective partner to be together
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but only Carol ultimately went through with it she divorced her husband to be with Russell and told her daughter Emma
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about the affair Emma felt awkward knowing about the relationship but her mother assured
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her that it was very caring and loving Carol had also confided in one of her sisters and a
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friend she appeared content with the arrangement which allowed her to maintain an intimate relationship as
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well as her independence in the aftermath of her divorce most of the time Russell and
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Carol spent together was on their clandestine camping trips although camping hadn't always been an interest
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of Carol's she embraced the Pastime if it meant spending time with Russell their routine of private
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getaways was broken only once in January 2019 when Russell suggested meeting his
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friend Jim Francis Jim was traveling around Australia in his Caravan when Russell
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called warning that he'd be bringing a woman who wasn't his wife though surprised Jim didn't
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pry the trio camped together for two weeks to Jim Russell and Carol seemed like any other couple freely sharing
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their history around the campfire Carol had been on another camping trip with Russell for
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Valentine's Day one month before their one andar Expedition as she prepared to leave with
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Russell again in mid-march Carol asked some neighbors to water her plants until she returned on Sunday March
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29 on the morning the couple left for their trip Russell was seen loading Carol's bags into the boot of his Land
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Cruiser Carol got into the vehicle carrying a pink floral overnight bag and a clear plastic bag holding three large
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large lever Arch folders full of CWA materials Carol had made two phone calls during the journey and had been cited
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both in the Land Cruiser and at bucks Camp while Russell collected firewood maintained the solar setup and secured
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the site Carol managed the camp kitchen as Russell operated his drone or amateur radio Carol would
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read she always made sure to keep quiet during Russell's 6 p.m. radio chats so no one listening in would know she was
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there to the other campers who encountered them Russell and Carol seemed like any other ordinary older
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couple after finding the burnt out campsite and confirming that Carol had been with Russell investigators informed
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The Hill Family that not only had Russell gone missing in unsettling and suspicious circumstances he'd been
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having an affair despite their personal shock both families agreed to Media appeals on Sunday March 29 police
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announced the search for the elderly pair citing concerns about their welfare and lack of
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contact the media statement had the intended effect Witnesses came forward including weed sprayer Robert Williams
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who reported seeing Russell's drone in the area before he went missing the Drone had been conspicuously
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absent from the campsite Andrew marwat forwarded on the photographs he'd taken of the burnt site
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and another witness also made contact Nicholas Lindon had been camping in the wetta valley with his 11-year-old
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son on Wednesday March 25 2 days before Russell was reported missing the father and son had been walking
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Downstream after fishing when they came across the charred campsite it was a disturbing sight and
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the following day when Nicholas had a mobile reception again he reported the discovery to police in the Northeast
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city of wangara unfortunately his report had gotten lost among paperwork and wasn't
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passed on to the relevant station medeor interest in the story took off when Robin Hill publicly
00:28:00
confirmed that she had originally believed her missing husband was camping alone what began as a missing person's
00:28:08
case became a tabloid sensation the tale of a CWA star warts secret romance with a married man turned
00:28:17
their High Country disappearance into front page news meanwhile the investigation kicked
00:28:25
up a gear [Music] police deployed drones and helicopters while dog squads and Mountain Cattlemen
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scoured the dense scrub below initial theories centered on misadventure even skilled Bushmen could
00:28:43
lose their bearings in thick vegetation investigators focused on Russell's missing drone wondering if
00:28:51
perhaps he'd wandered off searching for the expensive device with Carol following maybe one or both of them got
00:28:59
hurt and the other was unable to find their way back to raise the alarm after 10 days wild weather forced
00:29:08
operations to Halt while emerging covid-19 restrictions hampered efforts to Marshall large volunteer search
00:29:16
parties the pandemic's first wave hit Victoria just as Russell and Carol went missing investigators focused on the
00:29:25
couple's final known movements according to Russell's friend Rob Ashlin he had seemed relaxed during his last
00:29:33
radio contact at 6:40 pm. whatever happened to Russell and Carol had occurred between then and
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Andrew marquart's Discovery the next morning when weather cleared on Tuesday April 14 Searchers returned to explore
00:29:52
rougher terrain but 3 weeks had passed and hope of finding the couple alive live was
00:29:59
fading the missing person Squad took charge conducting standard Proof of Life checks through banks hospitals and phone
00:30:08
records no evidence emerged of accessed bank accounts active phones or a second vehicle detectives gathered DNA samples
00:30:18
and investigated Financial records including insurance policies though reports occasionally
00:30:25
surface the vly couples matching Russell and Carol's descriptions none proved credible by Wednesday April 22 Russell
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Hill and Carol clay had been missing for a little over a month police notified the public that
00:30:43
their hopes of finding the couple alive had dimmed potential Witnesses were urged to
00:30:49
come forward and assured that they wouldn't face covid-19 fines for camping during
00:30:56
restrictions both families released statements expressing their anguish Russell's family described him
00:31:03
as our brother husband dad and Par while Carol's family emphasized The Disappearance was very out of character
00:31:12
as the pair were well prepared and Russell knew the area well police appealed for Witnesses who
00:31:20
had been in the region between March 19 and 24 various accounts emerged Road workers reported an
00:31:29
erratically driven white twin cab Ute diesel had been siphoned from machinery and most intriguingly there were reports
00:31:38
of a midnight encounter the night Russell and Carol vanished Tom Matthews who had been
00:31:45
camping a few kilometers southeast of buck Camp recalled being awoken around midnight on Friday March 20 by an older
00:31:53
model four-wheel drive towing a rily old trailer the vehicle stopped at the river
00:31:59
Crossings road closed sign having seemingly not realized they wouldn't have access to the
00:32:05
road the driver then performed a difficult U-turn and departed Tom experienced in Bush sounds
00:32:15
and vehicles found the late hour activity highly unusual as the case spread online new
00:32:27
sites and social media buzzed with theories some were far-fetched such as the suggestion that people who
00:32:35
disapproved of the affair had sent a Hitman after the couple police dismissed this notion
00:32:42
altogether other Theory seemed more plausible like the idea that the couple had staged their disappearance to run
00:32:49
away together but both Russell and Carol were financially secure with close family
00:32:55
ties making an elaborate plan unlikely a friend of Carol's also told the television program a current affair
00:33:05
that Carol wouldn't have intentionally disappeared as she had been eagerly planning a cruise with her
00:33:11
sister police also dismissed to this Theory given the lack of activity on their bank
00:33:18
accounts another theory posited was that of a murder suicide three Hunters who recognized
00:33:25
Russell from news coverage came forward to say they'd met him at nearby King Billy number two campsite a week before
00:33:32
his disappearance they described Russell as a knockabout sort of guy who'd asked
00:33:38
permission to fly his drone near their Camp the hunters noted Russell's expertise with his drone and dedication
00:33:46
to his Radio setup when he mentioned building the zika spur track they sensed pride in his
00:33:53
former work though friendly Russell revealed a darker side when discussing retirement now I'm retired and it really
00:34:04
[ __ ] me up he told them his comments about retirement and home life concerned them enough to
00:34:12
suggest suicide to investigators while police considered their observations they found no other
00:34:19
evidence suggesting Russell was suicidal let alone capable of involving Carol in
00:34:25
such a plan but forensic evidence did indicate that something violent had happened to
00:34:32
the couple Russell and Carol's DNA had been found throughout Russell's Land Cruiser
00:34:39
there was blood on the driver's armrest and DNA recovered from a map under the passenger
00:34:45
seat there were also six blood stains on the inside of Russell's vehicle canopy that matched Carol's
00:34:55
DNA there had long been whispering that something sinister was happening in Victoria's High
00:35:01
Country although strikingly beautiful the region has somewhat of a dark history near where Russell and Carol had
00:35:10
gone missing stood one andata station where station manager James barklay was found shot dead in
00:35:18
1917 the simultaneous disappearance of his cook John Bamford led to Bamford becoming the prime suspect until he was
00:35:27
discovered months later with a bullet in his head these murders were never solved more recently several
00:35:38
high-profile disappearances have occurred in the region in 2008 57-year-old father Warren
00:35:45
Meyer went missing Without a Trace during a day hike despite an extensive search
00:35:52
effort 3 years later former prison Governor David prau disappeared while deer hunting sparking speculation about
00:36:00
possible Revenge killings in 2018 the body of Trace Lee Whitaker was found alongside strange
00:36:09
items but her cause of death remained undetermined and in 2019 experienced hiker Niles Becker vanished during a
00:36:19
planned track joining a growing list of those who entered the High Country and never
00:36:25
[Music] returned the high country's unforgiving elements play a role in concealing
00:36:31
evidence and thwarting investigations extreme weather treacherous terrain and a dense
00:36:38
vegetation can easily obscure trails and hide remains there are also concerns that the
00:36:45
Region's isolation Harbors illicit activities like illegal cannabis Farms which could potentially be linked to
00:36:52
some disappearances while tragic accidents are certainly possible given the risks
00:36:59
the repeated failure to find any trace of those who have gone missing fueled suspicions that more Sinister forces may
00:37:07
be at work among High Country locals there are persistent Tales of what they call Hill
00:37:17
People former miners who have retreated Into the Wilderness to live Untouched by
00:37:23
society as detectives investigated The Disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol clay there was one character who kept
00:37:30
recurring in their information reports the so-called Button Man described as an elderly but athletic
00:37:39
man the button man had wiry weathered skin covered in tattoos and Bone stretched earlobes that gave him an
00:37:46
otherworldly appearance he had established a camp on a remote mountain side which allowed him
00:37:52
to observe visitors entering the park and cap count of ag1 by Building Stone pyramids to mark their
00:38:01
passage the reports painted the picture of an unsettling figure who appeared to take pleasure in intimidating campers
00:38:08
and hikers the button man's Monica came from his traditional Bushcraft of fashioning
00:38:15
buttons from deer bones and aners Witnesses reported he had an unnerving gaze and could quote easily
00:38:24
dispose of bodies his reputation grew through reports of disconcerting encounters the button man's interactions
00:38:35
with campers followed a pattern he would silently materialize at their campfires
00:38:41
steer conversations to troubling topics and sometimes offered to show off his axe
00:38:48
collection his presence was felt even when unseen as local Bushmen found their hidden firewood supplies and food
00:38:55
rations raided overnight more and more stories spread a sleeping Marine had woken to
00:39:04
find a tent erected noiselessly beside him during the night another camper woke to find
00:39:11
mysterious photographs on their mobile phones camera roll others found inexplicable ski
00:39:18
tracks leading from their campsite away into the Alpine distance detectives working the hill and
00:39:27
clay case were able to track down the almost Mythic character to his camp and found him to be quite different from the
00:39:34
stories that had sprung up about him he had been Cooperative phone records placed him far from where
00:39:41
Russell and Carol disappeared and he never became a serious suspect yet the media's fascination had
00:39:49
already taken hold with tabloids branding the button man as spooky and bloody scary
00:39:58
locals defended him they knew him as an eccentric but civil Bushman who asked only for
00:40:06
privacy the button man has been tried found guilty and hung out to dry by Metro media wrote a journalist for the
00:40:14
Mansfield CER the publicity proved devastating tourists flocked to the area in search of the butterman's sanctuary
00:40:24
forcing him into temporary relocation though investigators cleared him he had become an urban legend distracting from
00:40:34
the real mystery of Russell and Carol's fate when Victoria entered winter the one and Gat Valley grew more forbidding
00:40:45
putting a halt to physical searches for the couple though the searches paused investigators pursued every other lead
00:40:54
including alleged sightings at supermarkets that were checked against CCTV footage detectives also looked into
00:41:02
reports of a reclusive illegal Hunter with security cameras and an unsolved death in his
00:41:09
past phone data quickly eliminated him as a suspect but detectives suspected that hunting might have still played a
00:41:17
role in the case the High Country attracted both legal and illegal Hunters pursuing SAR
00:41:26
Deere who antlers attracted higher prices while stalking was permitted year round strict regulations prohibited
00:41:35
hunting near campsites and Spotlight hunting High Country muster llan cakin had helped in the search for Russell and
00:41:44
Carol and noticed an unusually high number of deer carcasses with aners removed this seemed to indicate that
00:41:53
there was illegal poaching going on the sporting Shooters Association expressed concern about organized
00:42:00
poaching operations stating these criminals are labeled as Hunters when they are nothing more than criminals
00:42:07
carrying out a legal activity detectives wondered if perhaps Russell had captured evidence of illegal
00:42:15
hunting on his drone leading to a confrontation France had described Russell as someone who didn't take crap
00:42:23
from anyone making it plausible that he could find himself in an altercation an alternative possibility
00:42:31
was that either Russell or Carol had been mistaken for prey through unclear thermal imaging equipment and
00:42:37
accidentally shot the panicked Hunters might then have eliminated Witnesses and destroyed
00:42:45
evidence but without any proof of such crimes detectives had nothing to support their theories
00:42:57
a year passed without answers a brief spark of hope flared in March 2021 when a drone matching Russell
00:43:06
was found in the area but investigators confirmed it was not his kadava dog searched the rugged
00:43:13
terrain again yet still found nothing Russell's wife Robin told the Australian newspaper she believed her
00:43:22
husband was dead but hoped the pair would be found to quote face the music the country women's Association
00:43:31
apparently finding the entire situation distasteful quietly removed Carol's name
00:43:37
from their honor [Music] rooll police publicly stated that they believed that the couple was dead and
00:43:44
had been the victims of fair play they also made an appeal for information about their most puzzling
00:43:52
lead during their investigation they had been able to identify almost every vehicle that had been in the area when
00:44:00
Russell and Carol went missing all but one and niss and Patrol possibly white hadn't been tracked
00:44:10
down in April 2021 investigators suddenly shifted their focus to mount hotham 80 km Northwest of the burnt
00:44:18
campsite where they retrieved two shovels designed for moving loose material police were tight lipped about
00:44:26
the the shovel significance following this the case dropped from the headlines once again
00:44:34
and seemed destined to fade into mystery until 6 months later in October 2021 when police announced they were
00:44:44
making significant Headway soon after advertisements ran for an episode of current affairs
00:44:51
program 60 Minutes that would be covering the case tantalizing sound by it suggested
00:44:58
that police were finally closing in on a resolution on Sunday November 7th 60 Minutes aired what appeared to be a
00:45:06
simple recap featuring Russell's daughters Debbie and Colleen and Carol's sister
00:45:12
Jill but detective inspector Andrew Stamper had an ace to play Central to this case are these
00:45:21
roadside cameras he revealed indicating footage from the Valley's access roads we've accounted for every vehicle that
00:45:30
left that weekend except one that vehicle a dark blue mid90s niss Patrol with distinctive modifications
00:45:40
had now become their primary focus the grainy image showed only a side view its occupants and number plate
00:45:51
unclear this Revelation appeared related to investigators earlier appeals for an
00:45:57
identified niss and Patrol though that vehicle had been described as possibly being
00:46:04
white Russell's daughter Debbie made a roar appeal to the public stating if someone watching knows what
00:46:12
happened surely your conscience is telling you that you need to speak up even if it's only a tiny thing even
00:46:20
if you only have a slight suspicion you need to come forward so both our families can put this to
00:46:34
rest a month after Russell Hill and Carol clay went missing in March 2020 the missing person Squad took over the
00:46:42
case with detectives Brett Florence and Abby Justin taking the lead they began trying to trace the
00:46:49
couple's possible movements of via technology two months in detective Florence obtained Russell's phone
00:46:57
records the data revealed crucial information about Russell's movements on the day he went
00:47:04
missing between 9:26 a.m. and 9:50 a.m. on the day the burnt out campsite was discovered Russell's phone briefly
00:47:13
connected to Towers along the nearby great Alpine Road a more than 300 km Road through Eastern
00:47:22
Victoria because it connects to multiple ski resorts the road features automatic
00:47:27
number plate recognition cameras installed to monitor Resort access permits analysis of the number plate
00:47:35
data showed 12 Vehicles had passed through During the period when Russell's phone
00:47:41
connected by late June detectives had isolated one vehicle of particular interest a four-wheel drive wagon towing
00:47:50
a trailer the timing aligned with witness Tom Matthews report of being woken in in
00:47:56
the middle of the night by a four-wheel drive and trailer attempting an awkward U-turn after encountering a closed Road
00:48:03
in the middle of the night two cameras had captured the vehicle while one showed only a blurred
00:48:12
side view the other had captured the number plate clearly it was registered to a white
00:48:19
nent Patrol though the footage showed what appeared to be a darker colored vehicle possibly
00:48:25
blue the owner his name was Gregory Lynn and he resided in the suburb of Caroline
00:48:31
Springs 20 km west of Melbourne on Tuesday July 14 2020 detectives Florence and Justin paid a
00:48:41
visit to Lynn's home in the driveway sat a nent patrol bearing the number plate from the
00:48:47
footage but rather than the white of its registration or blue as captured on camera the vehicle was beige
00:48:57
detective Justin activated her recording device as Florence knocked on the front
00:49:03
door a middle-aged man answered and detective Florence assured him he wasn't in any trouble they were simply making
00:49:10
some inquiries relating to the missing old couple up in the one and G area they were following up with
00:49:18
everyone whose cars had placed them in the region at the time Gregory Lynn was polite and well
00:49:25
spoken as he invited Ed them inside when asked why his vehicle wasn't white as per its registration Lynn
00:49:33
explained that he' painted it blue in 2016 after returning from Central Australia 4 years later in 2020 he'
00:49:43
painted at beige as a CO project with his children using leftover julu metal shield in sandbank color he'd had
00:49:53
handy when asked about the trailer he had been Towing a 7x4 ft box trailer Lynn told them he had sold it months
00:50:01
earlier via the classified website of Gumtree along with a van he'd owned and an antique sleigh
00:50:08
bed it was all part of a lockdown inspired spring clean the buyer was quote an Asian man
00:50:17
but Lynn couldn't recall his name or location when asked about his trip to the wetta valley in March 2020 ly's
00:50:26
account placed him at different campsites on different dates to Russell and Carol he denied ever seeing the elderly
00:50:35
couple the detectives deliberately withheld their knowledge about the correlation between his vehicle's
00:50:41
movements and Russell's phone data when detectives Florence and Justin left Lynn's home that day they turned
00:50:49
their attention to finding out everything they could about Gregory Lynn Gregory Stewart Lynn was a 55-year-old
00:51:02
commercial airline pilot decades earlier he'd worked for the now defunct Australian Airline
00:51:09
anet while he came across as charismatic some of Lynn's co-workers had found him
00:51:16
unsettling one described him as a dead set weirdo with a wicked temper Lynn had married a woman named
00:51:24
Lisa who was a flight attendant and colleag they built a sprawling family home in
00:51:30
Mount Madan had two sons and inspired by the movie Babe bought a piglet they named
00:51:38
pig to Outsiders it seemed idilic behind closed doors a darker story emerged Lisa's family and friends
00:51:50
described Gregory Lynn as increasingly controlling and abusive Lisa's mother would later detail
00:51:57
frequent incidents of physical and mental abuse she said that on one occasion Lynn had exploded into a fit of
00:52:05
uncontrollable rage after another man spoke to Lisa and her mother while they were out for dinner at a
00:52:11
pub he verbally attacked the man in the bar then redirected his rage at Lisa after they
00:52:19
left a former neighbor later told 60 Minutes about a punishment Meed out by Gregory Lynn when Lisa had drunk too
00:52:28
much Lynn's own unsworn statement corroborated this account he described wanting to teach
00:52:36
Lisa a lesson for her drunkenness I bound her hands and feet with masking tape and carried her
00:52:44
outside into the backyard I put her near the back steps and hosed her down with water from a
00:52:50
garden H and she got extremely cold I agree this action was quite unusual but my intentions were for her
00:52:59
to never drink to excess like that again Lisa was left to freeze overnight the allegations grew more
00:53:11
Sinister after Pig dug up Lynn's prized plants Lynn allegedly killed the Beloved
00:53:17
pet with an axe leaving its head on the doorstep for Lisa to find neighbors reported finding their
00:53:25
dog strung up on their fence its throat slit after Lynn had complained about its
00:53:31
barking in another incident he allegedly killed a stray Pig with a shovel when it
00:53:36
wandered onto his property the marriage crumbled after Lisa discovered photos confirming Lynn's
00:53:44
affair with another flight attendant in his Pilot bag Lisa subsequently sought help
00:53:51
through the family court for child maintenance an inm intervention order was imposed osed in March 1999
00:53:58
preventing Lynn from assaulting harassing or threatening Lisa he would later plead guilty to
00:54:05
breaching this order twice once by breaking in and stealing the family car purposely leaving Lisa
00:54:13
stranded though Lisa documented the abuse in her diary she feared pressing charges on Tuesday October 26th 1999 she
00:54:24
was found a dead in their mount mcad Garden the coroner found she had died from a combination of prescription drugs
00:54:32
and alcohol with a blood alcohol reading of 21 no suicide note was found and Gregory
00:54:40
Lynn had a solid Alibi however Lisa's family never believed she would take her own life
00:54:47
citing her religious beliefs and Devotion to her children after Lisa's death her parents fought
00:54:59
desperately for custody of their grandchildren however Gregory Lynn maintained custody of his children and
00:55:05
emerged financially secure from property settlements following his father's death
00:55:12
and the collapse of anet airlines in 2001 Lynn moved his sons overseas to Qatar where he met Melanie his second
00:55:21
wife returning to Australia in 2007 Lynn joined jet star Airways rising to check
00:55:28
and training Captain a prestigious position that involved conducting flight proficiency tests and certifying other
00:55:36
Pilots competency colleagues described him as methodical and precise essential traits
00:55:43
for the role that same year Gregory and Melanie Lynn welcomed their own child between flying jobs Lynn had
00:55:53
worked as an asparagus picker and as a river guide in Tasmania his passion for the outdoors
00:55:59
saw him regularly camping and fishing alone often sleeping under the stars rather than in a
00:56:06
tent for Lynn membership in Elite outdoor clubs formed a crucial part of his identity he enjoyed shooting and was
00:56:15
particularly proud about being a member of the Little River Raiders for single action shooting club and the Melbourne
00:56:22
International shooting club his acceptance in to exclusive clubs and prestigious memberships were
00:56:29
Badges of Pride that he guarded jealously his latest Outdoor Pursuit was beekeeping which began as a CO
00:56:39
project he and Melanie tended their backyard Hive in white protective suits until one day the bees penetrated his
00:56:47
mask the resulting allergic reaction threw his heart out of rhythm requiring four adrenaline shots and
00:56:54
hospitalization grounded from flying until his heart stabilized he took on duties in
00:57:01
simulation training the more detectives discovered about Gregory Lynn the more they
00:57:09
questioned the wisdom of him having been responsible for safely transporting hundreds of airline passengers at a
00:57:16
time it was lucky the bees had grounded him or they might have had to step in between July and December 2020
00:57:29
investigators continued connecting Gregory Lynn to the hill and Clay case Peace by
00:57:35
piece they tracked his financial records finding that fuel receipts placed him in
00:57:40
the area at the crucial time they also gathered additional footage from CCTV cameras and
00:57:47
interviewed Witnesses though the evidence was circumstantial it was enough to convince
00:57:53
a court to Grant warrants for phone taps and surveillance devices pandemic restrictions meant the
00:58:01
linnn family was at home a lot more and prevented investigators from waiting until their house was
00:58:08
empty instead a specialist team crept into the houseold in the dead of night while the family
00:58:15
slept they planted listening devices throughout the rooms and car then vanished leaving Gregory Melanie and
00:58:23
their son none the wiser the surveillance quickly revealed Lynn's habit of talking to himself especially
00:58:32
while driving he muttered cryptically about little old people about courts and who
00:58:39
got to decide what was right and wrong and the supposed persecution of white people he also wondered aloud about why
00:58:48
ballistics experts hadn't requested samples of his ammunition after the bugs revealed that
00:58:56
and his wife Melanie regularly watched the current affairs show 60 Minutes investigators came up with a
00:59:04
plan they orchestrated a special episode with the show's producers with the aim of provoking
00:59:11
Lynn on the evening of Sunday November 7 2021 detectives listened intently as the
00:59:18
sound of the distinctive 60 Minutes clock ticked through the Lyn's Lounge room speakers when a grainy photo photograph
00:59:26
and artist sketch of the suspect vehicle appeared on screen showing a distinctive
00:59:31
warning melan's laughter rang out in a loud cackle it looks like your car it really
00:59:39
does she said the police had deliberately withheld their clear number plate photo it's not funny sweet pee Lynn
00:59:51
responded his voice had an edge to it shortly after an outdoor surveillance camera captured Gregory Lynn removing
01:00:00
the awning from his car despite the mounting evidence investigators still lacked their Smoking
01:00:09
Gun they had no bodies no motive and no direct evidence linking Lynn to Russell Hill or Carol
01:00:22
Clay on Monday November 22 2021 one Lynn left for another solo camping trip he had told friends he was heading
01:00:32
to the grampians but instead he drove towards one and Gad the area where Russell and Carol had gone
01:00:39
missing a detective monitoring the bug in Lyn's car grew increasingly alarmed at what he
01:00:46
heard Lynn spoke tearfully in the past tense about his wife being left with three
01:00:53
children his musings about mortality became more specific a snake bite he suggested would be a good way to
01:01:02
go the combination of his armed State remote destination and increasingly dark thoughts forced the investigator's
01:01:11
hands a decision was made to intercept Lynn before he reached his destination police deployed the Special
01:01:20
Operations group or S so Victoria police's Elite Tactical Unit theog was typically reserved for armed
01:01:28
offenders or terrorism incidents deploying them for a missing person's arrest was
01:01:35
unprecedented but Lynn's situation warranted the risk when theog stormed Lynn's camp with
01:01:44
their guns drawn they found him preparing dinner he calmly denied carrying weapons
01:01:51
though they found his forgotten Damascus knife in a sheath during the pat down Lynn was arrested and driven a 2
01:01:59
and 1/ half hour Journey to the regional city of s for questioning Lynn was calm and relaxed
01:02:07
during the drive saying he didn't want a lawyer he said he was looking forward to
01:02:12
sorting the situation out than returning to his camp but after a 2-hour interview that
01:02:19
night during which he denied knowing anything about Russell Hill or Carol clay Lynn appeared to change his
01:02:27
mind he consulted a legal counsel by phone and the following morning he adopted their advice to respond no
01:02:35
comment to any questions the detectives pressed on presenting maps and photos questioning
01:02:42
his vehicle's movements Lynn occasionally broke his silence at one point accusing them of
01:02:49
playing games before returning to his refrain of no comment when and questioning turned to
01:02:57
his trailer Lynn's composure cracked I can see where this is going he said well you think I've done it and I
01:03:08
haven't detectives continued to press Lyn encouraging him that talking was in his best
01:03:15
interest they reassured him that they didn't think he was a bad person stating it's not like you've gone out of
01:03:22
the Bush to kill anyone but when somebody comes into your space it's an invasion you think I'd kill someone over
01:03:32
a campsite Lynn asked no but there's been some disagreement one of the detectives
01:03:40
suggested there's been something that has gone wrong and if the person has fallen over hit his head that's not to
01:03:47
say that you've murdered a person for the entire day Lynn maintained his silence then on the third day after
01:03:57
another consultation with legal aids he stunned detectives by announcing I'm going to ignore my
01:04:05
solicitor's advice and tell you what happened right from scratch Gregory Lynn requested paper and
01:04:16
sketched a calendar of events his story began on Monday March 16 2020 when he arrived in the High
01:04:24
Country late at at night heading for the Howard Hut campsite finding it full he asked the
01:04:31
nearby family for Alternatives they directed him to Vallejo west of the zika spur track a
01:04:38
remote area accessible only by four-wheel drive after Brief Encounters with a friendly Ranger with a beard and weed
01:04:48
sprayers Lynn settled at Buck's Camp he had two days of solitude before a white Land Cruiser skidded into the
01:04:58
entrance Lynn noticed the female passenger's alarmed expression and watched as another white four-wheel
01:05:04
drive slowed behind them its passenger glaring at the Land Cruiser before speeding
01:05:11
away the land Cruiser's elderly driver Russell Hill emerged chatty and very jovial he explained how these donkeys
01:05:20
had been pursuing him into the valley attempting to overtake and hooning onto the grass forcing him to race to the
01:05:29
campsite though Russell set up camp closer than etiquette suggested Lynn claimed he wasn't
01:05:36
bothered it's a free country he thought to himself Lynn drew the detectives a diagram showing the thick Forest River
01:05:45
and both camps his site was in Prime position near the water Russell and His companion
01:05:53
Carol clay had settled just inside the entrance near the drop toilet with a Lone Tree between
01:06:00
them the next morning as Lynn prepared for deer hunting Russell approached to say he liked the deer and was actually
01:06:08
in the area to remember a friend who had been killed deer hunting Lynn recalled Carol adding from
01:06:15
behind accidentally killed while Russell stared at him with hostility though Disturbed Lynn left to
01:06:25
hunt returning empty-handed he was unloading his gun when a drone buzzed overhead I only had gazed on it for a
01:06:34
couple of seconds and then whoosh it moved like gone he said passing their Camp he saw Russell
01:06:43
with the controller the Drone briefly rising to Y level before landing concerned about being filmed
01:06:50
Lynn confronted Russell whose demeanor had shifted dramatically Russell accused Lynn of firing his gun
01:06:58
through their camp and threatened to show police the Drone footage that's just ridiculous Lynn
01:07:07
replied he believed Russell was trying to force him from the prime Riverside camping spot hoping he would pack up and
01:07:15
leave Lynn's response was by his own admission childish he opened the doors of his niss
01:07:23
and Patrol and blasted music from my era not his choosing the most irritating songs
01:07:31
possible his Firearms a rifle and a barram arms straight pool shotgun lay packed in gun bags on the back seat with
01:07:39
ammunition on the front after blaring music for hours Darkness had fallen when Lynn heard a
01:07:47
rustling sound he looked up to see Russell walking away from Lynn's car with his
01:07:53
shotgun loading the magazine into it when Lynn demanded its return Russell replied [ __ ] off and fired shots into
01:08:02
the air Lynn took cover in the darkness behind Russell's Land Cruiser he described crouching in the
01:08:10
shadows as Russell approached him he heard Carol yell Russell stop it when the shotgun barrel appeared over
01:08:20
the Bonnet Lynn lunged grabbing it with his right hand the two men rustled across the vehicle's
01:08:27
bullar Russell's finger was on the trigger when the gun discharged the shot traveling through the left side mirror
01:08:35
and straight into Carol Clay's head as she cowered beside the vehicle Russell released the shotgun as
01:08:42
he ran to attend to his lover Lynn returned to his Camp firing once to ensure the weapon was safe
01:08:49
before stowing it out of Harm's Way as he turned around Lynn saw Russell bearing down on him a knife in his right
01:08:58
hand screaming she's dead Lynn described the ensuing struggle in detail his defensive stance blocking
01:09:08
Russell's left-handed swing grabbing the knife hand as Russell pushed forward they fell
01:09:15
together the knife pierced Russell's chest and the men rolled before Lynn got clear Russell crawled a short distance
01:09:25
before collapsing Face [Music] Down by some extraordinary stroke of Fate Russell had fallen onto his own
01:09:37
knife at precisely the perfect angle the blade positioned laterally through his chest just right of the
01:09:44
sternum checking Russell's Vital Signs confirmed he was dead Carol was also clearly dead half
01:09:52
her skull was missing standing between their bodies Panic overwhelmed Lynn although he claimed the deaths were
01:10:03
accidental his thoughts immediately turned to the consequences that would follow losing his firearms license would
01:10:10
mean losing his Aviation Security card and his Pilot's career from there he'd lose his mortgage
01:10:19
his family's Financial Security and his beloved exclusive Club memberships as Lynn told
01:10:27
investigators an event like that I would just be instantly banned for life and this at a time when I was
01:10:36
actually just finding a really happy place in the world with family career and my personal life outside of work and
01:10:44
so this for me was a disaster terrified of having his life ruined he decided to cover up the
01:10:53
couple's death since then Lynn concealed Russell and Carol's bodies under his trailer's wooden top
01:11:01
before methodically sanitizing the scene worried that the couple's tent might contain contaminated items he DED it
01:11:09
with petrol and set it a light he scattered their wallets cards and contents to suggest robbery Removed the
01:11:17
damaged mirror and burned his blooded clothes a closed Road disrupted his plan to Escape Route forcing an awkward
01:11:27
U-turn later noted by a witness Lynn recounted a tense long night drive to Union spur track an
01:11:35
overgrown and seemingly abandoned Road where he left the bodies covered Loosely with
01:11:42
sticks Lynn then drove to Lake Buffalo's southern end to dispose of the couple's
01:11:48
mobile phones stopped in Mansfield for fuel then spent the night at Big River where he burned Russell's
01:11:56
drone the next day after washing his trailer in Hillsville he headed home his wife Melanie distracted by
01:12:05
emerging covid lockdown news didn't ask about his trip so he didn't mention leaving two bodies on Union spur
01:12:14
track as covid restrictions dominated headlines alongside reports of the missing campers Lynn waited daily for
01:12:22
news of the body's discovery it never came during a brief easing of lockdown restrictions on Wednesday May 13 2020 he
01:12:33
returned to Union spur track to check on the remains after 54 days the bodies remained untouched but were badly
01:12:44
decomposed surprisingly no animals had interfered Lynn added more sticks and rocks before leaving
01:12:55
even though Lynn hadn't been under surveillance then he became increasingly paranoid when the president of one of
01:13:03
his clubs and a previously dismissive manager suddenly took an interest in his camping habits he became
01:13:10
suspicious then the police approached him at home and Lynn decided he needed to act he waited through winter knowing
01:13:20
Russell and Carol's bodies would remain undetected due to the snow blocked roads when restrictions finally eased he
01:13:29
again returned to Union spur track at sunset on Wednesday November 18 2020 9 months had passed since the
01:13:39
killings Russell and Carol's bodies remained where Lynn had dumped them though they had now been ravaged by wild
01:13:49
dogs Lynn described ding The Remains with two L of kerosene then set them a light he sat beside the mag shift py
01:13:59
through the night feeding the Flames at times he became sick from the experience at dawn he crushed the
01:14:09
brittle bones to powder pulverizing the fragments until the largest particles left were no more than 2
01:14:16
cm he scattered them before retreating to a state forest campsite south of wallhalla to recover
01:14:27
the detectives found much of Lynn's story implausible Russell Hill had been an elderly man who hadn't owned a firearm
01:14:36
in 20 years how could he have loaded a shotgun while walking barefoot in the darkness that Russell had accidentally
01:14:45
shot Carol directly in the head while wrestling with Lynn seemed equally unlikely as did the odds of Russell
01:14:52
Landing perfectly on his own knife during a second attack while Lynn had been in custody
01:14:59
police had searched his home in Caroline Springs Beyond camping gear hunting licenses and a toll tag they found an
01:15:08
impressive weapons collection knives daggers swords axes a silenter tomahawks and a small
01:15:17
pick the Firearms included a semi-automatic pistol two six- shot revolvers a semi-automatic rifle a
01:15:25
semi-automatic shotgun another 12 gauge shotgun and two lever action rifles along with magazines of
01:15:34
ammunition all were legally owned and stored at 6:00 the next morning detectives traveled 185 km through heavy
01:15:46
fog to Union spur track it matched Lynn's description perfectly though no identif viable human
01:15:55
remains were visible evidence of fire prompted police to cordon off the area for
01:16:02
examination forensic teams ultimately discovered approximately 2,100 human bone fragments also discovered were fragments
01:16:12
of metal and glass a ring belonging to Carol and a complete watch dental records confirmed the
01:16:20
remains were Russell and carols when investig vators would later return to Buck's Camp to test Gregory
01:16:28
Lynn's story they conducted a methodical grid search and recovered more bone fragments glass plastic and a distorted
01:16:36
shotgun slug matching the weapon Ling claimed had killed Carol Lynn said Carol was killed while
01:16:45
cowering beside Russell's Land Cruiser the shot had initially struck the land Cruiser's passenger side mirror
01:16:52
before ricocheting into Carol's head notably the mirror had been torn from the vehicle and burnt with the campsite
01:17:00
so police couldn't confirm this part of Lynn's story six blood stains on the inside of
01:17:07
the Land Cruisers canopy had matched Carol's DNA blood stain pattern analysis indicated a forceful event involving
01:17:17
liquid blood forward of the canopy's Interior partition police tested Lind account
01:17:24
with a series of experiments using a shotgun to see whether Carol could have really been killed as Lynn
01:17:30
said they found that she could have been but they remained skeptical of Lynn's story there was no way to test whether
01:17:39
Russell Hill had died the way Lynn described though forensics indicated he too had died at Buck's camp and his
01:17:47
blood had been found in the Land Cruiser as well at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday November
01:17:54
25th 2021 over a year and a half after Russell Hill and Carol clay were killed Gregory Lynn was charged with their
01:18:07
murders in January 2023 the Melbourne magistrates Court determined that there was enough evidence for Gregory Lynn to
01:18:15
face trial however the prosecution was barred from presenting much of their evidence
01:18:22
including covert recordings they had made of Lynn and portions of his multi-day interview at s police
01:18:29
station nor were the jury permitted to hear about Gregory Lynn's alleged violence towards his first wife or her
01:18:36
mysterious death Lynn's trial began in Victoria Supreme Court in May 2024 the prosecution outlined their case
01:18:48
alleging Lynn shot Carol clay in the head and killed Russell hill by unknown means on Friday March 20 2020 at Buck
01:18:57
Camp the prosecution believed the murders had taken place in the reverse manner to Lynn's claims with Russell
01:19:05
likely killed first and Carol then eliminated as a witness Witnesses described to
01:19:12
discovering the burnt campsite while police detailed evidence from phone towers surveillance footage and
01:19:19
interviews experts testified about bone fragments bullet trajectories DNA and insect
01:19:27
ly Russell Hill's wife Robin gave poignant testimony due to limited Mobility she
01:19:35
sat in the media box rather than the podium Robin recalled listening for Russell's nightly Radio Calls and
01:19:43
growing alarmed when his voice went silent on Saturday March 21 her composure remained intact as she
01:19:51
recalled realizing her husband was missing and the subsequent tabloid coverage exposing his
01:19:58
affair Robin was stoic as she testified jotting down details in a notebook after 4 weeks of prosecution
01:20:08
testimony from 49 Witnesses the defense called just one witness Gregory Stewart Lynn it is rare for an accused murderer
01:20:18
to take the stand given the risks of cross-examination however the move signaled confidence in Lynn's ability to
01:20:27
present his version of events and create Reasonable Doubt speaking softly and precisely Lynn
01:20:35
described the deaths as accidental he repeated his claims of the fight over the gun Carol being shot and
01:20:43
Russell falling on his own knife almost word for word as he had in his police station
01:20:50
confession he apologized to the victim's families acknowled in his actions to conceal the deaths were despicable but
01:20:58
maintaining his innocence regarding murder I'm very sorry for your suffering he said the prosecution highlighted the few
01:21:10
inconsistencies in Len's account including conflicting descriptions of the weapon involved and the
01:21:16
implausibility of his story about a struggle across Russell's vehicle a photo showed a guy rope
01:21:24
attached to the car that would have obstructed the alleged fight Lynn calmly stated he didn't
01:21:31
remember the Rope he might have slipped under it he said but he never noticed it when pressed on why he hadn't called
01:21:40
for help or come forward sooner Lynn said he was paralyzed by fear and hoped the situation would blow
01:21:49
over he admitted his actions destroyed his career and family but remained adamant he was not guilty of murder
01:21:58
saying I'm guilty of other things but not murder during closing arguments the prosecution pointed out that Lynn had
01:22:09
more than a year to construct a story for the day he was finally caught and that he had practiced it so often that
01:22:16
he repeated the story almost word for word over two days of police interviews the accused story is indeed a
01:22:25
series of very unfortunate events the prosecution said it is also a complete fiction you can and should readily
01:22:35
reject it Beyond Reasonable Doubt the defense counted with a scathing critique of the prosecution's
01:22:44
case labeling it a shambles they highlighted 17 perceived flaws in the prosecution's evidence
01:22:53
including failures to address address key questions and inconsistencies in witness
01:23:00
testimony before the jury left to deliberate the judge reiterated key legal principles the presumption of
01:23:08
innocence the prosecution's burden of proof and the need to prove guilt Beyond Reasonable
01:23:15
Doubt manslaughter was not an option as the prosecution had only set out to prove that Lynn had consciously
01:23:22
voluntarily and Deli L caused the deaths of Russell and Carol the jury were only left to
01:23:30
consider if he had intended to kill or inflict Serious injury if not they must return a not
01:23:37
guilty verdict the judge cautioned them against flawed reasoning such as assuming two
01:23:45
accidental deaths were so improbable it must therefore be murder he reminded jurors that the
01:23:52
burden rested with the prosecution not Lynn to prove their [Music] case the jury deliberated for 6 days
01:24:06
before notifying the judge that they had reached a verdict the public Gallery was full and
01:24:13
the courtroom fell silent as the jury forers stood and waited for the judge to ask her two
01:24:20
questions asked for a verdict on Russell Hills murder she responded not guilty a soft Collective gasp rippled
01:24:31
through the gallery before the crowd fell silent to hear what she had to say to the next
01:24:37
question asked about the murder of Carol clay the forers told the court guilty the gasps and murmurs were louder
01:24:48
this time Gregory Lynn raised his eyebrows at his fate but remained otherwise expressionless his son who was seated
01:24:58
nearby crossed his arms and shook his head in disbelief the families of Russell and
01:25:04
Carol who had endured years of uncertainty and grief absorbed the news with a mix of relief and
01:25:13
Devastation outside the courtroom the families released a statement expressing gratitude to the police and prosecution
01:25:20
while mourning The Limited evidence and its impact on the outcome Russell Hill's Widow Robin spoke to the
01:25:28
media after the verdict she expressed relief that Lynn had been found guilty of at least one
01:25:35
murder as she had feared he would be cleared of both charges however her relief was tempered
01:25:42
by anger and a desire for justice for her late husband I hope he suffers for the rest
01:25:49
of his life really Robin told reporters I hope he has a lovely time in jail she bore no ill will towards Carol
01:26:01
or her family Robin was not permitted to speak at Lynn's pre-sentencing hearing nor
01:26:09
were any of Russell's other loved ones because Lynn had been acquitted of Russell's murder The Hill Family were
01:26:17
legally barred from providing Victim Impact statements Carol's daughter Emma described her mother as a phenomenal
01:26:25
woman whose death left a void in their family her voice steady she recounted the emotional toll of the ordeal calling
01:26:34
it a horror movie Carol's other loved ones spoke of her vibrant personality contributions to
01:26:41
society and the devastating loss her murder caused in October the hill and Clay families assembled once again to hear
01:26:52
Gregory Lynn be sentenced the judge recounted Lynn's actions from the confrontation in the High Country to
01:27:00
the calculated disposal of the bodies which compounded the suffering of the victim's
01:27:06
families he acknowledged the legal limbo endured by Russell Hills Family due to the split verdict breaking down in tears
01:27:15
as he recognized their pain Gregory Lynn was sentenced to 32 years in prison for Carol Clay's murder
01:27:24
with a non-parole period of 24 years this meant that Lynn will be 79 years old at the youngest when eligible
01:27:33
for [Music] release in late November 2024 Gregory Lynn lodged an appeal against his
01:27:45
conviction for Carol Clay's murder as of the release of this episode Victoria's court of appeal have yet to
01:27:52
decide whether to hear Lyn's appeal which means he could face a new trial in 2025 addressing Lynn's intent to appeal
01:28:03
his barister flagged several grounds focusing especially on the jury's inconsistent
01:28:09
verdict he questioned how Lynn could be found guilty of murdering Carol but not Russell when the prosecution's case
01:28:16
hinged on Carol being killed to cover up Russell's murder this contradiction the defense
01:28:23
argued could undermine the entire [Music] verdict the verdict did cause some initial confusion among members of the
01:28:32
public who had been following the case the jury's acquittal of Lynn for Russell Hill's murder indicated they
01:28:39
hadn't been convinced by the prosecution's case but their conviction of him for Carol Clay's killing pointed to them not
01:28:48
believing Lynn's claims either he had always insisted Carol had di first following an accidental
01:28:56
shooting by Russell yet the jury found Lynn responsible for her murder as Australian juries are not
01:29:05
permitted to speak publicly about their deliberations people could only speculate as to how they had reached
01:29:11
their verdict crime journalist John Sylvester interpreted the verdict to his readers
01:29:18
in an article for the age writing it would appear the jury concluded Ed that Russell was killed in
01:29:25
unprovable circumstances but Lynn then murdered Carol because she was a witness to the
01:29:32
death with the option of manslaughter off the table the jury had to conclude whether Russell was murdered a
01:29:39
deliberate act not just unlawfully killed a reckless act with no forensic evidence it was impossible for the jury
01:29:48
to establish the exact circumstances of Russell's death but they apparently concluded it was so damning that Lynn
01:29:55
chose to kill Carol and destroy the crime scene in the cover up Sylvester noted that it's unusual for
01:30:04
a random gunshot to hit someone ducking from the line of fire and even more so for a ricocheted shot to hit someone in
01:30:12
the head this made Al ly's claims about Carol's death highly unlikely although there was evidence that she had been
01:30:21
shot the jury had probably disbelieved Lynn's story about Russell falling on his knife and dying instantly from a
01:30:28
single Stab Wound as well but could not convict him due to the lack of evidence as to how Russell had
01:30:36
died Lynn's complete destruction of the couple's remains and their campsite made
01:30:42
determining the truth almost impossible only one person alive knew the truth Sylvester
01:30:51
wrote that is Gregory Lynn who will now be in his cell reflecting on the jury's [Music]
01:31:22
decision for