Campers’ remains burned
THE bodies of high country campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay were burned after they were killed.
In a grisly twist in the Wonnangatta Valley double murder, it has been revealed the victims were incinerated in a fire lit in bush near Arbuckle Junction, in a remote area of East Gippsland.
The blaze may have been an attempt to destroy the pair’s remains.
It is understood the campers were burned within metres of where they were found buried near the Union Spur Track.
The missing persons squad used the same arson chemists who examined the initial burnt-out campsite at Wonnangatta in March last year during a painstaking inspection of the Arbuckle Junction scene last week.
Senior forensic anthropologist at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Soren Blau, was among the experts brought in to examine the crime scene north of Dargo.
Missing persons detectives who ran a marathon investigation into the killings found remains at the site, near Dargo, on November 30.
The discovery came five days after they charged Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn with the murders of Mr Hill, 74, and Mrs Clay, 73.
Mr Lynn, 55, of Caroline Springs, has been remanded in custody. He will next face court on May 31.
Police have seized guns from the licensed firearms owner since his arrest. They will be ballistically examined as part of the inquiry.
It is understood Mr Lynn flew Jetstar trips for a brief period after being identified as
one of the figures of interest to investigators.
But he was grounded for most of that period because interstate air traffic was cut off by pandemic restrictions.
Mr Hill, of Drouin, and Mrs Clay, from Pakenham, vanished while on a camping trip to the Wonnangatta Valley. Their last-known contact was on March 20 last year, when Mr Hill contacted best mate Rob Ashlin via amateur radio.
Police are still hunting for a trailer allegedly used to transport the missing campers from Wonnangatta to their burial ground. Detectives believe it was sold on Gumtree between March and July last year.
The investigation is ongoing.