Hi guys
It's been a long time since I've visited (not since the Corinne Rayney case) but this case has also caught my attention.
I saw the report on 7's Sunday Night program and agree with you, Kiwi50. I thought it was an unconvincing display of grief from the travelling companion.
I also find it hard to believe that someone would go out prospecting for almost 24 hours and then still have the energy to drive many hours back to Perth at 3am.
They seemed like people who were well versed with the outback. Did they have satellite phones? If so, if Milne did leave without saying goodbye I would have expected him to contact his friends the next day to say thanks for a great weekend and make sure they were OK.
Still, acting dodgy is not evidence that the bloke is guilty of murder so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what else is discovered.
Even though anyone is yet to be charged with murder in this case, I do have a few thoughts as to what may have happened.
Based on the fact that Ray was found shirtless, I think the events likely took place at night or in the early morning and were urgent enough that Ray had no time to pull on a shirt.
The pepper spray that was found nearby could have been used to subdue Jenny - perhaps whilst she was outside taking a pee? Apparently people can't breathe, let alone scream when they inhale capsicum spray.
If Jenny did not return within a few minutes Ray may have realised she wasn't there and went outside, shirtless, to find her - only to be knocked unconscious/pepper-sprayed/tied up ie. rendered incapable of resistance.
Ray, either dead or unconscious, may then have been driven in one of the vehicles to the abandoned mine, lowered into the mineshaft, the killer going down afterwards to unhitch him and then climb back up, taking all means of climbing back up, with him.
The killer then may have gone back to the campsite, tidied it up to make it look 'normal' if things were messed up due to any struggle, then untied the dog (maybe the gun-shots that were heard that night were fired by the killer in order to scare the dog away) and drives Jennie's body out into the wilderness.
He then drives away.
Of course, it's all speculation - but if one doesn't try to fit the evidence together in a logical way, then the truth will never be known - and that's why we come to websleuths, I guess
I too hope they find Jennie. I don't believe she ran away from Ray as all the testimony and video/photographic evidence indicates they were happy and in love with each other. So, if this was murder then her body must be found so that her family can at least find a little comfort in a proper funeral and farewell.
I wish the police well, as they comb the huge area for her.
