Found Deceased Australia - Russell Hill, 74, & Carol Clay, 72, Wonnangatta Valley, 20 Mar 2020 #4 *ARREST*

[dreadnought7]

As for the fire, I feel like it may end up supporting the argument theory. My guess is some of the chairs etc that were burned in the campfire belonged to the perpetrator, who had to remove everything from the trailer to fit the bodies and preferred burning them for obvious reasons. LE also made a point of publishing the pictures of the charred furniture - no point doing that whatsoever, unless they suspect someone may recognize the items.
As for the custom trailer, could end up being from Zen Trailers, Muscle Trailers, or Trailers 2000 - no particular reason.

 

[Detective Willy]

The trailer looks like a standard 6 x 4 size. Looking at numerous manufacturers websites, the single wheel with the step "only" behind the wheel does look like a custom built off road version though? I am sure police have also been talking to trailer manufacturers. Once they identify 1 (or few people) who owned a Blue Nissan Patrol AND this type of trailer then the number is up. BINGO.

 

[Detective Willy]

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[JLZ]

Dragging a trailer really limits your options for routes in/out. Makes sense to head to Myrtleford because it’s the easier road, pulling a trailer you’re probably looking at an hour or so to get to the gate, before having to turn around. Think about your next option? Zeka’s out. The only way (especially towing, *and* in the dark) is to head to Dargo. If you’re from Melb or the south you’d head down from there, but if you’re from the north you’d head up to the GAR which brings you within the Hotham resort. Turn right to Omeo you’ll get snapped going past DP, turn left to Bright you’ll get snapped leaving Hotham. Had to have been snapped somewhere else too, trying to think where that would be.

And as to which direction they turned once they hit the GAR - north to Bright or east to Omeo - consider that their first choice was to head to Myrtleford. If you lived in the east it would be quicker to just head to Dargo as your first choice.

Someone asked a while back where was the Myrtleford gate but I didn't see an answer. I know where Myrtleford is but is the gate relatively near the Wonnangatta Valley leading to a way out in the direction of Myrtleford or is it up close to Myrtleford? I'm trying to understand the routes and how much time would have been lost going back into the valley after not proceeding through the valley and then out again.

Brumby Jack you're saying they would have come out around Dargo and then gone up the Great Alpine Road to Hotham. I thought the articles meant that they actually came out of the rough region just about Hotham eg by Twins Road or Gunns Track. Or would the Myrtleford gate block them from either or those routes?

 

[AJF-Aus]

Detectives say they’re getting “very close” to solving the case. I believe they’ve identified the killer’s vehicle and its number plate. If so, they know the registered owner, but this doesn’t necessarily mean he committed the crime. They still need a witness who can ID the driver and/or place him at the campsite/crime scene.

The image of the rear of the trailer is very dark so I lightened it up and a number plate is visible. Hopefully LE have the technology to display its details.

View attachment 321397 View attachment 321398

Police believe it’s unlikely that the items located inside the burnt-out tent would have been put there by the missing couple.

An item of interest has been handed in to detectives but they wouldn’t reveal what that was. I’m wondering if the “significant breakthrough” could possibly be a shell casing because they’ve said one theory they’ve considered is that it could have been a rogue shooter or hunter. With a campground nearby, I wouldn’t have thought it an ideal spot to be shooting at all, let alone by a rogue shooter.

Case close to being solved

I'm confident they are close to solving this. It would be a bit embarrassing to say it's close to being solved and then it isn't.

Hey can everyone else see shadows cast by trees over the car? I reckon this photo was taken in daylight and I reckon they have the number plate.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Hey can everyone else see shadows cast by trees over the car? I reckon this photo was taken in daylight and I reckon they have the number plate.

See the lighter image on p.13 #257

 

[JLZ]

Hey can everyone else see shadows cast by trees over the car? I reckon this photo was taken in daylight and I reckon they have the number plate.

Yes, it's either daylight or artificial light from the right.

 

[JLZ]

I'm trying to understand the routes and how much time would have been lost going back into the valley after not proceeding through the valley and then out again.

Sorry, this is incoherent. How far did they go north before backtracking and leaving by another route? And did they have to go all the way back to the river area? But in short, exactly where is the Myrtleford gate?

 

[Satchie]

As for the fire, I feel like it may end up supporting the argument theory. My guess is some of the chairs etc that were burned in the campfire belonged to the perpetrator, who had to remove everything from the trailer to fit the bodies and preferred burning them for obvious reasons. LE also made a point of publishing the pictures of the charred furniture - no point doing that whatsoever, unless they suspect someone may recognize the items.

That's a great theory for why the fire: to burn the perp's stuff, disguised as Russell's stuff. If so, frighteningly smart/self-controlled perp(s).

 

[Satchie]

But having said that - perhaps there is a common behaviour where murderers want to go the opposite direction of home when taking a body?

I think murderers head in whichever direction they intend to hide their victim(s). No one wants to drive around with bodies in their vehicle - what if there was an accident?

It's not easy to make 2 bodies disappear for this long. Just from other cases I've followed, it's a location the perp knows well and feels comfortable doing what they have to do (private property, or a place no one goes but they can drive up in their truck).

The person doesn't necessarily live there now, in fact they may feel safer because they don't live anywhere nearby, now, so if the bodies are found it won't point to them.

Sometimes it's a location from their childhood or previous residences. A place that they always thought would be perfect to hide a body.

IMO, people who commit a murder with no idea what to do with the remains, don't usually hide them well and they show up fairly soon.

Just personal observation and speculation

 

[Satchie]

Another comment, wouldn't a killer who burns a campsite be very likely to dispose of bodies by burning, as well?

 

[BreakingNews]

I think murderers head in whichever direction they intend to hide their victim(s). No one wants to drive around with bodies in their vehicle - what if there was an accident?

It's not easy to make 2 bodies disappear for this long. Just from other cases I've followed, it's a location the perp knows well and feels comfortable doing what they have to do (private property, or a place no one goes but they can drive up in their truck).

The person doesn't necessarily live there now, in fact they may feel safer because they don't live anywhere nearby, now, so if the bodies are found it won't point to them.

Sometimes it's a location from their childhood or previous residences. A place that they always thought would be perfect to hide a body.

IMO, people who commit a murder with no idea what to do with the remains, don't usually hide them well and they show up fairly soon.

Just personal observation and speculation

My guess is bodies dumped between large rocks, maybe after being burned. MOO

 

[JudgeJudi]

Friday, Nov 12th 2021

The search has been called off


His car has been returned home


Missing campers presumed dead

 

[JudgeJudi]

I wonder if saying the search has been called off is a red herring because only yesterday Police Commissioner Shane Patton told ABC Radio, he was confident of an outcome after the “painstaking” investigation.

“We are getting very, very close,” he said.
“We are very confident in resolving this, I assure you.”

 

[Blueberry2720]

The articles in this posting above by Judge-Judi are all from the Spring of 2020. They are not recent from the info they contain and the dates at the top of the DM articles.

Friday, Nov 12th 2021

The search has been called off
View attachment 321522

His car has been returned home
View attachment 321524

Missing campers presumed dead

I wonder if saying the search has been called off is a red herring because only yesterday Police Commissioner Shane Patton told ABC Radio, he was confident of an outcome after the “painstaking” investigation.

“We are getting very, very close,” he said.
“We are very confident in resolving this, I assure you.”

 

[Zabble]

Another comment, wouldn't a killer who burns a campsite be very likely to dispose of bodies by burning, as well?

I think you need a very intense fire to destroy bodies, and the killer probably didn't have the fuel handy for that. I think it was to remove any hint of DNA evidence and perhaps also like someone else said: to destroy some of their own belongings which they didn't have space for once they put the bodies in the trailer. Although not 100% convinced on that as the roof carrier looked empty.

 

[Kemug]

I wonder if by any chance Russell was the original aggressor? After all, the winner of an altercation does not necessarily start it. Perhaps someone came along and was setting up camp next to Russell and Carol, and that person turned out to be someone who knew Russell. Maybe this someone hadn't known about Carol before, and threatened to tell his wife and family. Especially if there was some history of animosity between the 2 men. And it all escalated from there. Just an idea.

 

[everybodhi]

The articles in this posting above by Judge-Judi are all from the Spring of 2020. They are not recent from the info they contain and the dates at the top of the DM articles.

Yes, old article from May 2020, the end of Fall in AU, back when they stopped the search as winter (June-Aug) and snow in the mountains was approaching.
It is spring now, almost summer, (Dec-Feb).

 

[JudgeJudi]

Someone asked a while back where was the Myrtleford gate but I didn't see an answer. I know where Myrtleford is but is the gate relatively near the Wonnangatta Valley leading to a way out in the direction of Myrtleford or is it up close to Myrtleford? I'm trying to understand the routes and how much time would have been lost going back into the valley after not proceeding through the valley and then out again.

Brumby Jack you're saying they would have come out around Dargo and then gone up the Great Alpine Road to Hotham. I thought the articles meant that they actually came out of the rough region just about Hotham eg by Twins Road or Gunns Track. Or would the Myrtleford gate block them from either or those routes?

I couldn't find where the Myrtleford gate was in relation to the Wonnangatta Valley either, but here's a map of Mount Hotham to Myrtleford.


Myrtleford to Mount Hotham - 1h 10m – 83.7 km (52 miles)

Then there's this:



The Alpine Gate Cafe is 38 Great Alpine Rd, Myrtleford, so maybe the gate is closer to Myrtleford than we thought.

 

[JudgeJudi]

The articles in this posting above by Judge-Judi are all from the Spring of 2020. They are not recent from the info they contain and the dates at the top of the DM articles.

Thanks. I've only joined this case so was unaware of that. Hopefully then the matter will be resolved very quickly. I really hope so.