Found Deceased Australia - Russell Hill, 74, & Carol Clay, 72, Wonnangatta Valley, 20 Mar 2020 #5 *charges*

[OwlHeart]

Thanks OwlHeart, that is fascinating reading!

You're very welcome @Kemug

I took the test and got every question right except for Contempt, I thought the woman was amused!

Explains my semi-barren social life..

 

[ediethedog]

Lisa and I

Thank you Alicia, I really appreciate you being here ...Motormike too. I was struck by Lisa in the pictures I saw of her, and just what a beautiful and kind soul she appeared to be.
That is an incredible and special picture of you both....
I was deeply affected by the few details published of her tragic death....life can be so unfair , and the world seems to have lost one of the truly lovely souls.
I rarely post sentiments like this , but please know I mean the above sincerely....I was deeply deeply moved by the few details I have read of Lisa , her life and subsequent tragic passing. I am truly sorry.

 

[Marg from Oz]

First time I've heard that expression, I feel so un-Strayalan now..

This is an ancient saying. Back in the day, 70 odd years ago we would use that saying at school in Victoria. Maybe it's a Victorian saying.

ETA. When us kids were showing signs of S.O.L. my mother would dose us with laxettes

 

[PingTheRouter]

Yes BrumbyJack he was in camp when we spoke with him. We did not know that Carol was with him but suspected she was. Carol was never at any of the camps I shared with Russell in the past.
Russell intended to camp at various spots over the next few days while slowly heading back to civilization. Some of the places we spoke of were Talbotville and Olies jump up (on the Dargo river north of Dargo) as places he might camp at. So this still fits with what Carol said about being back home on the 28th or 29th.

is this normal for you guys to camp without him as a group? just wondering if it was more of a relaxed social circle, so some members just come and go as they please or is it normally a formal type meetup where the people are agreed apon before the event

also awesome you got your verification, glad you can speak freely now

 

[BrumbyJack]

Thought this was interesting. Red long handle spade on the patrol when it’s blue, and a black long handle spade when it’s beige. That’s what I said earlier I thought he would carry. Makes those cheap white Bunnings snow shovels all the more likely to be a furphy.

 

[Kemug]

It's high time I apologised to LE. I seriously underestimated them, and thought that they were getting nowhere with this case. When all the time they were way ahead of us, and were onto GL very early in the piece. So to any LE reading this, I am really sorry. I wonder if you are already finding out what happened to the other missing folk?

 

[Awakening]

Is there such a thing as a hunting community?

Do hunters tend to know other hunters or is it more of a solo thing?

Do hunters stick to the one area like the high country or go to different areas?

Do hunters catch up for beers and to talk of their kills?

Is it common to see the same hunters year in year out?

Is there are certain code of conduct or etiquette amongst hunters?

Would it be likely that GL was known amongst other hunters?

 

[BrumbyJack]

But he’ll be back at Sale Magistrates Court in May though, for a Committal Mention. He’s already showing in their daily lists.

In this ABC news article they say
“The Magistrates' Court does not have jurisdiction to hear bail applications for murder charges.”
Police release photos of dense bushland as search for bodies of missing Victorian campers continues

So no bail application next time either?

RSBM

If he applies for bail I think it will happen at his next court appearance. The Magistrates’ Court hears most bail applications but my understanding is that if the charge is murder, the Supreme Court must hear the bail application.

 

[Black-Cat]

My thoughts are that he will plead not guilty.

How he could do that if he has revealed where they are, I just don't know, but I think he won't just cave.

He could plead "NG" by saying he accidentally shot them whilst deer hunting and then panicked and disposed of the bodies. IMO

 

[JudgeJudi]

But he’ll be back at Sale Magistrates Court in May though, for a Committal Mention. He’s already showing in their daily lists.

In this ABC news article they say
“The Magistrates' Court does not have jurisdiction to hear bail applications for murder charges.”
Police release photos of dense bushland as search for bodies of missing Victorian campers continues

So no bail application next time either?

Thanks. I didn't know that. Bail applications in the case of murder are heard in the Supreme Court.

 

[Bagpus]

Nah mate it’s pretty straightforward getting into Grant off the Dargo High Plains road. I actually wondered that he might’ve gone as far up to Blue Rag to hide them, but Grant does make perfect sense if you’re looking for pre-dug holes. I reckon this guy had a decent long-handle spade on board to do the back-fill.

Those flimsy white shovels were cheap snow shovels, I honestly doubt this guy would mess around with them and reckon they were a red herring. They were found off the side of the GAR on the Harrietville side, if my memory is good not far from where the camera is that snaps you entering or leaving the Hotham resort (the one that snapped him).

I agree. Also, unless he had an accomplice, he couldn't have used two shovels at the same time.

 

[Kemug]

I may be completely wrong, but somehow I can't see him having an accomplice. To me he just doesn't seem the type. But if he did, I think he would be the one giving the orders.

 

[Brazenkane]

So what is the issue with the 4wd showing up on the CCTV? Wouldn’t every camper and visitor need to leave the national park eventually, and of course be picked up on camera at some point?

Was it because of the direction it was heading that was suspicious?

 

[JudgeJudi]

So what is the issue with the 4wd showing up on the CCTV? Wouldn’t every camper and visitor need to leave the national park eventually, and of course be picked up on camera at some point?

Was it because of the direction it was heading that was suspicious?

LE said everyone else was accounted for, except for the blue Nissan Patrol.

 

[Motomike]

Just want to say thank you to motomike for being here my thoughts are with you and Russell and carols family very happy that they will finally have justice and some closure hopefully
RIP Russell and Carol

Thank you. I have known Russell for more than 30 years through Amateur radio and about 15 years of camping together with other Amateur radio operators where Russell came along with us .

 

[Motomike]

My friend, with whom I'm having an animated discussion about this said she saw a 60 minutes or a clip on the The Age site in which a detective takes a reporter to the camp site and points off camera and says "There's a toilet over there". He also says the blue vehicle was seen parked near it at some stage, according to the detective, but seems ot suggest it then moved to another spot as the camp site.

We are trying to work out where the camp site is.

Here are two photos - one a photo from a news chopper (the cross-hairs courtesy of the TV station); the other photo courtesy google.
Brumby Jack - do you know the area?

View attachment 324249

View attachment 324251

This is the spot. I camped there with Russell twice before he went missing and once since he went missing.

 

[BrumbyJack]

Nah if he’d gone out south of Dargo he wouldn’t have been snapped. The camera’s aren’t for the National park boundaries, they belong to the Hotham Resort which is privately owned. The resort put numberplate recognition camera’s on the east and west boundaries so they can capture the deets of everyone entering and leaving the resort area during snow season so they can check if you’ve paid. (Unless you’re driving straight thru without stopping)

Basically it was just another source the coppers used to cross-reference who was in the area (as well as mobile phone tower pings, people coming forward, etc) . I guess the time it was there, and the fact it was seen in Gatta the day before, and heard leaving around midnight made it suspicious. Then they see it going past the cam on the Harrietville side just after sunrise, and start wondering what old mate was up to during the 7 or 8 hours it took him to get there.

edit: probably should add the Dargo High Plains Road meets the Great Alpine Road within the resort area, but the DHP road gets closed during snow season, so no need to monitor the south entry.

So what is the issue with the 4wd showing up on the CCTV? Wouldn’t every camper and visitor need to leave the national park eventually, and of course be picked up on camera at some point?

Was it because of the direction it was heading that was suspicious?[/QUOT

 

[Motomike]

I don’t know that particular spot, we always camp up near the old homestead site, but afaik their camp was in this spot. Go to google maps and zoom in on the little clearing I’ve circled. But our info on the exact spot comes from the same news images, and also being told they were down near Dry River track, which this spot is.
View attachment 324259

Yes that is the spot. we all camped there many times

 

[JudgeJudi]

Lisa and I

This beautiful photo must bring back happy memories of the time you shared together. I'm just sorry it couldn't have been longer.

I'm so glad you've been verified Alicia.

 

[Motomike]

is this normal for you guys to camp without him as a group? just wondering if it was more of a relaxed social circle, so some members just come and go as they please or is it normally a formal type meetup where the people are agreed apon before the event

also awesome you got your verification, glad you can speak freely now

Yes we usually organised a camping weekend (mid winter) and whoever could come along did. It didnt always fit in for everyone and some didnt have 4WD capability so that may have stopped them coming. We camped usually in East Gippsland but only went into Wonnangatta 3 times. Russell went twice from memory to Wonnangatta with us. Russell knew the area well as he worked as a logger in the valley in his younger days and was part of the crew who put in the Zeka Spur track in to the Wonnangatta Valley.