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

[Satchie]

Only the Daily Mail has reported "It is understood Lynn has told police where he dumped their bodies in the bush".

No other media outlets have reported this (yet). Can we rely on what the Daily Mail has reported?

I wouldn't stake anything I valued on the reliability of the DM. And why would a UK paper have an inside scoop that Australian news sources don't have?

This is the quoted police statement:
"Our efforts to locate the remains of Russell and Carol will continue," Assistant Commissioner Hill said.

He said detectives identified a crime scene on Thursday morning within the Great Alpine area and forensic specialists would start searching at the location in the coming days.

But Assistant Commissioner Hill declined to reveal the exact location.

"Police are hopeful that we will be able to locate the deceased and provide ultimate closure to the families," he said.
Renewed search for remains as police zero in on 'crime scene' following pilot's arrest

IMO, there could be other evidence, other than a confession - such as Lynn visiting this location when he was under surveillance, or on some previous occassion as shown by phone data...

ETA: also, if somebody tells police the location of bodies, they are usually required to lead police right there, before they are locked up for the crime....

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I read the article and it doesn't convince me that he did tell them.

Maybe that's why the daily mail says "it is understood"

Only the Daily Mail has reported "It is understood Lynn has told police where he dumped their bodies in the bush".

 

[jsiar]

Instead of clicking on Reply,
Click on +Quote and repeat for each quote you want to reply to.
Then click on the Insert Quotes tab to the left of Post Reply.
You'll get a popup - select Insert Quotes
You'll get another popup - select Quote These Messages.

Add your comment and reply in the usual way.

Thank you so much. When I’m feeling brave enough I’ll have an attempt at it!

 

[JudgeJudi]

Lynn appeared, wearing a mask, from behind bulletproof glass in a cell. He only showed his face to take a sip of water from a cup of water and didn’t speak.

His wife, a flight attendant with Jetstar, tuned into the videolink.

Few details were provided during the short filing hearing, which is the first step in what will likely be a long and arduous legal process that could take years to finalise.

His lawyer didn’t make any application for bail. GL was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on May 31. Until then he’ll be placed into a protected unit. The court heard he had no 'issues' that might make his time behind bars more difficult.

A brief of evidence won’t be ready until at least April 19.

LE have been provided 'specific' information as to where to find the burial site but have said it will take days to prepare for the dig. They’ll bring in ground-penetrating radar which can to assist the evidence gathering operation.

Meanwhile, forensic specialists will be investigating his home.

Jetstar pilot accused of murdering two campers finally has his day in court | Daily Mail Online

 

[Arboreal]

I just received an email from a lurker on this site but an IRL friend who sent the precis of some HS articles on the accused man's first wife and also details about his relationships with work associates.

First article - precis
Lisa Lynn, the deceased wife of Greg Lynn, has been described as a “truly beautiful” person whose death came out of the blue.
Lisa Lynn committed suicide in 1999 at the Mt Macedon home where she had lived with her husband and their two young children.
A close friend said Mrs Lynn was one of the most special people she'd ever met. The friend described Lisa Lynn as a truly beautiful and amazing person, an extremely generous souland a devoted wife.
Mrs Lynn was described as a deeply religious woman who devoted herself to her husband and two sons.
Mr Lynn was reported by Mrs friends to have left her when their two boys were young. The friend said that Mrs Lynn was completely heartbroken when Mr Lynn left. She wanted him back but he left her for another woman.
A former work colleague of Mrs Lynn said people who knew her could not believe Mrs Lynn had taken her own life, particularly as she loved loved their children too much and was extremely religious.
After she died, Mrs Lynn was found with a large quantity of pills and vodka in her system. However, Mrs Lynn was usually a non-drinker.
Another friend said she didn't remember Mrs Lynn being a drinker at all.
This person also said Mr Lynn was an experienced bushman who would navigate terrain with compasses and maps. He had walked Kokoda track by himself. When he went bush, he was known to carry what he needed for extended periods.
Mr Lynn’s LinkedIn profile, indicated that after Mrs Lynn's death he went overseas in 2002, working with Qatar Airways as a captain. He stayed five years before returning to Melbourne to work as a Jetstar captain in 2007.

Second article, precis:
Lisa Lynn, the first wife of Greg Lynn, died in tragic circumstances in 1999.
Mrs Lynn is reported to have died outside the home she shared with Mr Lynn.
Her death was the subject of a Coroner’s inquest.
Current and former colleagues of Mr Lynn took to aviation forums to offer their perspectives.
One poster described Mr Lynn as a loner. Others said he had some strained workplace relationships.
Police have said they spoke with Mr Lynn in 2020, when he was asked early in the inquiry about his presence in the vicinity of the Wonnangatta Valley. Detectives from the missing persons squad had become aware Mr Lynn had been in the area around March 20, 2020 when Mr Hill and Ms Clay mysteriously disappeared. mr Lynn is understood ot have told police he did not see Mr Hill or Ms Clay.
Mr Lynn had a large collection of rifles and shotguns and was a long-term member of the Melbourne International Shooting Club.
The press has reported - without sources - that Mr Lynn was under surveillance for a considerable time and we interested in him as far back as July, 2020.
When arrested, SOG officers travelled to Licola and then made their way by road to Doolans Plain where they arrested Mr Lynn, at his campsite, without incident. Doolans plain is close to Arbuckle junction.
Although there were indications the investigation was likely to conclude shortly it was expected any move would be made later.
Police sources have said that they were concerned for his welfare and this had led to the arrest phase being brought forward at short notice.

 

[JudgeJudi]

Thank you so much. When I’m feeling brave enough I’ll have an attempt at it!

Just practice without posting - it's really simple. If it looks right, post it.

 

[JayWill]

I wouldn't stake anything I valued on the reliability of the DM. And why would a UK paper have an inside scoop that Australian news sources don't have?

This is the quoted police statement:
"Our efforts to locate the remains of Russell and Carol will continue," Assistant Commissioner Hill said.

He said detectives identified a crime scene on Thursday morning within the Great Alpine area and forensic specialists would start searching at the location in the coming days.

But Assistant Commissioner Hill declined to reveal the exact location.

"Police are hopeful that we will be able to locate the deceased and provide ultimate closure to the families," he said.
Renewed search for remains as police zero in on 'crime scene' following pilot's arrest

IMO, there could be other evidence, other than a confession - such as Lynn visiting this location when he was under surveillance, or on some previous occassion as shown by phone data...

ETA: also, if somebody tells police the location of bodies, they are usually required to lead police right there, before they are locked up for the crime....

The DM do have an Australian edition with Australian reporters.

 

[Theodora]

Whatever happened, he’s been charged with 2 counts of murder, so if he is talking, he isn’t saying oops the first one was an accident. Interesting they’ve gone straight for murder and not started with manslaughter though. You can go up, but you can’t go down, is that right?

Do you mean they can elevate charges from manslaughter to murder but not vice versa? I don't think there is anything to stop them adding or changing charges of greater or lesser severity prior to the trial. Also, if someone admits they killed someone accidentally, that does not stop them being charged with that person's murder.

 

[JudgeJudi]

RSBM

A former work colleague of Mrs Lynn said people who knew her could not believe Mrs Lynn had taken her own life, particularly as she loved loved their children too much and was extremely religious.
After she died, Mrs Lynn was found with a large quantity of pills and vodka in her system. However, Mrs Lynn was usually a non-drinker.
Another friend said she didn't remember Mrs Lynn being a drinker at all.

So she took a large quantity of pills, drank vodka and then walked outside the home they'd shared years earlier and died? I can see why her family found it suspicious.

 

[jsiar]

Daily Mail has a report re this morning's brief court appearance

Jetstar pilot accused of murdering two campers finally has his day in court | Daily Mail Online

A bit of the above article ...

Few details were provided during the short filing hearing, which is the first step in what will likely be a long and arduous legal process that could take years to finalise.

Lynn's lawyer did not make any application for bail on behalf of the alleged killer, who was remanded in custody by Magistrate Greg McNamara until his next court appearance on May 31.

Intriguing that it is believed detectives only learned of the location of the bodies on Thursday morning. Does that mean he held out for 3 days of questioning & only caved on the morning of the 4th day? Nerves of steel.

 

[Arboreal]

The DM do have an Australian edition with Australian reporters.

My take on the DM is this.
It's important to keep in mind how the DM operates. They do have a couple of Australia-based reporters but mostly they are a news aggregation site aiming to bring viewers to the site and then lure them to click on other things. I think it's called "click bait". So, with the Hill-Clay disappearance, the most recent article also had links it pushed at readers of a somewhat racy Madonna photo shoot.
In practice, what that means is they monitor other sites, slightly rewrite and repost other journalists' stories. Sometimes in the rewriting they do not do a good job. They may change or omit entirely a qualification, "It is believed that X did" to a statement of fact: "X did". Or they may actually engage in speculation.
The DM is useful and a good place to start, in that it usually provides the original source of their article and so you just go to that. sometimes a DM story is constructed from several stories carried on other sites. It is also useful in that they frequently post many photographs. I have seen on the DM site in respect of the Hill-Clay disappearance, photographs of the camp site I have not seen elsewhere. So, I do not automatically discount them.
I should also add that their aggregation activities draw the ire of "mainstream" journalist whose work they "borrow".

 

[brissygirl2019]

RSBM

So she took a large quantity of pills, drank vodka and then walked outside the home they'd shared years earlier and died? I can see why her family found it suspicious.

ah yes, no wonder at all!

They might just get answers now to any questions they may have had for years.

The background of GL & what may come out of this investigation might be a tad alarming I think.

IMO

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I wonder if he is a heavy drinker.
I get that impression from at least one of his photos.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Hence the word "lurid" and the phrase "sneaked away" and many more of that ilk, when referring to Russell and Carol.

I tend to not take as fact anything in the daily mail.

My take on the DM is this.
It's important to keep in mind how the DM operates. They do have a couple of Australia-based reporters but mostly they are a news aggregation site aiming to bring viewers to the site and then lure them to click on other things. I think it's called "click bait". So, with the Hill-Clay disappearance, the most recent article also had links it pushed at readers of a somewhat racy Madonna photo shoot.

 

[minusfour]

Why is the media still publishing photos of him, now that he has been charged? Does anyone know?

 

[JayWill]

My take on the DM is this.
It's important to keep in mind how the DM operates. They do have a couple of Australia-based reporters but mostly they are a news aggregation site aiming to bring viewers to the site and then lure them to click on other things. I think it's called "click bait". So, with the Hill-Clay disappearance, the most recent article also had links it pushed at readers of a somewhat racy Madonna photo shoot.
In practice, what that means is they monitor other sites, slightly rewrite and repost other journalists' stories. Sometimes in the rewriting they do not do a good job. They may change or omit entirely a qualification, "It is believed that X did" to a statement of fact: "X did". Or they may actually engage in speculation.
The DM is useful and a good place to start, in that it usually provides the original source of their article and so you just go to that. sometimes a DM story is constructed from several stories carried on other sites. It is also useful in that they frequently post many photographs. I have seen on the DM site in respect of the Hill-Clay disappearance, photographs of the camp site I have not seen elsewhere. So, I do not automatically discount them.
I should also add that their aggregation activities draw the ire of "mainstream" journalist whose work they "borrow".

They always have the best pics and they are not alone in advertising on their site.

 

[JayWill]

Why is the media still publishing photos of him, now that he has been charged? Does anyone know?

Shouldn't they? He has been named.

 

[brissygirl2019]

Why is the media still publishing photos of him, now that he has been charged? Does anyone know?

Why wouldn't the media continue to publish his photo? There is no reason they shouldn't.

People who are in the news for not so good reasons might not like it, but there is no reason the media cannot continue to post his photo that I know of

 

[JudgeJudi]

@Aboreal Just to add to your post above - because they also pay for information, they often get exclusive stories which other media outlets then use. They always have the best photos and lots of them. In fact no other outlet can compare.

Quite frankly I get tired of everyone making disparaging comments about the DM because I've seen numerous mistakes in other media but no-one ever comments about that. These days in the rush to get stories out, it's not uncommon to see mistakes. The days of employing investigative journalists is not the same as it was years ago. Just saying.

 

[Arboreal]

LE have been provided 'specific' information as to where to find the burial site but have said it will take days to prepare for the dig. They’ll bring in ground-penetrating radar which can to assist the evidence gathering operation.
Jetstar pilot accused of murdering two campers finally has his day in court | Daily Mail Online

When I saw the presser last night, I noted the police spokesman did not say and I think refused to say, how they located this area they intended to search. However, the way he spoke suggested he was absolutely confident it was the right area: "This morning [Thurs] detectives identified a crime scene within the Great Alpine area and forensic specialists will commence searching at that location over the coming days..."
Then this morning *advertiser censored*. Comm. Hill said police had been provided 'specific' information..."*advertiser censored*.Comm Hill did not give the source.
It seems to me there are three possibilities:
- Mr Lynn told them
- Mr Lynn said something that the police tallied with other information and enabled them to identify the idea
- Other investigative activities came to fruition at the same time that Mr Lynne was charged.
We do not know whether Mr Hill and Ms Clay were buried or dumped; DM is saying burial, but that may be their conjecture; one needs to actually read the police statement.
If other information is or contributes to the location of the disposal site it may be technical. For instance, if hear the top of a hill, then there may be brief pinging off distant mobile towers; or if Mr Lynne was using google maps on his phone, it logs travel and movement, including stopping at one or other location. If he had a GPS, that too can log travel route. Or he may have had a satellite phone. If turned on some make regular "handshakes" with satellites.
VicPol last night that "external" agencies provided assistance. One agency mentioned has been AFP. But when it comes to technical, involving phones, pcs, and the like, other Commonwealth agencies with considerably more technical capability provide assistance in cases like this.
The police have rightly acknowledged the intense public interest and appear to be saying as much as they can at any one time.
I suspect there will be a book if not a mini series. However it pans out, I am glad the families are closer to finding out what happened and this "mystery" seem close to resolution. And the dedication of the police is to be commended, IMHO.