Found Deceased Australia - Russell Hill, 74, & Carol Clay, 72, Wonnangatta Valley, 20 March 2020 #2

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I can't imagine the type of person who would kill 2 people in cold blood, burn their tent and dispose of their bodies would be concerned about starting a fire, honestly. If they were concerned about starting a bush fire, they would not have burnt the tent in the first place. (If it was deliberately burnt).

Not if it was a controlled fire, as it seems that it was.
And if the person(s) relied on the high country for an income (deer antlers), he/she/they would not have wanted a bushfire to destroy their income.

If you are an Aussie (?) you will know how far reaching and devastating our bushfires are, and how quickly they travel. Especially in a place like the high country where firecrew access is very difficult.
 
My brain has gone to mush today. I've got the worst migraine.

To give this context for the thread, someone has to know something about what happened to Russell and Carol.

This was no accident where they got lost or fell into a hole or something.
 
Maybe he encountered these folks the week before (in the program they said he was there the week prior).
Perhaps they got caught by his drone then?
Also the scorch marks (or lack off) could be from some kind of fire blanket they rested up against the truck. Then at least two people pulled it across to quickly extinguish the fire so as to not draw attention to the crime scene...
 
I don't see why anyone would think it was disrespectful to fly a drone.

Hi @TootsieFootsie,

Surely you're being sarcastic here? But is case you're not...

I'd be furious if a drone was flown over me, anywhere, but most especially if I was seeking peace and solitude in nature.

If a drone flew over my bush campsite, I'd track down the perpetrator of such an insolent assault on my peace and privacy, and lash him/her soundly with an acid tongue.
 
It was very informative. We were told a lot about the fire which at the beginning way back was inferred that a charging battery started the fire. Plus how chairs etc were all set up in the tent. I believed they were murdered by An intruder. But who?
MOO
Agree now the question is someone they knew or they saw something someone didn't want them to see.
MOO
 
Actually no. I wasn't being sarcastic.

I thought different thoughts and opinions were accepted here.


Surely you're being sarcastic here? But is case you're not...

I'd be furious if a drone was flown over me, anywhere, but most especially if I was seeking peace and solitude in nature.

If a drone flew over my bush campsite, I'd track down the perpetrator of such an insolent assault on my peace and privacy, and lash him/her soundly with an acid tongue.
 
Not if it was a controlled fire, as it seems that it was.
And if the person(s) relied on the high country for an income (deer antlers), he/she/they would not have wanted a bushfire to destroy their income.

If you are an Aussie (?) you will know how far reaching and devastating our bushfires are, and how quickly they travel. Especially in a place like the high country where firecrew access is very difficult.
We can agree to disagree. I don't believe there is any evidence at all to indicate anybody controlled the fire or put any water on it to put it out.
 
We can agree to disagree. I don't believe there is any evidence at all to indicate anybody controlled the fire or put any water on it to put it out.

Well, the fire expert in Under Investigation would disagree with you.

It was a thought that didn't cross my mind, until I watched that show and listened to the experts. And now I see what they mean. (You can privately let me know if you want me to send you a vid of the show, then you can hear what the experts have to say )
 
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Actually no. I wasn't being sarcastic.

I thought different thoughts and opinions were accepted here.

I don't think I would be bothered if a drone flew over my campsite either. Especially if I then found out that it was someone learning to fly it, or the person had no idea that I was there. I don't think many people would purposefully infringe on your privacy with a drone - particularly people like Russell and Carol, who are accustomed to discretion.
 
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Some poorly constructed sentences, poor grammar etc here.

Police looking for ute in search for missing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill

Police are looking for a particular car in their search for campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill, who vanished in the Victorian Alps almost one year ago.
That vehicle is described as a white dual cab, four-wheel-drive utility ute but the exact make and model is not confirmed.
"Now we understand that this vehicle was parked near the long drop toilet, or the public toilet and a small suspension bridge over the one again a river, which is, is within fairly close proximity to where we know that Russell and Carol camped," Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said.

"It might seem like only a very small possibility that those in the white ute will have information about Russell and Carol's disappearance but we can't afford to leave any stone unturned," Det Insp Stamper said.
"I appreciate this is not an especially uncommon vehicle. However, if you or someone you know with a white dual cab ute was in the Wonnangatta area around 20 March last year then we need to hear from you."

Detectives are also keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Howitt Plains and Zeka Spur Track on March 19 or 20, and the Wonnangatta Valley and Wonnangatta Station between 20-24 March.
Detectives received information about the sighting of an older person or pair in the Black Snake Creek, Eaglevale River crossing and the Ollies Jump area on March 22-23, but have never been able to establish if this was the missing campers.
 
Seems like the same story with more added to it.

Search for vehicle seen in Wonnangatta Valley

Detectives have also established that Russell was camping alone with his Landcruiser in the area of the King Billy and Bluff Track between March 11 and 13.

Information was later received about sighting of an older person or pair in the Black Snake Creek, Eaglevale River crossing and the Ollies Jump area on March 22 or 23, however have never been able to establish if this was the missing campers.

Detectives call for anyone in this area, any older couple who may be these persons, to also come forward.

It is still yet to be fully determined whether the pair's disappearance is suspicious.
 
<RSBM>

It is still yet to be fully determined whether the pair's disappearance is suspicious.

And yet, three months after they disappeared foul play was said to be on the cards.

Perhaps this was because they had been able, by then, to do the fire testing that they mentioned in the Under Investigation show ... among other things.

I think that it might have been around this time that the police went and collected Russell's vehicle again from his house.


Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper, from the missing persons squad, said the mysterious circumstances suggested Mr Hill and Ms Clay were the victims of foul play, the Herald Sun reported.
Police are now probing what happened in the 18 hours between Mr Hill making a chilling last radio call and their campsite being discovered abandoned the next day.
Dark twist in case of missing campers as police suspect foul play was involved in the disappearance and probe the couple's last 18 hours following a chilling radio call
 
I'm curious about the witness reports known so far, and whether they're all different people: the blackberry bush contractor who saw them and their drone (but apparently didn't speak to them), whomever saw a white truck (but not a confrontation or a fire?), whomever took a photo of the burned campsite but didn't tell police for days. Since the victim's campsite was apparently quite far and hidden from the main track, how come there are all these witnesses who turn up later, but no one who noticed poaching, a confrontation, or a fire?

ETA: the blackberry bush contractor was apparently encountered and interviewed by the guy on the TV program who first investigated the scene, on horseback. So a week later he was still in the area? I wonder whether he's the one who also found and photographed the fire, and remembers a truck.
 
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Not if it was a controlled fire, as it seems that it was.
And if the person(s) relied on the high country for an income (deer antlers), he/she/they would not have wanted a bushfire to destroy their income.

If you are an Aussie (?) you will know how far reaching and devastating our bushfires are, and how quickly they travel. Especially in a place like the high country where firecrew access is very difficult.
Also possible was to keep the fire small and brief so as not to attract attention from outside authorities.

Seems people around the area made it a policy not to report things that were none of their business.
 
Just another thought; despite or maybe because of confusing evidence left at the scene of their disappearances, there is still nothing yet to prove they are dead. Maybe not a probability but it's still a possibility they are, in fact, alive.
 
Just another thought; despite or maybe because of confusing evidence left at the scene of their disappearances, there is still nothing yet to prove they are dead. Maybe not a probability but it's still a possibility they are, in fact, alive.

There may never be anything to prove that Russell and Carol are deceased. If they have been placed somewhere in the remote high country it would be just like dropping them in the middle of an ocean.

Carol's family may have to wait a long time to be able to do anything with the new home that Carol purchased and moved into right before she disappeared.
 
ive always thought it seemed like a controlled fire, and thought it was to spare the truck, possibly because a familiar person was hoping to take over ownership later on, but now realize it was probably to stop the truck exploding and causing a bush fire and drawing attention, i think i read carol and russells phones were destroyed in the fire too?
 
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