Australia - Russell Hill & Carol Clay Murdered While Camping - Wonnangatta Valley, 2020 #7

[discostu]

If the bullet hit the mirror and then hit Carol surely the vehicle would show signs of damage?. Was the vehicle and scene of the crime forensically examined to determine angle of shot & direction of blood splatter etc?. Was the police examination of RH & CC campsite methodical or did they botch this?

I remember reading an article the other day that mentioned that the police who originally visited the site did not take care not to disturb the scene as at that stage there wasn’t reason to believe that Russell and Carol had been killed. I think it’s definitely possible that there are things that were missed but it also sounds like Lynn did as much as he could to ensure the evidence was gone when he left.

 

[timezone]

Do you have link to where he said that?

It was in ROI @ trial.Also I think police evidence presented @ court.I am merely repeating from trial.

 

[timezone]

And of course he can't prove that because he would say "the man paid cash".

The police said his wife wasn't under investigation, but I just can't believe she wasn't very suspicious that he'd committed the murders. She had already commented to him that the car and trailer looked like his. Did she not think it strange that he sold the trailer? Trailers must have number plates, so what lame excuse did he have for selling it without one? Add to that she photographed him painting his car - the third time in 7 years.

I think today Lynn was asked about trailer?? and said he painted it black. Think he mentioned taking number plates off.. maybe someone else can remember?

 

[timezone]

If the bullet hit the mirror and then hit Carol surely the vehicle would show signs of damage?. Was the vehicle and scene of the crime forensically examined to determine angle of shot & direction of blood splatter etc?. Was the police examination of RH & CC campsite methodical or did they botch this?

If it was a shotgun slug it would have blown straight through and left a hole you could fit your thumb in.

Lynn testifies to it being a hole.

 

[discostu]

In court today he said that drone may have shown footage of the unlawful stowage of a rifle (which would have rendered him with out an ASIC)…no ASIC no job.

It’s so messed up to think that someone potentially thought that their job was more important than the lives of two people. It seems like before the deaths even happened he made a number of poor choices which, if he’d been willing to own up to them in the first place, could have those deaths and this outcome completely. jmo

 

[JBowie]

I wanted to know that too and found it.

“In the interview, Mr Lynn said he listed the items because he was stood down from work during the Covid-19 pandemic, and sold the trailer to an “Asian” man”.

https://www.news.com.au/national/vi...s/news-story/21fd4d8d6c5ff224a425917abcf74f1c

Thanks for that.

Seems the 'Asian man' didn't bother to transfer the registration otherwise police would have been easily able to locate him. Hmmm.

 

[JBowie]

I think today Lynn was asked about trailer?? and said he painted it black. Think he mentioned taking number plates off.. maybe someone else can remember?

OK, I found a reference to that in the Herald Sun.

Paraphrasing:

He put the trailer on Gumtree for sale on 1 April, 2020, advertising it as being black, but it was in fact blue.

Said he repainted the trailer because he wanted to change its appearance and to get a good price for it.

No mention of plates in that article.

(paywalled)

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/greg-lynn-takes-the-stand-in-major-missing-campers-courtroom-twist/live-coverage/bfdc2554392ae71819cd15e07ec78c65

 

[JudgeJudi]

Lynn said he threw the knife in the river. it has not been found.

He said he then pulled the knife from Hill’s chest and later burnt it in a fire alongside the 74-year-old’s drone.

‘I’m innocent’: Lynn tells cops when charged with murder

 

[JudgeJudi]

Just a reminder to the newbies. On p.1 of every thread there's the following note:

"Please use links to support information stated as facts".

 

[JBowie]

It was in ROI @ trial.Also I think police evidence presented @ court.I am merely repeating from trial.

I found reference to that in Melbourne's Herald Sun. As usual, the various MSM papers in various states report different snippets of trials.

 

[JudgeJudi]

As usual, the various MSM papers in various states report different snippets of trials.

And sometimes it's grossly incorrect. There's so much misinformation in the media these day. Just read these two very interesting articles.

"In the detailed interview played to the court on Monday, GL told investigators he initially exchanged pleasantries with the elderly couple he was later accused of murdering. He said RH's demeanour changed when the former pilot returned from a deer hunting expedition the next day".

'What am I gonna do?': Pilot's panicked moments after campers' deaths detailed to court

"An excerpt of Lynn’s interview with police on 24 November 2021 was shown during his trial on Monday.

He said that after initially cordial interactions with the couple, who had set up camp near him, RH appeared to have cooled when he came across them again the following morning while on his way out to stalk deer".

‘I wanted it to go away’: Greg Lynn told police he ‘panicked’ after campers’ deaths, murder trial hears

They were murdered the day they arrived after first setting up camp and after Russell spoke to his friends in the radio group with the call ending at 6:40pm that evening, and there's evidence to support it.

Yet people still complain about The Daily Mail.

 

[JBowie]

The former pilot told the court that Hill took his gun from the back seat of his car and was “trying to keep the shotgun for himself and scare me off”.

“I don’t know if he intended to shoot me or not, probably not,” he said.

Lynn said that at the time his shotgun discharged he was “struggling with Russell Hill” for control of the weapon.

“Russell Hill had his back towards the bull bar, and I was pushing him against the bull bar,” he told the court.

Lynn said that when Clay was shot he could only see her in his peripheral vision.

“I was aware of her. She was over there, and she was low,” he said.

He said after the pair’s deaths he used a torch to help him clean up the pair’s campsite. (bbm)

Lynn described the scene after the deaths as “horrendous” and said he used gloves to clean up.

He told the court there was a large pool of blood near Hill’s Toyota Landcruiser.

Lynn said it was “quite curious” that a lead fragment was discovered almost two years later by a police officer combing the scene where Hill and Clay died.

“It’s quite odd,” he said.

“It wasn’t there. It must have been moved there.” (bbm)

I guess there's nothing like a metal detector ... for finding metal.

‘Very sorry for your suffering’: Greg Lynn apologises at murder trial for actions after campers’ deaths

Former Jetstar pilot describes struggle that led to deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, after pleading not guilty to murder

www.theguardian.com

 

[JudgeJudi]

I wish transcripts were allowed. There are many questions I would have put to GL that haven't been published. Hopefully things will look brighter after closing arguments.

He's had years to go over everything in his mind and think of answers to questions likely to be asked. I find his version of what happened at the campsite absolutely far-fetched.

 

[JBowie]

I wish transcripts were allowed.

I wish the cases were streamed. I'd even settle for just audio.

 

[Bats]

The jury will not believe the parts of Lynn's story explaining how Carol and Russell died. Any way you look at the explanation is total nonsense.

If they believe that he lied then they are open to infer that there could be no other option but intent.

JMO

 

[Bats]

DBM

 

[AussieIan]

Almost impossible to see Lynn not having an extended stay at the pleasure of His Majesty. Just a matter of how many and what things they find him guilty of.

Have to wonder if Dann advised Lynn to take the stand or his own ego drove him there? In any case, it already appears to have backfired.

Doesn't a conviction require a unanimous verdict from jurors and they're required to be convinced beyond reasonable doubt?

I'd be surprised tbh. The police really have no idea what happened and it shows imo.

 

[discostu]

Given what Lynn has testified to in court I’m wondering whether if he’s found not guilty and released could Russell & Carol’s families pursue wrongful death claims against him?

Possibly not worth it as it sounds like a claim (other than for funeral costs) would primarily be for “economic loss - lost wages and superannuation” and I don’t think either of them were still working but just curious since based on his own story it sounds like none of this would have likely happened if he hadn’t negligently stored his firearm/s in the first place. jmo

I also wonder how he will be held accountable for the crimes he has admitted to in the event that he’s found not guilty of murder or manslaughter? Can the jury also hand down a verdict on those matters?

IMO if the storage of a firearm in an insecure manner directly results in the subsequent death of another person/s, whether intentional or not, the firearm holder should face manslaughter charges. jmo

 

[JBowie]

RE the trailer: so we're told that Lynn ...

(1) listed it on Gumtree as being black, when in fact it was blue -- IMO that was a deliberate ploy to confuse investigators

(2) claims that he sold it to an Asian guy -- I'm thinking that in Lynn's fantasy world an 'Asian' guy (presumably without good English) would not be following the case and therefore would not respond to any police call-outs to anyone who bought a trailer during the period of interest.

 

[JBowie]

Doesn't a conviction require a unanimous verdict from jurors and they're required to be convinced beyond reasonable doubt?

Yes, to both.