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

[Theodora]

Sorry I didn't intend to post this earlier, as I became enthralled with the new The Age article. I didn't mean to imply that everything RA learned was learned from a single 3rd party, just that the way he expressed things sounded like he was reporting what he'd been told by someone other than RH.

RH's wife didn't know CC was with him that trip until they had disappeared. She did know that they had been tied romantically before they married others and that they had remained "friends". I don't know if she was aware that the friendship had turned into an affair before they disappeared.

I think someone other than RH told RA that CC bought her unit in the hope they would live there together, possibly RA spoke to people who knew CC who it seems were aware of their affair for some years before the disappearance. My impression of RH is someone who kept his own counsel and would not confide in friends and friendly associates, however he perceived RA.

I'm not at totally convinced that RH had decided to stay with his wife in the long term. I can't imagine him saying that to his wife or to RA. CC might have confided that to friends or family and perhaps RA heard from one of them. I wouldn't be surprised if RA asked people about this after the disappearance.

You think Russell's wife told his good friend that Russell was going to live with Carol but backed out at the last minute?
And that Russell used to take Carol on his logging trips before he retired?

If so, Russell's wife was not as surprised as she says she was that Carol was with Russell when they disappeared.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I spent some time looking at various pics of CWA conferences, in case I might spot Russell, but perhaps he was turned away.
I did find a few photos of Carol at various events.

I'm thinking that the way gossip gets around, I wouldn't be surprised if it was general knowledge throughout the community about Carol and Russell, especially after taking or trying to take him to CWA headquarters.

 

[Theodora]

I googled CWA Victoria Headquarters. It's a very nice looking place with accommodation and dining in Toorak, so pretty "posh". I have visions of some of the members clutching their pearls when their, present or past, President tried to arrange for RH to stay with her there. She might still have been married to Husband 2 at that time, or they might have known he was cheating on a wife.

It's possible that this gossip passed to CWA members in RH's town and people who knew RH or his wife but, given the headquarters are in Toorak, it's also possible it was only passed to people who knew CC. She was the one with the high profile.

I spent some time looking at various pics of CWA conferences, in case I might spot Russell, but perhaps he was turned away.
I did find a few photos of Carol at various events.

I'm thinking that the way gossip gets around, I wouldn't be surprised if it was general knowledge throughout the community about Carol and Russell, especially after taking or trying to take him to CWA headquarters.

 

[bearbear]

“She was a very lovely person and we find it really hard to think she liked camping. But then if you are with someone you want to be with, you do different things,” the woman recalls.

“She worked 10 days at the Melbourne Show in high heels, that’s the sort of person she was.”

‘We don’t jump at ghosts here’: What happened in Wonnangatta Valley?

 

[they'll get you]

“She was a very lovely person and we find it really hard to think she liked camping. But then if you are with someone you want to be with, you do different things,” the woman recalls.

“She worked 10 days at the Melbourne Show in high heels, that’s the sort of person she was.”

‘We don’t jump at ghosts here’: What happened in Wonnangatta Valley?

I wonder if he ever took her away 5 star?
Reading that she wore high heels, lippy and pearls somehow I’m not seeing her walking off behind a bush with a roll of toilet paper and a shovel.
Not really adding up is it?

 

[TootsieFootsie]

When you really love someone you want to be with them. You want to share in the things they like to do.
Like Carol tried to include Russell in her CWA activities.
Even more so because they didn't live together so the camping trips were their chance to be together and maybe get away from judgemental people for awhile.

I wonder if he ever took her away 5 star?
Reading that she wore high heels, lippy and pearls somehow I’m not seeing her walking off behind a bush with a roll of toilet paper and a shovel.
Not really adding up is it?

 

[SouthAussie]

I wonder if he ever took her away 5 star?
Reading that she wore high heels, lippy and pearls somehow I’m not seeing her walking off behind a bush with a roll of toilet paper and a shovel.
Not really adding up is it?

I think it is possible that Carol really enjoyed her trips away with Russell. Many of us dress up for work, and still enjoy dressing down for camping and road tripping.

We just may not see any pics of Carol as her dressed down version because she was always with Russell then, and they didn't take photos or speak of their clandestine adventures.

 

[SouthAussie]

I googled CWA Victoria Headquarters. It's a very nice looking place with accommodation and dining in Toorak, so pretty "posh". I have visions of some of the members clutching their pearls when their, present or past, President tried to arrange for RH to stay with her there. She might still have been married to Husband 2 at that time, or they might have known he was cheating on a wife.

It's possible that this gossip passed to CWA members in RH's town and people who knew RH or his wife but, given the headquarters are in Toorak, it's also possible it was only passed to people who knew CC. She was the one with the high profile.

I have been thinking about this ... how did anyone at the CWA headquarters know that Russell was married to someone else? It is not as if Toorak is in Carol's or Russell's regional areas.

Unless it was a major CWA event that Russell was attending (award for Carol, or similar) and others from Carol's or Russell's local area CWAs were attending and informed on them.

In which case it is possible/probable that some family members may have known or heard about the long running relationship.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Maybe Carol wasn't the only one from her group or area that went to CWA Headquarters and word gets around fast in some organisations.
The CWA Headquarters may have been warned in advance.

I have been thinking about this ... how did anyone at the CWA headquarters know that Russell was married to someone else? It is not as if Toorak is in their regional areas.

Unless it was a major CWA event that Russell was attending (award for Carol, or similar) and others from Carol's or Russell's local area CWAs were attending and informed on them.

 

[Theodora]

It's possible the CWA HQ scandal occurred while Carol was known to be married to her 2nd husband. People might even have met her 2nd husband. Even if they knew nothing about Russell's marital status they might have been outraged.

I have been thinking about this ... how did anyone at the CWA headquarters know that Russell was married to someone else? It is not as if Toorak is in Carol's or Russell's regional areas.

Unless it was a major CWA event that Russell was attending (award for Carol, or similar) and others from Carol's or Russell's local area CWAs were attending and informed on them.

In which case it is possible/probable that some family members may have known or heard about the long running relationship.

 

[Kemug]

And here we are (yet) again - NOWHERE.

 

[Kemug]

How's the weather at Wonnangatta? Raining? Flooding? Maybe some bodies might be found if washed out by flooding, or if soil is washed away.

 

[bearbear]

another missing older person and a fire? not sure if this is close to wonnangatta?
Search for missing grandmother, 84, ends in heartbreak after her body is found with her faithful Maltese Shih Tzu 'Bindi' waiting by her side
Ms McLean's baffling disappearance echoes that of Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, who vanished on March 20 last year when on a camping trip in the remote Wonnangatta Valley in East Gippsland, 350km east of Melbourne
Search for missing grandmother ends in tragedy as her body is found | Daily Mail Online

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Distance between Wonnangatta, VIC and Timboon, VIC

599 km

 

[SLouTh]

Police halt search for missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay | Daily Mail Online
New article

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I hate what the daily mail has done with those moving ads down the side and all the other moving ones.
I couldn't finish reading the story, it was so distracting.

I like their use of the word "lurid" Ie, having a lurid affair.

 

[JLZ]

I hate what the daily mail has done with those moving ads down the side and all the other moving ones.
I couldn't finish reading the story it was so distracting.

I like the way their use of the word "lurid" Ie, having a lurid affair.

I hated the use of "lurid"!

You didn't miss anything. It's cold in the Victorian Alps in winter. It wasn't interesting enough to make it as a weather story, so they gave it an R & C spin.

 

[bearbear]

Distance between Wonnangatta, VIC and Timboon, VIC

599 km

oh, ok thank you, its too far to have any relevance on this case

 

[Kemug]

As 2021 grinds on through all the Covid disruption and pain, it is beginning to look as though there may never be a resolution to this mystery. At least not in our lifetimes. Not that we matter; but for Carol and Russell's families, I really pray that one day they will have some answers, and can move on

 

[Detective Willy]

This seems to be a "cold case" now? The media were giving this lots of attention just a few months ago but now everything has suddenly stopped. Hopefully its the calm before the storm..