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

[TootsieFootsie]

It sounds like the group have been meeting for many years.
Many years before Russell retired or probably any of the group had retired, I think it was said he'd been retired for two years.

So only in the last two years before he disappeared was he retired.
I'd say those hobbies would be popular with men of all ages and some women also.

 

[they'll get you]

The reason I’m leaning toward foul play is it’s near impossible for an older couple who needs medical to live off the grid with no bank accounts touched.
But hey they could’ve had a stash of money and aspirin stashed in a cave somewhere.

I somehow doubt they both strolled hand in hand into the sunset and suicided.
But hey Russell might have had a terminal illness and they decided to be together forever in spirit.

We sleuthers usually zero in on a perp but unfortunately in this case MSM isn’t uncovering any POI.
MSM and the cops scratch each other’s backs.
Keep things quiet? OK Sarg.

 

[trujac]

It sounds like the group have been meeting for many years.
Many years before Russell retired or probably any of the group had retired, I think it was said he'd been retired for two years.

So only in the last two years before he disappeared was he retired.
I'd say those hobbies would be popular with men of all ages and some women also.

Yes, it seems that RH and his friends (also known as the group) had been camping, hunting, fishing, playing with their ham radios in the bush for years--and continued to do so as retirees. I agree, those activities are popular with women too...wonder if any women friends or spouses went routinely with these men when they ventured into the bush.

 

[they'll get you]

There are other articles stating that no accelerant was found at the campsite fire.

Only a bbq and gas bottle, a box of fire starters and some matches.

 

[they'll get you]

IMO, LE's idea that foul play may be involved is their default go to for more ideas when they have exhausted the initial visual and chemical analysis of a missing person(s) last known whereabouts and their search efforts have provided no answers.

Yes it’s been only five months and I’m guess it’s a process of elimination.
Bugging houses and cars. Cctv.
It hasn’t been said their bank cards have been used if it was theft motivated.

 

[they'll get you]

My heart skipped a beat.

Missing NSW camper's body found in Lake Eucumbene by police divers


Missing camper's body found in Lake Eucumbene by police divers

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Mine did too.

I wasn't sure if I should post it here. Didn't want to give anyone a fright. Very sad.

My heart skipped a beat.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

And no claims on insurance. I guess there would have to be a body for that ?

It hasn’t been said their bank cards have been used if it was theft motivated.

 

[Estelle]

Lots of blood splatter in that scenario--contained or not. A professional hit might have been able to execute a faultless and clean massacre with no struggle or dna evidence as you suggest. However, rolling up bodies in sleeping bags, bed sheets, and carpets usually leaves some sort of evidence for crime analysis, imo.

It appears that most of you have assumed that if two perpetrators arrived at the campsite with the intention of murder, they would have done it at the campsite. That might have made sense to me if two burnt bodies had been found there but that was not the case.

It seems to me that the "cleanest" way to have done it would have been to hold them at gunpoint demanding that they get into a vehicle, drive them somewhere else to be murdered and bury them there.

 

[Estelle]

He is known to spend long periods in a remote bush camp. investigators.ttps://anglenews.com/police-suspect-foul-play-involved-in-the-disappearance-of-campers-russell-hill-and-carol-clay/

Is that what Russell wanted them to believe? I recon he was nesting at Carol’s.
View attachment 265723

I agree. I do not think we should accept anything as fact when we know about a secret relationship. RH has probably been lying for years about his whereabouts. Even the new neighbour had sighted RH at CC's new home often and she had only owned it a week!

 

[Estelle]

IMO, LE's idea that foul play may be involved is their default go to for more ideas when they have exhausted the initial visual and chemical analysis of a missing person(s) last known whereabouts and their search efforts have provided no answers.

That is also the conclusion that I have come to as nothing else has been found. Although in most of these cases, when it has been discovered there has been a clandestine relationship, murder is often the conclusion.

 

[Estelle]

And no claims on insurance. I guess there would have to be a body for that ?

I don't think that their disappearance was motivated by people wanting to steal a $2000 drone, it appears that it was a crime of passion (hence the fire) perhaps even with killers for hire with the added benefits of money later if they got away with it.

 

[Estelle]

Yes, it seems that RH and his friends (also known as the group) had been camping, hunting, fishing, playing with their ham radios in the bush for years--and continued to do so as retirees. I agree, those activities are popular with women too...wonder if any women friends or spouses went routinely with these men when they ventured into the bush.

The way that Carol has been described I doubt whether she had been on many of RH's camping trips before RH retired. These sorts of activities are for the men usually. I also see it as a screen that RH used when he could to get away from his wife to see Carol for a few days hiding his car somewhere else or in Carol's garage. Carol may have also used it as a screen but, in fact, perhaps RH was actually staying in her home at some of these times.

Was it reported in the media that Carol told her daughter that she was going away camping alone for a period of days just before lockdown? That would have been a red flag for me if I had been her daughter. How many women of Carol's age would go away for that many days camping alone? It would have been assumed by her family that she went away with someone surely. Did Carol have any camping equipment? For all we know, perhaps this was her first real camping trip with RH. Perhaps RH had always talked about it in the past to Carol and, at last, Carol decided to go especially as RH had bought the drone and wanted to try it out.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Many women also love to go camping. It's not just something that only men like.

Re Carol and Camping. They had camped together the previous month.

"Missing Victorian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay seen camping together month before disappearance"

https://7news.com.au/news/vic/missi...together-month-before-disappearance-c-1057655

We don't actually know how many times they'd been camping together. It could very well have started in the 2 years he had been retired. My guess is the camping trips with Carol started not long after he retired.
Seems very likely to me.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Re the drone, if it was the target it wouldn't have been the drone itself that someone would be after.
It would be any footage that it happened to record.

 

[Estelle]

Many women also love to go camping. It's not just something that only men like.

Re Carol and Camping. They had camped together the previous month.

"Missing Victorian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay seen camping together month before disappearance"

https://7news.com.au/news/vic/missi...together-month-before-disappearance-c-1057655

We don't actually know how many times they'd been camping together. It could very well have started in the 2 years he had been retired. My guess is the camping trips with Carol started not long after he retired.
Seems very likely to me.

I forgot that independent witnesses had actually seen them camping the month before. However, a woman like Carol (I identify with her) would have loved her creature comforts hence the portable toilet. I am also guessing that Carol could have mainly gone to please RH. Perhaps RH's wife had always refused to go in the past.

"For many people, they couldn't imagine her out in the bush, let alone anything befalling her."

Vital new evidence discovered after pair mysteriously disappear from campsite

 

[Estelle]

Can anyone find the article where CC told her daughter that she was going off camping alone for 10 days please?

 

[SouthAussie]

And no claims on insurance. I guess there would have to be a body for that ?

We have learned in other cases that after about a year a family can petition the courts for a ruling of deceased.

They can also petition the court to take control of a missing person's estate, as mortgages, loans, etc might have to be paid on behalf of the deceased.

 

[they'll get you]

And no claims on insurance. I guess there would have to be a body for that ?

An interesting thought Toots.

The vehicle and all equipment were torched, the recipient of the insurance wouldn’t want her husband and her friend’s’ love nest, would she?

Money or the car and equipment?
I’ll take the money!

 

[SouthAussie]

Can anyone find the article where CC told her daughter that she was going off camping alone for 10 days please?

I just did a search on both threads and was unable to find anything about Carol's daughter being told that.

Just two conflicting articles ....

Mr Hill's wife and Ms Clay's family thought each of them was camping alone ....
Police say drone could hold vital clues about disappearance of elderly campers
22 April 2020


And then one month later ....

Hill’s family did not know he was going away with Clay, but some of her family were aware.
https://7news.com.au/news/vic/missi...together-month-before-disappearance-c-1057655
25 May 2020