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

[SouthAussie]

In searching for this ^^^ I also stumbled across this.
Rob had a bad feeling very early. And encouraged Russell's wife to call the police.
I wonder if it was just the lack of further contact, or something more as well.


On the Monday night, when Mr Hill still hadn’t made contact, it was Mr Ashlin who advised Mr Hill’s wife, Robyn, it was out of the ordinary and to call the police.

“I thought I’m sniffing a bad rat here,” Mr Ashlin said.

“I think they’ve been murdered”

 

[Midwestmom2019]

In searching for this ^^^ I also stumbled across this.


On the Monday night, when Mr Hill still hadn’t made contact, it was Mr Ashlin who advised Mr Hill’s wife, Robyn, it was out of the ordinary and to call the police.

“I thought I’m sniffing a bad rat here,” Mr Ashlin said.

“I think they’ve been murdered”

What prompted him to say that? He has a clue but he may not even realize it. That spontaneous remark lends weight to the content. He called Mrs. Hill with the suggestion to contact police so I don’t think he believes she is involved.
But add that Russell’s wife was quick to pack up his things and move on in life....That was odd.
Agatha Christie could not have written a better plot.

 

[SouthAussie]

What prompted him to say that? He has a clue but he may not even realize it. That spontaneous remark lends weight to the content. He called Mrs. Hill with the suggestion to contact police so I don’t think he believes she is involved.
But add that Russell’s wife was quick to pack up his things and move on in life....That was odd.
Agatha Christie could not have written a better plot.

Rob may have thought that a missing persons report is best to (or had to) come from family. Not necessary any more, but it is something that some people do still believe. IMO

Which makes me wonder exactly when Russell was reported missing. It wasn't until 26th March that police got out to that camping area.

It was on the Monday (23rd) that Rob got really worried and advised Russell's wife to contact the police.
And, at some point in there, Rob spoke with the police because he was the one who pointed police to Russell's probable campsite.


Familiar with the bush, Mr Ashlin was able to direct police to the precise camp location when police conducted a search for the missing couple.

Mr Ashlin believes the couple has met with foul play sometime between the Friday night and early Saturday afternoon.
“Russell would never leave his equipment, never,” Mr Ashlin said.

“I believe he’s been jumped and I reckon he’s been forced into a vehicle and carted out of there.”
“The police have really looked into everything, they’ve had forensics up there, they’ve had dogs, they’ve had helicopters, they’ve had blokes on horseback and it’s as clean as a whistle, they can’t find anything.”
“I think they’ve been murdered”

 

[TootsieFootsie]

CWA’s no cupcake affair | Pakenham Gazette

In 2000, Carol moved with her family to South Gippsland and it was here that she was first truly introduced to the CWA, when a neighbour dragged her along to a meeting.

What started as a way to meet new people in a new town has evolved into something more significant for Carol, but the social aspect is still the main appeal after so many years.
“I have gained confidence and I have met some fabulous people; I have gained friends for life,” she said.
“It is the friends for life that are so wonderful about the organisation.”
Carol’s first meeting was at Berrys Creek (which went into recess within months of her joining and re-formed eight months later).
“That’s where my CWA story began in 2001. I loved it,” she said.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Rob may have thought that a missing persons report is best to (or had to) come from family. Not necessary any more, but it is something that some people do still believe. IMO

Which makes me wonder exactly when Russell was reported missing. It wasn't until 26th March that police got out to that camping area.

It was on the Monday (23rd) that Rob got really worried and advised Russell's wife to contact the police.
And, at some point in there, Rob spoke with the police because he was the one who pointed police to Russell's probable campsite.


Familiar with the bush, Mr Ashlin was able to direct police to the precise camp location when police conducted a search for the missing couple.

Mr Ashlin believes the couple has met with foul play sometime between the Friday night and early Saturday afternoon.
“Russell would never leave his equipment, never,” Mr Ashlin said.

“I believe he’s been jumped and I reckon he’s been forced into a vehicle and carted out of there.”
“The police have really looked into everything, they’ve had forensics up there, they’ve had dogs, they’ve had helicopters, they’ve had blokes on horseback and it’s as clean as a whistle, they can’t find anything.”
“I think they’ve been murdered”

Not 15 years but 26? I think the article stated. That’s a LONG time to know someone. Mr. Ashlin has it pegged. Now to find the round holes to fit them in to.

 

[SouthAussie]

Not 15 years but 26? I think the article stated. That’s a LONG time to know someone. Mr. Ashlin has it pegged. Now to find the round holes to fit them in to.

Yes, 26 years. I had that wrong. When I listened to an interview with Carol's friend just now it is her who has known Carol for 15 years.


Ms Coombe said she was surprised to learn Carol, the former Victorian President of the Country Women's Association, had regularly gone camping with Russell.
"She was a glamour Queen really.
"She always looks gorgeous and well-dressed.
"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

 

[TootsieFootsie]

If I found out my missing husband had gone away with another woman, I would do exactly what his wife did and pack up his things.

 

[Linear13]

If I found out my missing husband had gone away with another woman, I would do exactly what his wife did and pack up his things.

You have summed up my thoughts exactly. If I had just found out that my husband of many years had not only gone missing but had gone missing with the neighbor lady that was one of ‘our’ good friends...I wouldn’t have waited as long as she did. I’m sure she might have been thinking, in the beginning, that they may have run off somewhere to be together. It’s what I would have thought had it happened to me. Yet now with all the time that has passed and all the investigations by police it’s looking more like foul play. I personally believe something terrible happened out there.

All opinions and speculation are my own.

 

[SouthAussie]

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.

Russell lives about ½ an hour away from Carol, so it is very possible that he used a camping ruse to spend more time with Carol. imo


خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏


Though, it is also reported that Russell and Carol went away together 'regularly'.

The pair, who regularly went away together according to ACA, travelled to Wonnangatta Valley ....
Wife of man, 74, who vanished while camping with female friend, 73, speaks out

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Thanks South!

I knew I'd seen that article before but couldn't find it.

 

[they'll get you]

I wonder if it was a happy conversation.

Hill made contact with his wife using a high frequency radio on March 20, however that is the last time that anyone heard from either of them.
Wife of man, 74, who vanished while camping with female friend, 73, speaks out

 

[TootsieFootsie]

I think the "conversation" was him contacting his friend at the usual contact time of 6pm and his wife being able to listen in from their setup at home.

I don't think he had a direct conversation with his wife unless she was a qualified ham radio operator.

Just my opinion from reading between the lines.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Here it is re the radio:

Police to take another look at vehicle of missing camper | Daily Mail Online

Mr Hill had been a keen amateur radio enthusiast and made his last broadcast from the bush in the days before his disappearance.

'That was our communication because the phones don't work out there in Wonnangatta. Normally radios would get out because that's what they would use when they were logging up there,' Mrs Hill said.

And not hearing him on the radio here - because I can't talk on it because I'm not licensed - I was starting to get a bit worried,' Mrs Hill said.

 

[SouthAussie]

I think the "conversation" was him contacting his friend at the usual contact time of 6pm and his wife being able to listen in from their setup at home.

I don't think he had a direct conversation with his wife unless she was a qualified ham radio operator.

Just my opinion from reading between the lines.

An article I posted not too far back said Russell spoke with 3 or 4 friends in that last radio transmission. (Yes, his wife listened in.)
I think if Russell had lost his drone before then, or felt any threat before then, he might have mentioned it to them.

So it seems all was okay at least until 6:30pm on Friday 20th March.

 

[Kemug]

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

Well, it won't be very long to wait then.

 

[Kemug]

I'm not sure that I believe in Mr. Ashlin's "gut feeling", or smelling of rats, or pronouncements of murder. And even if he was telling the truth as he saw it, I still don't think that his thoughts and feelings are any indication of what really happened.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Yes everything seemed ok during the call.
If there was a problem that call could have been a good way to get help.
I was thinking, I wonder how normal his voice was. Maybe someone was there threatening them and he said he had to check in otherwise they would come looking.

What if something he said in the call to his friends was an attempt to alert them that there was something wrong, but they didn't pick up on it.

 

[SouthAussie]

Yes everything seemed ok during the call.
If there was a problem that call could have been a good way to get help.
I was thinking, I wonder how normal his voice was. Maybe someone was there threatening them and he said he had to check in otherwise they would come looking.

What if something he said in the call to his friends was an attempt to alert them that there was something wrong, but they didn't pick up on it.

I just read that Rob said nothing was awry with that last transmission, despite what has been said. Let me see if I can find the link.

ETA:
He said contrary to reports, communication was good and “there was no indication of any problems”.
Mr Ashlin gave Mr Hill directions on how to get to Dargo through Wombat Spur and Talbotville from Wonnangatta.
“His plan was in the next day or so to come down and camp at Upper Dargo as more or less a final night, I believe, and return (home) to Drouin,” Mr Ashlin told the Advertiser.
“I think they’ve been murdered”

 

[they'll get you]

What really motivated the cops to investigate, Robyn or Rob's call to the police or the discovery of the burned out campsite by the hiker?

 

[Estelle]

What really motivated the cops to investigate, Robyn or Rob's call to the police or the discovery of the burned out campsite by the hiker?

That is the million dollar question.