Found Deceased Australia - Russell Hill, 74, & Carol Clay, 72, Wonnangatta Valley, 20 March 2020 #3

[they'll get you]

He applauded police for renewing their search efforts but made a bombshell claim about the rural area where his best mate went missing.

“We want answers and that area of the bush is certainly not safe to go to at the moment,” he told the Herald Sun.

“We’re waiting for people to drop their guard and open their mouths. Police have got to keep going, they can’t leave a stone unturned.”

Specialist search crews combed the Wonnangatta Valley for a third consecutive day on Wednesday in a bid to crack the case.
‘Not safe’: Best mate of missing camper issues bombshell warning

 

[they'll get you]

Previous reports suggested the pair were high school sweethearts, and Mr Hill’s wife was not aware Ms Clay was joining him on the camping trip.
https://www.news.com.au/national/vi...g/news-story/6c32bde6e95a13ab0bde36fbc37c40f2

 

[they'll get you]

The 74-year-old’s family didn’t know he was going away with Carol, but some of her family was aware.


https://7news.com.au/news/vic/all-t...campers-russell-hill-and-carol-clay-c-2694312

 

[SouthAussie]

The best friend of a missing camper has issued a grim warning to people not to visit the remote bushland where his mate went missing, declaring it is “not safe”.

Russell Hill and Carol Clay vanished in March last year before their burnt-out campsite was found. There’s been no trace of the pair, and the case continue to baffle police.

Rob Ashlin was the last person to speak to Mr Hill via an amateur radio network before he vanished.

He applauded police for renewing their search efforts but made a bombshell claim about the rural area where his best mate went missing.
‘Not safe’: Best mate of missing camper issues bombshell warning

Makes you wonder why Rob thinks it is not safe there. Other than the obvious risks of remoteness and isolation.

Because there is a murderer who is residing somewhere there? Because there is a murderer who lives in the general area and will do anything to make sure that Russell and Carol are not discovered?

Not that Rob will be privvy to police knowledge, he will have his own opinions.

 

[Theodora]

Great article & thanks for posting it.

So putting a few pieces of the jigsaw together:
- Rob Ashlin knew RH since mid 1990's
- RH & CC got together (again) approx 1999/2000/2001
- CC divorced hubby to be with RH Was the unit Carol lived in meant to be their new, shared home and did RH put $$ into the purchase??
- Rob Ashlin knew about Carol and RH felt safe to confide in him
- RH apparently backed out of the proposed living arrangement at the last minute which he confided to Rob Ashlin.

I don't think Rob Ashlin had anything to do with RH & CC missing but I wouldn't be surprised if he was aware CC was with RH on that trip. (he did say he was unaware but maybe he didn't want to upset RH's wife Robyn, or let on what he knew as that would perhaps lead to many questions. I wonder if he told the Police who was with RH??)

My impression is that RH didn't tell Rob Ashlin anything about CC. I think he has pieced the information about their relationship together after they went missing. The first two quotes below seem more likely to be reporting what someone else has told Rob Ashlin, possibly RH's wife or another family member, or perhaps just local gossip and after RH and CC disappeared.

"...apparently Carol’s been around the scene for 20 years, on and off..."

"... the two were reportedly teenage sweethearts before splitting up.."

I also doubt RH said the following to Rob Ashlin, I think he's reporting what he's been told. I see no reason to think Rob wasn't telling the truth when he said he didn't know CC was with RH on that trip.

"...Ms Clay lost her first husband but married for a second time before allegedly divorcing her husband to be with Mr Hill ...“

"But Russell backed out at the last minute”

 

[TootsieFootsie]

You're at a disadvantage in a remote area with no device that you can carry, that's capable of contacting anyone.

I was wondering if maybe Russell had a last try at trying to get someone on that radio when trouble started happening, but because it was after the usual time, no one heard him.

Was Russells antenna setup still there ?
Didn't someone say before that he had strung it up in a tree at a different camp ?

With no tree I imagine he had it strung up over either the vehicle, the portable toilet or the tent. Were those burn lines on the car, the remnant of the antenna line.

 

[bearbear]

interesting that rob says there was no communication problem?

Mr Ashlin is the last known person to have spoken with 74-year-old Mr Hill via radio from his Bairnsdale home on the evening of Friday, March 20.

He said contrary to reports, communication was good and “there was no indication of any problems”.
“I think they’ve been murdered”

 

[trixie_au]

You're at a disadvantage in a remote area with no device that you can carry, that's capable of contacting anyone.

TBH I’m really surprised RH didn’t carry a PLB, especially since he also camped alone up there at various times. It’s just such an essential, and especially for someone who was so meticulous as he was. Or did he, and we’ve not heard? Or maybe I missed it. Either way it wasn’t activated, but that would be the first thing you’d go for in an emergency, and would be something you’d carry with you if ‘chasing a lost drone’. Hmmmm...

 

[bearbear]

PLBs are smaller land-based cousins of Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) used by boaters. When you activate a PLB, it transmits a powerful distress signal that's received by a global system of satellites.

 

[Monsoon]

It is strange that there's the combination of burnt campsite + robbery. Burnt campsite seems like overkill if it's just a robbery from the car (e.g. bank cards and drone). But robbery seems like an unnecessary waste of time if it's a murder + burn evidence. I wonder if this points to it having been a simple robbery at first, followed by being discovered by RH and CC, + then an altercation.

 

[SouthAussie]

You're at a disadvantage in a remote area with no device that you can carry, that's capable of contacting anyone.

I was wondering if maybe Russell had a last try at trying to get someone on that radio when trouble started happening, but because it was after the usual time, no one heard him.

Was Russells antenna setup still there ?
Didn't someone say before that he had strung it up in a tree at a different camp ?

With no tree I imagine he had it strung up over either the vehicle, the portable toilet or the tent. Were those burn lines on the car, the remnant of the antenna line.

I was always under the impression that Russell stopped at Wonnangatta Station to make his last transmission.
It is possible that he had not yet set the ham radio up at the campsite (if he was going to do that, depending on the reception).


Mr Hill last made contact with his wife and friends on March 20 via radio from Wonnangatta Station.
He was expected to radio the group again the following night.
Police say drone could hold vital clues about disappearance of elderly campers

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Oh yes you're right.

I imagine getting the toilet set up might have been the first priority. And the nightly call had already been made so there was no hurry to get set up for the next night's radio call.

I was always under the impression that Russell stopped at Wonnangatta Station to make his last transmission.
It is possible that he had not yet set the ham radio up at the campsite (if he was going to do that, depending on the reception).

 

[Marchalot]

I think there would be a new world of theories if you went up and mixed with the locals

 

[SouthAussie]

I think there would be a new world of theories if you went up and mixed with the locals

What we have heard (I think it was on Under Investigation) is that the locals think Russell came across a drug crop.

And they said no drug crops were found in the area, nor a place where drug crops might have been.

 

[Marchalot]

What we have heard (I think it was on Under Investigation) is that the locals think Russell came across a drug crop.

And they said no drug crops were found in the area, nor a place where drug crops might have been.

What does a drone say ?

 

[SouthAussie]

What does a drone say ?

The police have had drones up, as well.

 

[Estelle]

The 74-year-old’s family didn’t know he was going away with Carol, but some of her family was aware.


https://7news.com.au/news/vic/all-t...campers-russell-hill-and-carol-clay-c-2694312

I have found it very difficult to ascertain a viable motivation for murderers (as I think there must have been two) to do away with two people such as Carol and Russell. It appears that in the above article the media found out that some of Carol's family were aware even though another article stated that she told them she was going away alone. I have found it very difficult to believe that Russell's side of the family did not know or at least suspect it after so many years. Therefore, IMO, two people from either family could have followed Russell and Carol (or even paid others to do so) because they were angry with the secrecy and wanted to confront them about it as their inheritance was at stake or even Carol's ex-husband could have been angry that Carol divorced him to marry Russell but it had not happened and he felt deceived. There could have been an argument at the campsite when they were discovered together and the rest is history. Fire represents passion.

No representatives of either family have ever come out to give an interview on TV or shown any concern for them ever since. I wonder why that is? Russell's wife just called him a "silly old bugger".

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Maybe they've seen what the media has done to family members in other cases and decided to let the Police handle it.

No representatives of either family have ever come out to give an interview on TV or shown any concern for them ever since. I wonder why that is? Russell's wife just called him a "silly old bugger"

 

[Bats]

Whilst there was some interesting goings on between Carol and Russell, i don't suspect someone within either of the family's circles would resort to murdering both of them. Also, R and C were 2 days drive into the middle of the Victorian Alps. I think it would be difficult for someone to follow them all that way without being noticed...

I think there may have been very little motivation for the murders. Just a couple of idiots...

JMO

 

[SouthAussie]

Whilst there was some interesting goings on between Carol and Russell, i don't suspect someone within either of the family's circles would resort to murdering both of them. Also, R and C were 2 days drive into the middle of the Victorian Alps. I think it would be difficult for someone to follow them all that way without being noticed...

I think there may have been very little motivation for the murders. Just a couple of idiots...

JMO

I would agree with you, except for the controlled tent fire. And the locking of the vehicle. That wasn't a couple of idiots. That was calculated.