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

[trujac]

I've got a germ of an out-there theory that they never made it to Wonnangatta; that violence occurred elsewhere and the perpetrator moved their belongings so as not to point to the real scene of the crime. Then he burnt the tent so it could not be established from its layout that Russell and Carol were never there. If so, he probably made the radio call himself.

JLZ--are you suggesting the assailant moved RH's tent and truck, also set up their portable toilet/shower, and then burned down their tent, table and chairs, etc?? That is a wild shot in the dark, lol. But I think it's possible someone tracked them from the Wonnangatta Valley Station the evening of March 19th, after RH made his ham radio call to family and friends letting them know he had to go and set up his camp because it was getting dark. For all we know, RH and CC were killed shortly after setting up their campsite.

 

[trujac]

Here is a recent Rotary Club of Pakenham publication covering Carol Clay with a nice picture of her:
"Carol has an extensive history of more than fifty years of community service as a volunteer with hospital auxiliaries, Red Cross, tennis club, school and kindergarten committees and other organisations, as well as conducting her own catering and sponge making business for ten years. She also conducted cooking demonstrations at Casey-Cardinia Libraries for past 3 years and presently is part of CWA Cardinia Community Kitchen project in conjunction with the Cardinia Food Movement and Ripe for Change."

Last Week's Meeting

 

[JLZ]

JLZ--are you suggesting the assailant moved RH's tent and truck, also set up their portable toilet/shower, and then burned down their tent, table and chairs, etc?? That is a wild shot in the dark, lol. But I think it's possible someone tracked them from the Wonnangatta Valley Station the evening of March 19th, after RH made his ham radio call to family and friends letting them know he had to go and set up his camp because it was getting dark. For all we know, RH and CC were killed shortly after setting up their campsite.

Yes it's fanciful. But look, we're still on different pages about the timing. My understanding is that he made the radio call on 20 March. Left Carol's Pakenham home at 7:30am 19 March, and after what should have been a five-hour drive, around thirty-four hours later there they are setting up camp in Wonnangatta, and eighteen hours after that the campsite is burnt and cold. So what happened between Thursday morning and Friday evening? There's room there for a motive to have arisen--somebody annoyed about being tracked by the drone--or a meeting with someone already known to them.

 

[Tinker Taylor]

Yes it's fanciful. But look, we're still on different pages about the timing. My understanding is that he made the radio call on 20 March. Left Carol's Pakenham home at 7:30am 19 March, and after what should have been a five-hour drive, around thirty-four hours later there they are setting up camp in Wonnangatta, and eighteen hours after that the campsite is burnt and cold. So what happened between Thursday morning and Friday evening? There's room there for a motive to have arisen--somebody annoyed about being tracked by the drone--or a meeting with someone already known to them.

I thought the Police had tracked them via their mobile phone data till they got to the high country? "

Police said Mr Hill collected Ms Clay from her Pakenham home at 7.30am on Thursday, March 19.

Mobile phone tracking data showed the pair drove through Heyfield, Licola and Licola North to get to the Wonnangatta Valley.

"They then took the Zeka Spur Track, which leads up into the High Country, into Wonnangatta, which is getting close to as remote as you can get in Victoria," Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said.

Mr Hill last made contact with his wife and friends on March 20 via radio from Wonnangatta Station."

No mention about what took them so long or where they stopped (assuming that the data can tell them this).

 

[JLZ]

I thought the Police had tracked them via their mobile phone data till they got to the high country? "

Police said Mr Hill collected Ms Clay from her Pakenham home at 7.30am on Thursday, March 19.

Mobile phone tracking data showed the pair drove through Heyfield, Licola and Licola North to get to the Wonnangatta Valley.

"They then took the Zeka Spur Track, which leads up into the High Country, into Wonnangatta, which is getting close to as remote as you can get in Victoria," Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said.

Mr Hill last made contact with his wife and friends on March 20 via radio from Wonnangatta Station."

No mention about what took them so long or where they stopped (assuming that the data can tell them this).

I understand their mobiles were picked up in Heyfield and Licola. I haven't heard if there were any other pings, or the rest of the journey could be inference. (Ramjet said the only practicable way into the valley is by Zeka Spur Track.)

Button Man admitted seeing them where they camped on Dry River Track--but saw them as individuals, or saw the tent and car? . . . and was that on Thursday or Friday or even Saturday? In any case I have a question-mark over his evidence, because it's possible he was involved in the disappearance.

 

[Tinker Taylor]

Button Man admitted seeing them where they camped on Dry River Track--but saw them as individuals, or saw the tent and car? . . . and was that on Thursday or Friday or even Saturday? In any case I have a question-mark over his evidence, because it's possible he was involved in the disappearance.

I haven't found this information re Button Man, only that he was interviewed and Police are confident he wasn't involved. Do you have a link?

 

[JLZ]

I haven't found this information re Button Man, only that he was interviewed and Police are confident he wasn't involved. Do you have a link?

I can't find it so far. I'll have another look later. I did read it. Could be the article has been revised since then.

 

[JLZ]

Meanwhile, apropos my interest in the first day and night, there's this (BBM):

Following an extensive investigation, detectives are widening the net of people they want to talk to and say they are particularly interested in hearing from anyone who passed or stayed in the following areas:

• King Billy and Bluff Track between March 11 and March 13, where Russell camped alone;
• Howitt Plains and Zeka Spur Track between March 19 and March 20; and
• Wonnangatta Valley and Wonnangatta Station between March 20-24.

'Oddball' bushman known as 'Button Man' among those questioned after sightings of missing Victorian campers

ETA: Also from that article, I hadn't seen this spelt out before (colour as in original):

A Current Affair can also reveal Mr Hill went on a solo camping trip a week before he vanished.

The 74-year-old and his expensive DJI Mavic drone – which is yet to be recovered – were in the area of King Billy and Bluff Track, near the camp of an "oddball" bushman who was spoken to by police over the disappearances.

 

[Poirot's niece]

This is why I'm inclined to think accident/misadventure rather than murder.

I reckon that LE must have a lead, or a tip off or something new to publicly announce that they now consider RH & CC's disappearance to possibly be foul play. Hoping to ferret out more info or watch for movement. Bit risky for their reputations if they're going on nothing.

 

[Tinker Taylor]

From the Victoria Police FB page, it seems that the camp was not found the day after, but a week later!

 

[JLZ]

From the Victoria Police FB page, it seems that the camp was not found the day after, but a week later!

View attachment 252725

So there's clearly a conflict between early reports saying a search party found the burnt-out site a week after the disappearance and that campers who stumbled across the site the previous day ie 26 March said it looked "normal", and some reports in May that said the site was burnt and cold on 21 March.
Search resumes for missing pair whose campsite was found burned to the ground - Internewscast
Search to Continue - GOLD 1242 & GOLD FM 98.3 - Local / National News

 

[JLZ]

I can't find it so far. I'll have another look later. I did read it. Could be the article has been revised since then.

Update: I've read and reread a lot of articles, and the information about Button Man telling police he saw the missing pair at Dry River Creek Track isn't there now. I think it's been removed, perhaps because it was an error. I don't think I imagined it, but regard it that way if you will unless it comes up again.

 

[Tinker Taylor]

So there's clearly a conflict between early reports saying a search party found the burnt-out site a week after the disappearance and that campers who stumbled across the site the previous day ie 26 March said it looked "normal", and some reports in May that said the site was burnt and cold on 21 March.
Search resumes for missing pair whose campsite was found burned to the ground - Internewscast
Search to Continue - GOLD 1242 & GOLD FM 98.3 - Local / National News

How will we ever solve this thing if they can't get their clues right??

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Friend's last conversation with missing High Country camper Russell Hill revealed



https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa...kFVOlI&usg=AFQjCNGAHqQJOJ2o-kB5Rgrks3Bko8XEYw


Behind a paywall

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Missing camper's final conversation revealed: Best mate of married man who vanished with 'beauty queen' reveals chilling details of their last phone call - and how he KNOWS his friend was attacked


Mr Ashlin became concerned when his friend did not check in on the radio network the following night.

'The radio network was like a security safety net between all of us whenever we were away camping,' he said.

 

[Paul_Pry]

Behind a paywall

Heres a link to The Daily Mail's version of this article today
Russell Hill's best mate believes his friend was ATTACKED after speaking to him before he vanished | Daily Mail Online

This article is a little long summarising the whole case, the headline is classic daily mail style

Missing camper's final conversation revealed: Best mate of married man who vanished with 'beauty queen' reveals chilling details of their last phone call - and how he KNOWS his friend was attacked

Here's some snippets from the new article

"The best friend of missing camper Russell Hill believes his mate was attacked after speaking to him hours before he vanished."

"Rob Ashlin, a friend of Mr Hill's for almost three decades, is the last known person to speak to him via an amateur radio network around 6pm on March 20."

"Mr Ashlin said Mr Hill was an experienced camper who seemed upbeat and positive during their final conversation, The Herald Sun reported.

The friend said it was unlike Mr Hill to leave his camp unattended and believed the suspicious fire was set as a 'decoy' for an attack.

'Russell would never, ever leave his vehicle.

'He's been attacked, I believe there is more than one person involved,' Mr Ashlin explained.

Mr Hill had asked Mr Ashlin for directions to Dargo, about 70km away, and said he planned to drive there soon.

Mr Ashlin became concerned when his friend did not check in on the radio network the following night."

"'The radio network was like a security safety net between all of us whenever we were away camping,' he said.

Mr Hill’s wife Robyn was also concerned by his absence from the radio network and soon reported it to police, prompting a mass search effort."

"Search and rescue officers believe the couple are not in the zone they have already searched and want to talk to people who were in the Wonnangatta area when the pair disappeared. "

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Thanks Paul-Pry!

 

[JLZ]

Missing camper's final conversation revealed: Best mate of married man who vanished with 'beauty queen' reveals chilling details of their last phone call - and how he KNOWS his friend was attacked


Mr Ashlin became concerned when his friend did not check in on the radio network the following night.

'The radio network was like a security safety net between all of us whenever we were away camping,' he said.

It sounds like at the time of the radio conversation they were yet to head for Dargo.

That map is way out. Wonnangatta is about 90km from where they mark it.

 

[Tinker Taylor]

Mr Hill had asked Mr Ashlin for directions to Dargo, about 70km away, and said he planned to drive there soon.

That doesn't seem to be consistent with someone who was only in the area the previous weekend and was supposedly familiar with the area having previously worked in logging around there and was also a 'meticulous camper' who should have had detailed maps/topographical maps of the area!

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Maybe at the last moment he tried to raise the alarm when he sensed danger.