Teeth and a charred watch: The police search for missing campers’ remains

GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING

Down connected hands and knees for 3 days, forensic investigators sifted done ungraded and leaves successful their hunt for missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay.

At the basal of a fallen histrion disconnected a distant Alpine way they recovered bony fragments, teeth and a charred wristwatch.

It was 1 of 2 sites of involvement to experts, the Supreme Court of Victoria heard connected Thursday, during their hunt for answers astir what happened to the aged pair.

The upturned histrion wherever quality remains were earlier found.Credit: Jason South

The assemblage heard that aft examining a burnt campsite astatine Bucks Camp, successful the Wonnangatta Valley wherever constabulary allege the murders occurred, forensic idiosyncratic George Xydias moved to a 2nd determination adjacent Dargo, disconnected Union Spur Track.

Led determination by police, Xydias said a squad of forensic scientists, including an anthropologist, graded a clearing to the broadside of the unsealed way and worked betwixt November 29 and December 1, 2021 looking for biologic remains linked to Hill, 74, and Clay, 73.

Former Jetstar aviator Gregory Lynn is connected proceedings implicit the alleged murders of Carol Clay and Russell Hill.Credit: Monique Westermann

Xydias said 2 areas of involvement were recovered there, astir 16 metres apart. One was astatine the basal of the fallen tree, besides referred to arsenic a basal shot cavity, and the 2nd a clearing of bush.

He said it appeared a occurrence had been lit successful the indented clearing, and the remains of the occurrence past moved to the 2nd determination adjacent the histrion base.

Xydias, who specialises successful investigating fatal fires, explosions and bushfires, took the assemblage done photographs of some sites, pointing retired the bony fragments uncovered, immoderate blackened by the fire.

Remains of occurrence debris tin beryllium seen astatine the basal of the tree, aft constabulary reopened the country to the public.Credit: Jason South

“Effectively, it was hands and knees crossed this location,” Xydias said.

“We past ran instruments implicit the tract and past pursuing that dense instrumentality came through.

“The apical six to 12 inches of ungraded was removed and sieved implicit days.”

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Under the tree, helium said they recovered a important magnitude of heat-affected biologic substance including bony remnants, respective teeth and the partial remains of an older benignant of wristwatch.

At the 2nd site, wherever the occurrence is believed to person occurred, the idiosyncratic said remnants of the blaze were inactive disposable a ft down from the topsoil.

Greg Lynn, a 57-year-old hose pilot, has pleaded not blameworthy to murdering Hill and Clay astatine Bucks Camp successful the Wonnangatta Valley connected March 20, 2020.

Lynn’s ineligible squad accidental the pair died accidentally, portion the prosecution alleges Lynn, a hunter, killed them with murderous intent.

Hill and Clay’s campsite, including Hill’s achromatic ute, was torched by Lynn, who bundled their bodies into his trailer and drove them retired of the valley.

The burnt Wonnangatta campsite shown to the jury.Credit: Victoria Police

Lynn’s ineligible squad does not quality that their lawsuit moved the bodies and aboriginal burnt them astatine Union Spur Track.

They accidental this was done amid a bid of unspeakable choices, successful the aftermath of the 2 accidental deaths, arsenic they aviator feared his beingness would beryllium “screwed” and tried to marque the catastrophe spell away.

The proceedings continues.

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