Justin testified to the jury about her investigation into the alleged murders of Carol Clay and Russell Hill, stating that she followed leads and visited Lynn’s family home in Caroline Springs in July 2020. The court heard about the involvement of Gregory Lynn and his painted vehicle, a dark-colored 1997 Nissan Patrol 4WD, captured on traffic cameras near Mount Hotham on the day after the alleged murders. Justin collected traffic camera photographs from the area of interest on the Dargo High Plains Road, where Lynn’s vehicle was the only one seen passing through at around 9:50am on March 21, the morning after the alleged murders, coinciding with Hill’s phone being traced to the area.
Aerial footage of the Dargo High Plains Road and the intersection of the Great Alpine Road was shown to the jury, along with the installation of automatic numberplate recognition technology at Mount Hotham resort. Twelve vehicles were captured on camera on the morning of March 21 on the Buckland Gap side, with Lynn’s Nissan Patrol seen at 9:48am towing a box trailer, with only the driver visible in the photos. Gregory Lynn, a former Jetstar pilot, is on trial for the alleged murders of Carol Clay and Russell Hill, who were married and living in Drouin and Pakenham respectively at the time of their deaths.
Louise Heib, a member of the Country Women’s Association, testified on Wednesday about her friendship with Carol Clay, stating that they met through the CWA and talked regularly. Clay had mentioned her relationship with Hill, describing him as her first love from when they were younger. Clay had overcome a previous breakup with Hill, who did not want to leave his wife due to her poor health, but this did not bother Clay as she was independent. Clay shared stories of camping trips with Hill, enjoying the freedom of the outdoors where she did not have to worry about her appearance. On the morning of March 19, Clay called Heib for help with her CWA board application, but the call ended abruptly after Hill’s voice was heard in the background.
The trial continues as evidence is presented in court, with IT specialist Timothy Lunn testifying about the camera system installed at Mount Hotham for enforcing resort entry fees. Lunn provided footage to the police showing Lynn’s vehicle passing through the area on the morning of March 21, with only the driver visible inside. The jury was shown photos on large screens, highlighting the vehicle and the driver captured by the cameras. The new podcast, The Missing Campers Trial, will follow the court case in real-time as it unfolds, presented by reporters from 9News, The Age, and 9Podcasts. It will provide updates on the trial and explore the details of the case as presented in court.
