The former Jetstar pilot accused of murdering Australian campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay is reportedly experiencing a "baptism of fire" as he adjusts to life behind bars, where he is being held on remand.
Last month, Greg Lynn was charged with two counts of murder over the alleged killings of Hill, 74, and Clay, 73, in Victoria's Wonnangatta Valley on March 20, 2020.
Lynn, 55, has been remanded in custody at the Melbourne Assessment Prison, one of the city's highest security prisons.
According to the Sunday Herald Sun, Lynn is being housed in protective custody in unit 8 of the prison, which is the same unit where Cardinal George Pell and Bourke St killer James Gargasoulas were previously held.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.A prison insider told the publication that the unit is full of inmates who often scream from their cells.
"The unit is extremely loud and noisy due to the profile of prisoner in there so he is getting a baptism of fire," the source said.
/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/nzme/ZGQLPXK2RV2ND4XRPYWT7JMMT4.png)
The unit allows prison staff to keep a closer eye on high-profile inmates and keep them separate from the general population so they don't draw any unwanted attention.
Like all other new prison arrivals, Lynn must complete 14 days of quarantine.
After that, he will be required to spend 23 hours a day in his cell, with one hour of outside time for exercise and fresh air.
Lynn will be remanded in custody to appear at a committal hearing at Sale Magistrates' Court on May 31, 2022.
He was arrested on November 22 after heavily armed officers swarmed a remote campsite in Arbuckle Junction, 1.5 hours south of Wonnangatta in the state's east.
Speaking after Lynn's arrest, Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said it had been a "complex and exhausting" investigation.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.He said while there was a mix of emotions, investigators felt relieved but also incredibly fatigued.
"This has been one of the most significant investigations we've undertaken in recent years," he said.
/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/nzme/4CRLY2GBWBTECT5KRCH7TBNJHA.png)
"The investigators are relieved, but they appreciate there's more work to be done. It has been a long haul, 20 months, in fact, of commitment and dedication that has been extraordinary."
It will be alleged that Lynn murdered Hill and Clay after the duo embarked on a camping trip to Wonnangatta on March 20 last year.
Hill first left his Drouin home on March 19, before collecting Clay from her home in Pakenham in his white Toyota LandCruiser.
The pair then travelled via Licola, spending one night at Howitt High Plains before heading into Wonnangatta Valley.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Hill – who did not tell his wife he was with Clay – was last heard from the next day via HF radio, stating he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps.
Campers later found Hill's vehicle with signs of minor fire damage at their campsite, which was completely burned out, near the Dry River Creek Track in the Wonnangatta Valley on March 21.
The exhausting 20-month investigation came to a head late last month when police unearthed human remains.
The discovery came after police zeroed in on an area of bushland north of Dargo in Victoria's east.
It is alleged the remains were buried in a shallow grave under a root-ball hole – a pit caused by a large tree falling over.
The remains are yet to be formally identified, but police confirmed they had concluded their search of the bushland area just a few days after the discovery.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.The process of identifying the remains is expected to take some time.
Other key lines of inquiry for police working the case will be results from forensic testing of a Nissan Patrol vehicle that was seized last week.
The four-wheel drive was a key factor in the investigation in the led to Lynn's arrest.
Police put a call out for the driver of the blue "GU" model Nissan Patrol Series 1 that had been caught on CCTV driving in the area at the time of Hill and Clay's disappearance.
After his arrest, Lynn's Nissan Patrol was seized, with police alleging the vehicle was painted from blue to beige shortly after the campers went missing
Police will also investigate any leads after a public appeal to find a trailer sold on Gumtree between March and July last year, believed to be linked to the campers' deaths.
