Greg Lynn guilty of missing Australian camper Carol Clay’s murder

Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn has been found guilty of murdering Carol Clay, 73, at a campsite in Victoria's alpine region.

Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn is facing life behind bars after a jury found he murdered a missing camper but not her secret lover.

The 57-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and a weeks-long trial ensued at the Supreme Court in Melbourne over the deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, who disappeared while camping in 2020.

Twelve jurors deliberated for seven days before returning to the court today with a split verdict.

They found Lynn guilty of Clay’s murder but acquitted him of killing Hill.

The couple went missing from the Wonnangatta Valley, part of Victoria’s alpine region, while camping together.

Lynn claimed the two deaths were accidental but admitted burning the crime scene and destroying their bodies.

Hill, 74, was married and the pair were having a secret affair when they disappeared.

Lynn, Hill and Clay, 73, were the only people who stayed at Bucks Camp that evening, on March 20, 2020.

Lynn said he had been out deer hunting when he returned to threats from Hill that he had drone footage of Lynn hunting too close to the campsite and that he would hand the footage to police.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill. She died from a gunshot wound and he from a knife wound.

Later that evening, he said Hill took a shotgun and ammunition from Lynn’s car.

Lynn claimed he went to reclaim his gun and Hill fired a few warning shots before turning the gun on Lynn.

They struggled, Lynn said, and another shot went off that hit the side of Hill’s ute mirror and ricocheted into Clay’s head.

Shot fragments were found later, proving that Clay died from a shotgun wound.

The former pilot claimed Hill then charged at him with a knife and a second struggle ensued.

Lynn said he was trying to defend himself when the knife went into Hill’s chest.

No evidence was shown to the jury about how Hill died.

Lynn admitted burning the couple’s campsite, putting their bodies in a trailer and driving to the Union Spur Track, where he unloaded the bodies and covered them with sticks.

He returned twice, including an occasion in November 2020 when he set fire to the couple’s remains.

He was arrested a year later. He told his story to police and led investigators to the bodies, which had broken down into 2100 bone fragments.

Lynn maintained he was innocent of murder. He admitted to the jury that covering up the crime, including repainting his ute after disposing of the bodies, was “despicable”.

He offered to plead guilty to charges of destroying evidence before the trial began.

However, the prosecution said his story was a work of fiction and his conduct after the deaths proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he intended to murder the couple.

Twelve jurors began deciding on their two verdicts on June 17, returning to court.

Asked for a verdict on Hill’s murder, the jury’s foreperson replied: “Not guilty.”

Asked about the murder of Clay, the foreperson replied: “Guilty.”

In handing down a split verdict, the jurors decided they did not believe Lynn’s claim that Clay’s death was accidental.

Lynn, wearing a suit and blue jumper, remained silent and still as the verdicts were read aloud, raising his eyebrows after learning his fate.

He waved to his son Geordie, who was seated in front of him, after the jury left the court.

He spoke to his lawyers before he was escorted out, flanked by custody officers, and smiled as the prison van took him away.

He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He will return to court on July 19 and will be sentenced later.

Outside court, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Martin O’Brien praised the “determination and perseverance” of detectives in bringing Lynn to justice.

He said the courage of Hill and Clay’s families had been “nothing short of extraordinary”.