Accused murderer Greg Lynn burned the remains of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay after he realised his plan to disappear off the radar was unravelling.
Lynn’s hours-long interview with Victoria Police was played to a Supreme Court jury on Tuesday 4 June, as he stands trial accused of murdering Mr Hill, 74, and Mrs Clay, 73.
It’s alleged Lynn killed the couple at Wonnangatta Valley, in the state’s northeast, in March 2020 and then disposed of their bodies in bushland before burning the remains months later.
Lynn, 57, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder.
In his November 2021 interview, Lynn told police Mrs Clay was accidentally shot in the head as he and Mr Hill tussled over his shotgun.
Mr Hill had taken Lynn’s gun and was threatening to show police drone footage of the airline pilot hunting deer near the campsite, Lynn told officers.
He claimed after Mrs Clay was shot, Mr Hill then came at him with a knife and was stabbed in the chest in the ensuing tussle.
Lynn told police once he realised they were both dead, he used his experience as an airline pilot to formulate a plan to “save” himself.
“I was finding a really happy place in the world with family and career and my personal life outside of work, so this for me was a disaster,” he said in his police interview.
Lynn said he decided covering up his connection to their deaths was the best course of action, so he loaded their bodies onto his trailer and burnt the campsite.
He then drove to the Union Spur track where he dumped their remains.
“The objective was not to make them disappear, it was to make me disappear,” Lynn told police.
The airline pilot said he tried to go back to normal life but he started receiving some odd questions and then police came to his home in July 2020.
“I realised it was unravelling,” Lynn said.
“I realised I had to go back … I had to wait for the (Covid-19) lockdowns to finish and the roads to open up, and I steeled myself for the task.”
Lynn told police in November 2020 he returned to the Union Spur track where he set fire to the remains of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay.
He admitted he vomited several times as the bodies burnt, saying the smell and the memories were confronting.
At the end of the police interview, Lynn remained emotionless as he was told he would be charged with the murders of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay.
When asked if he had anything to say, he told police he was innocent of murder.
“I haven’t behaved well,” he said.
“I’ve made some poor decisions but murder, as I understand it, I’m innocent of.”
The trial continues.
