Greg Lynn verdict: How a bee sting solved police’s biggest dilemma as they closed in on the missing campers’ killer

A nasty bee sting reaction that required hospitalization came to the rescue of detectives investigating Greg Lynn for the alleged murder of missing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill.

On Tuesday afternoon, Lynn was found guilty of the murder of Ms Clay, 73, but not guilty of the murder of her secret lover, Mr Hill, 74, after more than ten days of jury deliberation.

It has since emerged that detectives were faced with an agonizing decision during their investigation into Lynn.

The ex-Jetstar pilot was grounded during the Covid-19 pandemic but was due to return to the skies in 2021.

Investigators were faced with the prospect of being forced to tell the airline why their pilot had to be suspended from work, exposing their ongoing investigation into him.

This would have created a risk that he would be alerted that something was wrong and that their benefit might be hampered if he sought legal advice.

But Lynn’s decision to take up beekeeping as a pandemic pastime solved the problem for them.

Greg Lynn was found guilty of the murder of Carol Clay, 73, (left), but not guilty of the murder of her secret lover Russell Hill, 74 (right)

Lynn suffered a nasty reaction to a bee sting that landed him in the hospital and delayed his return to work Herald Sun reported.

This gave detectives the necessary breathing space to further develop their investigation into him.

Lynn documented his new hobby on social media, sharing a photo of himself and his wife Melanie, smiling in their white beekeeping suits next to a beehive.

He appeared to be proudly holding a glass of honey, while his wife held what looked like a bee brochure.

He also shared a photo of himself from his hospital bed with a mask pulled over his face.

The ex-Jetstar pilot was found guilty of the murder of Ms Clay, 73, but not guilty of the murder of Mr Hill, 74, in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday.

Lynn (pictured) also shared a photo of himself from his hospital bed with a mask pulled over his face after suffering a nasty reaction to a bee sting

The 57-year-old had pleaded not guilty to the murder of the two campers in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria’s Alpine region, on March 20, 2020.

The jury had been deliberating on the murder charge against Lynn since June 14.

Lynn, dressed in a suit and blue sweater, remained silent as the two verdicts were read out, raising his eyebrows after learning his fate.

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

He spoke to his lawyers before being escorted from court, flanked by custody officials, and will be sentenced at a later date.

The maximum penalty for murder is life in prison.

Lynn will return to court for a citation on July 19, when dates will be set.