The shotgun slug that killed elderly camper Carol Clay remained buried at the original crime scene in Victoria’s remote wilderness for just under two years.
Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn has been acquitted in the Supreme Court of Victoria of the murders of secret lovers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria’s Alpine region, on March 20, 2020.
On Tuesday, ballistics expert Senior Constable Paul Griffiths told the jury that on March 2, 2022, he found the 12-gauge slug allegedly used to kill Ms Clay at the location where her burnt campsite was found.
Greg Lynn appears in the Supreme Court of Victoria
The mutilated slug was also found to contain fibers and ‘biological material’, believed to be that of Mrs Clay.
The jury has previously heard claims that the slug that killed Ms Clay blew off the passenger side mirror of Mr Hill’s Landcruiser before hitting Ms Clay in the head.
‘Since quite some time had passed, we had to use a sifting technique. So we went down almost an inch in that area,” he said.
Using a metal detector, the detective located shards of glass and the slug, he told the court.
“It was a fired projectile with a significant amount of impact damage,” Senior Constable Griffiths said.
A week later, a new search turned up even more alleged evidence, including bone fragments.
Senior Constable Griffiths said he was sent back into the bush in March 2022 in the hope of finding evidence that may have been previously missed.
“The purpose was to search for other objects and find from memory shell casings … and other bone fragments,” he told the jury.
On Wednesday the jury heard it took weeks for Victoria Police’s Missing Persons Unit to take on the case.
Detective Senior Constable Amy Frost was initially tasked with investigating the couple’s disappearance after they were reported missing on March 26.
She handed the investigation over to Detective Leading Senior Constable Abbey Justin of the Missing Persons Unit on April 20, initiating an investigation that would ultimately lead to Lynn’s arrest.
The left-handed 12 Gauge ‘Barathrum Arms’ model shotgun was shown by Senior Constable Griffiths from the witness box.
Police believe the side mirror of Russell Hill’s car was shot off (photo)
Nearly two years later, police found the mutilated slug that allegedly killed Carol Clay at this location
The jury noted that Lynn had placed a laser sight on the pistol grip shotgun, which contained ammunition in a magazine.
The gun’s stock contained holes into which even more ammunition could be placed.
The court heard the shotgun had to be cocked and loaded each time in order to fire.
The jury heard Lynn claims he was trying to wrestle the firearm away from Mr Hill when the gun went off and Ms Clay was hit in the head.
Senior Constable Griffiths told the court Lynn’s gun had been extensively tested and found to be in excellent condition.
Tests showed that Lynn’s gun had a stiff trigger that was harder to pull than a regular shotgun.
“If you’re higher, you have to pull the trigger harder to fire the weapon,” he said.
Police also found that the weapon did not accidentally fire when it was bumped or dropped from a height of just under half a meter.
“It tells me the firearm is in good condition,” Senior Constable Griffiths said.
Carol Clay was allegedly shot in the head by Greg Lynn
Lynn claims Russell Hill was stabbed after falling on a knife during a deadly struggle
Under cross-examination by Lynn’s barrister Dermot Dann KC, Senior Constable Griffiths came under fire for failing to check Lynn’s story before carrying out trajectory tests.
The jury heard that the detective had not used Lynn’s shotgun to carry out the tests, despite previously telling him he had a preliminary hearing.
“This is just a failed exercise, isn’t it,” Mr Dann said.
“It’s absolutely right,” was the answer.
The jury heard Lynn admitted disposing of the couple’s bodies in the bush after taking them into his caravan.
The accused killer of the elderly couple claims it was Mr Hill who caused the trouble that ended in tragedy.
The court heard that Hill and Lynn had had an argument about Lynn hunting deer so close to other campers.
Later that evening, Lynn decided to turn up the volume on his car radio in an attempt to irritate Mr Hill, the jury heard.
It was about 10 p.m. when Lynn noticed that Mr. Hill had gotten into his car and stolen his 12-gauge shotgun.
The jury heard that when Lynn tried to wrestle the firearm away from Mr Hill, the gun went off and Ms Clay was hit in the head.
When he saw what had happened, Mr. Hill dropped the gun and rushed to Ms. Clay’s body.
Mr Dann said his client picked up the gun and fired the remaining shots into the air before being attacked by an irate Mr Hill.
“The next thing is Mr. Hill comes up to him with a knife and yells at him, ‘She’s dead,'” Mr. Dann said.
‘There was a struggle over the knife. Mr. Lynn tries to defend himself – they are engaged in this struggle – and as part of that struggle the two men fall to the ground and the knife goes through Mr. Hill’s chest.”
The process continues.