Accused murderer Greg Lynn told police he wanted to make the deaths of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay “just go away” so he could get on with his life.
The airline pilot’s interview with police was shown to a Supreme Court jury today, as he stands trial accused of murdering the couple in March 2020.
It’s alleged Lynn killed Hill and Clay at Victoria’s Wonnangatta Valley and then disposed of their bodies in bushland before burning the remains months later.
Lynn has pleaded not guilty to both counts of murder and maintains the deaths were accidental.
The court heard that in his November 2021 record of interview, Lynn outlined to police the week he spent camping and hunting deer in the High Country.
He first encountered Hill and Clay on March 19 when the couple arrived at his campsite, noting they had been very cordial and pleasant.
Lynn told police Hill acted less friendly the next morning as he prepared to go hunting, noting the older man pointedly mentioned a friend had been killed in a hunting accident.
Lynn said as he returned to the campsite hours later, he saw a drone hovering overhead and later realised it belonged to Hill.
When he confronted Hill about the drone, Lynn said Hill threatened to send police the footage of him hunting close to the campsite.
Lynn told officers he removed himself from the conversation but decided to blast music from his car stereo in what was a “childish thing” to do.
Later that evening, Lynn said Hill approached his car and took his shotgun and ammunition from inside the vehicle.
Lynn told police he confronted Hill and the older man shot a couple of rounds into the air.
A struggled then ensued over the gun, Lynn said, with another shot being discharged and striking Clay in the head.
Lynn maintained he did not have a hand on the trigger at any point and Hill dropped the gun after Clay had been hit.
Lynn told police he returned the gun and ammunition back to his car and turned off the radio when Hill came at him with a knife.
The airline pilot said he was defending himself in the struggle when the knife went into Hill’s chest.
Lynn told police he then panicked and believed he was going to be blamed for the couple’s deaths, so he placed their bodies into his car and burnt their campsite.
He then drove the bodies to the Union Spur track and left them there.
Lynn told police he went back to the track in June 2020 once the COVID-19 lockdown lifted to check on the bodies.
The court heard he returned in November of that year to burn the remains.
“There’s not going to be much left for the families… there’s not much to see,” Lynn told police in his interview.
Lynn said he had wanted the couple’s deaths to “just go away” and he tried to “keep his head down” but he knew he was on a police watchlist.
He told officers he knew their evidence was compelling but that it would align with the story he had told them.
“I made a poor choice … I just wanted it to go away,” Lynn told police, according to the interview played in court.
