Pilot’s bombshell claims on slain campers

Realising his plan to disappear after two elderly campers vanished in Victoria’s remote High Country was unravelling, a former pilot “steeled” himself and set out a plan to eliminate the last remaining evidence, a jury has heard.

This week, the double-murder trial of Gregory Stuart Lynn heard his account of the deaths of Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, from his own mouth.

Prosecutors allege he murdered the pair, with the precise circumstances unknown because he destroyed evidence, while his defence argue they died in tragic accidents.

Over Monday and Tuesday, the 14-member jury watched a video recording of Mr Lynn’s police interview after his arrest in November 2021, as he detailed what he claims happened and assisted detectives to find the couple’s remains.

Two days later, after prosecutors closed their case against the accused man, Mr Lynn chose to take the stand where he gave evidence and faced cross-examination.

In the witness box, he maintained he is “innocent of murder” but accepted his actions after their deaths were “despicable” and he deserved to be punished.

The trial will resume on Tuesday as both parties prepare to deliver their closing remarks.

Mr Lynn’s apology to couple’s family

With members of his own family, as well as Mr Hill and Mrs Clay’s, present, the accused man used his time in the witness box to apologise for the damage he had caused.

Mr Lynn accepted that by not coming forward after the couple died on March 20, 2020, and his actions afterwards, he had caused “immeasurable pain”.

“It was despicable,” he said.

“All I can say to the families is that ah, I am very sorry for your suffering that I caused … I should be punished for what I did.”

‘The scene was horrendous’: Accused killer describes deaths

On his account, Mr Lynn returned to camp in the afternoon after a day spent “stalking” deer in the Wonnangatta Valley.

Shortly after dinnertime, he said he approached Mr Hill to question why his drone had been following him as he returned, he said.

Mr Lynn told the jury Mr Hill came out with a “ridiculous” accusation that he was hunting too close to camp, and threatened to tell police the hunter had shot through camp.

He claimed he walked away, but made the “childish” decision to blare music from his car with the doors open to annoy Mr Hill.

Between 9pm and 10pm, Mr Lynn claims he saw Mr Hill steal his shotgun and ammunition from his unlocked car and rushed to confront him near the couple’s tent.

On his account, Mr Hill refused to return the gun and fired a shot in the air, causing Mr Lynn to “bolt for the shadow” behind Mr Hill’s Toyota LandCruiser.

He told the jury he was “scared shitless” and grabbed the barrel when he saw it poking over the car’s bullbar. As the two men wrestled it discharged, killing Ms Clay.

Mr Lynn said he seized the gun, firing the last round in the air, and had locked it in his car when Mr Hill attacked with a knife.

On his account, the two men fell to the ground and the knife pierced Mr Hill’s chest.

The former pilot said he panicked, fearing he would be wrongly blamed for the deaths, and set out trying to “erase” his involvement.

“The whole plan, ill conceived as it was, was for me to disappear,” he said.

“At the time I could see all options were bad and trying to cover it up might offer a glimmer of hope to have a normal life, but it hasn’t panned out that way.”

He told the jury the scene was “horrendous”, and he used a pair of gloves previously taken from his then-job at Jetstar as he cleaned up blood and burnt their tent and belongings.

Mr Lynn thought bodies would be found

After placing their bodies in his trailer, Mr Lynn said he drove through the night until he came across a secluded part of the Union Spur track about 8.30am.

He denied a suggestion by prosecutor Daniel Porceddu that he had deliberately hidden the bodies.

“I placed them there. I expected them to be found,” he said.

“If I wanted to hide the bodies, I would have dragged them off into the bush. They were right next to the track.”

Mr Lynn told the jury he covered them with sticks and leaves, hoping it would keep the animals away.

Pilot’s plan to destroy last evidence

Mr Lynn said in the first few months he initially believed his efforts to disappear were successful, returning once in mid-May to check on the bodies.

But he realised his plan was “unravelling” after two detectives knocked on his door on July 14, 2020.

“I might have appeared calm on the outside, but panicking internally,” he said.

“I thought, ‘Well this plan is not working. I haven’t been able to disappear, so I have to make any remaining evidence disappear’.”

The jury heard he “steeled” himself and returned on November 18 after the snow had melted.

Mr Lynn described the state of Mr Hill and Mrs Clay’s remains as “gruesome”, believing there had been “activity” from a wild dog or fox.

He set fire to the bodies using about two litres of kerosene, and stoked the fire from sunset to sunrise.

He claimed there was “nothing left” and used a dustpan to scoop up ash and “throw it around” in the nearby bushland.

“I didn’t want to have to do it. It was a horrific thing, I was sick several times,” he said.

“There’s nothing there, there’s nothing to find, I’m sorry. That’s the truth, that’s the best I can give you, it’s not going to be much relief for the families.”

Mr Lynn was ‘paranoid’ before arrest

The former pilot claimed in his interview he knew he was being surveilled by police but was “trying to keep my head down and just move on”.

He detailed several encounters where people asked him about hunting and camping, with the accused man saying he believed they were in contact with police.

In the recording, Mr Lynn said he knew he had been on the police’s radar for a while, and believed people around him had been asked to question him.

“Just too many people have said too many odd things to me,” he said.

“It’s a bit like the Truman Show, where everyone knows what’s going on but you don’t.”

He questioned the detectives if they’d been in contact with a man who’d taken an “unusual interest”.

When Detective Sergeant Brett Florence responded they’d only spoken with him the week prior, Mr Lynn said; “maybe I’m just paranoid … maybe he’s just friendly then”.

Sketch helped police find remains

During his interview, Mr Lynn told police where he burnt the bodies but said he believed they wouldn’t find anything “bigger than 20mm”.

He described the location on the Union Spur track as easy to find, advising they should look for a hard left-hand bend before a steep section.

The following morning, detectives drove about 180km to the site but said it was difficult to find because it was “extremely foggy”.

Back at the police station, Mr Lynn was shown videos from the scene and drew a sketch.

He told the jury it appeared the track had been “graded” since his last visit a year earlier.

“In the pictures, ah, the ground was completely flat,” he said.

“It was clear – clearly the site had been graded in the interval between the fire and when the police went to see it.”

Mr Lynn said he did not want to go with police but would if necessary.

“Memories of the whole time are very hard, I just didn’t want to go there,” he said.

Several days later forensic officers located more than 2100 burnt bone fragments linked to the missing pair through DNA next to a fallen tree.

The trial continues.