Search for campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay draws to a close
Matthew Hart
Carol Clay and Russell Hill went missing in March 2020. Source: Instagram/@caffeinecrimeandcanines & Twitter/@cassiezervos
Authorities have concluded their search of Victorian bushland for the bodies of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay after the discovery of human remains earlier this week. "Victoria Police has now concluded the search in bushland north of Dargo," police said in a statement to 9 News.
Police located the remains on November 30, after a large contingent of police and forensic experts spent much of the day scouring dense bushland in search of the two bodies. Detectives announced the grisly find in a statement.
"Victoria Police has located human remains in bushland near Dargo as part of their ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay," the statement read. "The remains are yet to be formally identified and it is expected this process will take some time."
DNA testing is now under way and it is expected to be weeks before the remains can be formally identified.
Investigators also discovered a ring on Thursday in the same location where human remains were located.
The search for human remains began following the arrest of a 55-year-old Caroline Springs man on November 21. "Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad have arrested a man as part of the investigation into missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay," police said in a statement. The detectives charged the man with two counts of murder after he was questioned for several days by police.
Hill and Clay were last heard from on March 20, 2020, while camping in the Wonnangatta Valley. The next day, the couple's campsite near Dry River Creek Track was discovered allegedly destroyed by fire. Hill's vehicle was also found with signs of minor fire damage.
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