September 12th 2024.
It had been almost two years since Carol Clay's family and friends last saw her, and they were filled with immense anxiety as they tried to find her. She had disappeared while camping in the remote Victorian wilderness and her daughter, Emma Davies, desperately searched for her in the days following her March 2020 disappearance. However, her efforts were hindered by the COVID-19 restrictions that were in place at the time.
In a heartbreaking testimony to the Supreme Court in Melbourne, Davies shared, "I was unable to go to the location where my mother was last seen alive. I wanted to be there, to put my hands in the dirt, my feet in the river, where my mum was lost, in hopes of finding answers." But little did she know, one man held all the answers.
Greg Lynn knew exactly where Clay was. He had shot her in the head and then moved and concealed her body, along with the body of her lover, Russell Hill, near a remote bush track. Seven months later, he returned to the site and burned their remains into more than 2000 bone fragments. He refused to reveal their burial location for 20 long months.
Clay's sister, Jillian Walker, expressed her devastation upon learning about how Lynn had destroyed her sister's remains. She shared, "This was my sister, my dear sister, who was shot, transported in a trailer like a lump of meat, buried for seven months, and burned. It was all done with absolute intention, with no consideration for what he had done. It wasn't just a bad decision, it was evil, wicked, and unconscionable."
During Lynn's murder trial, it was revealed that Clay's death occurred after an angry exchange over Hill's use of a drone. Davies described hearing this as "horrific" and "incomprehensible." She couldn't comprehend why her mother, who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, had to suffer such a senseless and pointless death.
At the pre-sentence hearing, Davies refused to even utter Lynn's name, only referring to him as "he" or "him." She stated, "He stole my mother from me. He took her life, her dignity, and her privacy. He destroyed her, burning her beyond all possible recognition."
As Lynn sat in the courtroom, he stared at each of his victim's family and friends as they tearfully shared the impact of his heinous crime. Despite being found guilty of Clay's murder by a jury in June, he continues to deny his involvement and is appealing the verdict. His lawyers are also working to delay his sentence using a rare legal move.
Prosecutor Daniel Porceddu argued for the maximum sentence of life in prison for Lynn, citing the "cold-blooded and callous" murder of a vulnerable elderly woman. He also highlighted Lynn's motivation to kill Clay, as she was the only witness to Hill's death. According to Porceddu, "Had she been able to live, Mrs. Clay would have been able to identify the offender."
The prosecutor also pointed out Lynn's attempts to destroy all evidence, including the bodies, which only added to the suffering of Clay's loved ones. Lynn's defense team will present their submissions today, as the hearing before Justice Michael Croucher continues.
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