By Gabriella Payne
For almost two years now, detectives have been working tirelessly to solve the mystery of missing campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill – and now a new and promising clue has emerged in the investigation.
On Sunday 7 November, detectives from the Missing Persons Squad released an image of a vehicle and a trailer they believe may be able to assist in their enquiries to locate the missing pair, who disappeared while on a camping trip in the Wonnangatta Valley early last year.
Detectives have been unable to eliminate the blue four-wheel drive – believed to be a mid to late 1990s model Nissan Patrol – and its trailer from their enquiries, and are keen to speak to the driver of the vehicle or any witnesses who may have seen the vehicle in the area at the time.
Ms Clay and Mr Hill’s disappearance in early 2020 sent shock waves through the local community, and police have been working around the clock in an effort to solve the mystery ever since.
The pair were last heard from on 20 March 2020 via HF radio, when Mr Hill stated he was in the Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps – a remote and vast alpine area.
That was the last contact the pair had before seemingly disappearing into thin air – leaving behind only a burnt-out campsite and Mr Hill’s empty, fire damaged vehicle.
Since that time, police have conducted significant, meticulous and protracted searches of the area in the hope of discovering even the smallest clue as to Ms Clay and Mr Hill’s disappearance – and detectives hope this new clue will bring them one step closer to solving the case.
It is still yet to be fully determined whether the pair’s disappearance is suspicious, however investigators have long believed it is likely a third party was involved.
Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said that detectives had not been able to eliminate this mystery vehicle from their investigations as yet, and he urged anyone with information to come forward.
“Throughout our extensive and significant investigation over the last 20 months, we have not been able to eliminate this blue four-wheel drive from our enquiries,“ Det. Insp. Stamper said.
“We have witness statements that put this blue vehicle and its trailer in the valley at the time Russell and Carol were there, and indeed near the spot that they had set up their camp.
“Detectives have also been given information that a vehicle attempted to leave the valley late at night on the evening of Friday 20 March, but the Myrtleford gate was closed because of the bushfires, meaning that the driver had to make a complicated turn back in the direction from which they had come.
“That same vehicle is also spotted on two cameras at the top of Mount Hotham, consistent with where a vehicle would exit the valley given the closure of the Myrtleford gate,“ he said.
“We understand that initially, given the confusion around Covid-19 and state-wide lockdowns that people may have been reluctant to come forward, or that someone may simply have missed our repeated appeals for information.
“But if you are the driver of this blue Nissan Patrol, or you know who is, we would urge you to come forward – if nothing else, so we can eliminate you from our enquiries and move forward.
“Both families are still desperate for answers about what happened to Russell and Carol and why, and I know our investigators are doing all they can to try and get those answers for them.
“If you do know something or have heard something, no matter what it is, then I urge you to come forward and hopefully we can continue to fill in all the pieces of this puzzle until we get the result and answers both families deserve,” he said.
Anyone who sights Russell Hill or Carol Clay is urged to contact triple zero (000) immediately.
Anyone with any other information regarding their disappearance is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or log onto www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
