Wonnangatta killer conviction overturned; ordered to face new trial

Wonnangatta Valley murderer accused Greg Lynn has had his conviction overturned and has been ordered to face a new trial over the killings of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay. The 59-year-old fronted The Court of Appeal on Thursday morning where three court justices handed down their judgement and granted leave for Lynn’s appeal. Lynn was found guilty of murdering Ms Clay at Bucks Camp on 20 March, 2020, but acquitted for the murder of Mr Hill in a high-profile Supreme Court trial in May and June 2024. He was sentenced to 32 years prison with 24 years non-parole by Justice Michael Croucher. Lynn’s legal team made the application to appeal on four main grounds, saying he had suffered a substantial miscarriage of justice from the way in which the prosecution conducted the trial, and his “manifestly excessive” sentence. Justice Karin Emerton, Justice Philip Priest and Justice Peter Kidd said in their judgement breaches of evidentiary and procedural rules were frequent and their combined effect could have affected the outcome of the trial. “Unhappily, we have concluded that the conduct of prosecuting counsel so compromised the fairness of the applicant’s trial that a substantial miscarriage of justice resulted,” it read. The elderly campers both died at the remote campsite where Lynn was also camping during a solo hunting trip. He was charged with murder in November 2021, more than 18 months after the campers were first reported missing. The matter will return to court on 28 January 2026.

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