Melanie watched a TV program about 2 missing campers with her husband. Then he was arrested.

In November 2021, 60 Minutes aired a special program on campers, Russell Hill and Carol Clay who had gone missing in the Victorian alpine region in March 2020.

At the time, detectives told the program they were close to catching who they believed was the killer. In fact, they were secretly recording a Victorian airline pilot — their main suspect. Greg Lynn.

A week before Lynn's arrest in late November 2021, he was at home with his wife Melanie when they watched this very 60 Minutes program about the missing campers.

Detectives said footage from roadside cameras around the area where Hill, 74, and Clay, 73, disappeared managed to account for every vehicle that left the valley that weekend, except for one. It was a mid-'90s Nissan Patrol vehicle in dark blue with a trailer. 

A secret recording of Lynn in his family home captured his wife Melanie bursting out into laughter. 

"It looks like your car … it really does!" she exclaimed when the program made note of a mystery mid-'90s Nissan Patrol vehicle in dark blue with a trailer - the same make and model owned by Lynn.

"It's not funny, sweetpea," Lynn replied to his wife.

This week, Lynn was convicted of the murder of Clay but found not guilty of killing Hill, after 12 jurors returned to court with a split verdict.

Watch: the car that cracked the case of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay. Post continues below.

Lynn had claimed the two deaths were accidental. He did, however, admit dumping the bodies of Hill and Clay on a bush track and months later returning to burn them and destroy the crime scene.

It's the case that's captured the attention of the nation. Here's what we know. 

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In March 2020, Hill travelled to his favourite campsite in Victoria's high country. There was nothing unusual in that.

What his wife and daughters didn't know, is that he had a companion on this trip — his girlfriend Carol Clay. They were once childhood sweethearts, who had reconnected in later life and had been engaging in a decades-long secret affair.

Within hours of arriving at the campground, they had both disappeared.

The disappearance of the duo completely stumped their families, the public and police for 19 months. Hill's wife Robyn was left blindsided by the fact her husband had not only disappeared but was also having an affair with another woman.

"It has been the hardest on Mum, all the talk about Carol," Hill and Robyn's daughter Debbie said to 60 Minutes. "She has lost both her husband and she is grieving the loss of her relationship. It's been hard for her to get through."

On that fateful evening in March 2020, Hill and Clay weren't the only campers who stayed at Bucks Camp in the Victorian alpine region.

Airline pilot Lynn was also there. These three were the only people who stayed at that campground on the evening of March 20, 2020.

Carol Clay and Russell Hill. Image: Victoria Police.

Lynn's version of events is as follows:

Lynn said he had been out deer hunting when he returned to threats from Hill that he had drone footage of Lynn hunting too close to the campsite that he would turn into police.

Lynn decided to blast loud music from his car stereo to annoy Hill. Lynn said later that evening Hill took a shotgun and ammunition from Lynn's car. Lynn claimed he went to get his gun off Hill, who shot off a few warning shots before turning the gun on Lynn. Lynn and Hill struggled over the gun, Lynn claimed, when another shot went off and hit the side of Hill's ute mirror, which ricocheted off and went into Clay's head.

Hill then charged at Lynn with a knife, the pilot claimed, with a second struggle ensuing. Lynn said he was trying to defend himself when the knife went into Hill's chest.

Post Mortem results later revealed Clay had died from a bullet wound, with shot fragments found in her skull. Although similar testing was conducted, it remains unclear how Hill died.

Lynn admitted to burning the couple's campsite, putting their bodies in a trailer and driving to the Union Spur Track where he unloaded their bodies and covered them with sticks. 

Two days later, he returned to his family home as scheduled. 

Lynn returned to the campground months later to set fire to Hill and Clay's remains.

For well over a year, police were stumped as to what happened to Hill and Clay, who remained missing. Then in November 2021, they made a breakthrough in the case. It was regarding the mid-'90s Nissan Patrol vehicle in dark blue with a trailer. 

It was Lynn's car. In a bid to cover up his involvement in the case, Lynn had sold his trailer, re-painted his Nissan Patrol from grey-blue to brown, and removed the awning. Lynn was subsequently arrested and charged. 

He was probed over four days, maintaining his right to silence for two-and-a-half days before speaking.

Lynn told his story to police and led investigators to the couple's bodies, which were discovered to be broken down into 2100 bone fragments. Lynn maintained he was innocent of murder and admitted to the jury his actions in covering up the crime.

The five-week trial began in May.

Forty-nine witnesses were called, including national park rangers, weed sprayers, campers, deer hunters, police forensic and ballistics experts and the families of Hill and Clay.

In the witness stand, Lynn confidently answered every question about his gruesome, yet systematic, disposal of two people's bodies. 

"The scene was horrendous," Lynn explained on the stand.

"All I can say to the families is that I am very sorry for your suffering that I caused. I haven't killed anyone. I haven't behaved well. I've made some poor decisions. But murder, as I understand it, I'm innocent of."

Greg Lynn. Image: Facebook.

Alone in Victoria's high country, he burned the couple's campsite to the ground and moved their bodies into his trailer, taking cash, two mobile phones and a drone.

Lynn said he feared he would lose his licence to fly planes if found to have been involved in what he claimed were two accidental deaths. That was why he had to get rid of the evidence.

There were certain things the jury wasn't told during the trial.

A police interview between Lynn and detectives wasn't shown, because the judge ruled it had been obtained illegally by the officers.

The jury also wasn't told about the death of Lynn's first wife, Lisa. 

In the six months before her death, Lisa alleged her then ex-husband Lynn was "assaulting, harassing, threatening or intimidating" her. She died on October 26, 1999 of combined drug and alcohol toxicity – despite being a teetotaller.

The death of Lynn's first wife is expected to be referred to the State Coroner in a bid for a fresh inquest, as per the Herald Sun.

They weren't shown the secret recordings of Lynn's wife Melanie laughing while watching the 60 Minutes episode. Lynn later told police he had kept the campers' deaths a secret from his wife, and that she had no knowledge of his involvement before his arrest.

"She's cackling like a hyena, it might be said," the judge remarked when listening to the audio.

Lynn's wife, who was sitting in the court's public gallery, cried when the recording was brought up between the judge, prosecutor and defence. 

Melanie attended every day of the weeks-long trial. She blew kisses and made heart shapes towards her husband from the upstairs public gallery.

She and Lynn's son Geordie were moved to be seated in front of the jury in the final days, his head resting on her shoulder and their hands intertwined.

When the split verdict was read out in court, Lynn waved to Geordie.

"Don't stress," Lynn told his son.

Lynn spoke to his lawyers before he was escorted from the court. Now, with one guilty verdict Lynn is facing life behind bars. The 57-year-old will return to court on July 19 for a mention where dates will be set. Murder carries a standard sentence of 25 years in Victoria.

With AAP.

Feature Image: Victoria Police.