Carol Clay and Russell Hill were last heard from on March 20 of last year. Photo / File
Police will continue hunting for clues after finding human remains that could be missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay in Victoria's high country.
The grim discovery was made in a shallow area of cornered off bushland near the remote town of Dargo, 320km northeast of Melbourne.
However, the remains, which were found just hours after police hired an excavator to assist with the search, are yet to be identified.
Police will resume the hunt for evidence today.
The meticulous search involves detectives sifting dirt to detect any potential bone fragments.
Victoria detectives said yesterday the identification process was expected to take some time.
Forensic experts made the grisly discovery in dense bushland near the Providence Spur Track, about 25km north of Dargo in the state's east.
Detectives have been leading the search since November 29, three days after Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn was charged with murdering Hill and Clay.
During the days leading up to the discovery, police hauled in earthmoving equipment and excavators.
The discovery of the remains is the latest twist in the captivating 20-month case after the pair vanished from their Wonnagatta campsite on March 20 of last year.
Police will allege Lynn murdered the duo – aged in their 70s – when he next appears in court on May 31 next year.
Hill left his Drouin home on March 19, before collecting Clay from her home in Pakenham in his white Toyota LandCruiser.
They then travelled via Licola, spending one night at Howitt High Plains before heading into Wonnangatta Valley.
Hill – who did not tell his wife he was with Clay – was last heard from the next day via HF radio, stating he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps.
It will be alleged that other campers found Hill's vehicle the next day with signs of minor fire damage at their campsite, which was completely burned out, near the Dry River Creek Track.
Since that time, police have conducted extensive searches of the area, including by missing persons squad detectives, local police, the search and rescue squad, air wing, dog squad and even the Australian Federal Police.
Police used specialist investigative techniques, questioned hundreds of people and eliminated hundreds of vehicles, which culminated in last week's arrest.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill said it had been a "complex and exhausting" investigation.
The investigation ramped up a fortnight ago when police unveiled photos of a blue four-wheel-drive towing a trailer they believed could be linked to the case.
Police last week were then seen towing away Lynn's 4WD for forensic examination in Melbourne.
The car – although a sandy brown colour – closely resembled the dark blue Nissan Patrol police had been searching for in recent months after a public appeal for the owner to come forward.
Hill said police believed the trailer had been sold on Gumtree and would work with the organisation to track its whereabouts.
Lynn, 55, was stood down from his job as a Jetstar pilot after his arrest on November 22 where heavily armed officers swarmed a remote campsite in Arbuckle Junction, 1.5 hours south of Wonnangatta.
He was charged with two counts of murder after three days of questioning and an exhaustive near two-year investigation by police.
Last week, Hill stressed the investigation was far from over, with investigators turning their minds to the search for the couple's remains.
Lynn remains in police custody.
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