A court order has unveiled a troubling history for convicted murderer Greg Lynn, revealing the former pilot escaped police custody and breached a domestic violence order before his first wife's death in 1999.

The revelations, previously hidden by a suppression order, cast a new light on the man recently convicted for the brutal murder of camper Carol Clay, 73, in a remote Victorian campsite in March 2020. This suppressed history raises profound questions about missed signals and the long shadow of domestic abuse.

Details that were kept from the jury can now be reported after a long-standing suppression order, first imposed in January 2023, was lifted following Lynn's conviction. Court documents show that Lynn's first wife, Lisa Lynn, had secured an intervention order against him. He breached this order on two separate occasions, once by showing up at her home and another time through a heated phone call.

In a bizarre incident, when police accompanied him to retrieve a personal organiser he had taken from his wife's home, Lynn simply walked away and went to a train station, leading to a charge of escaping police custody. He later pleaded guilty in May 1999 to two counts of breaching the order and escaping, receiving a good behaviour bond without a conviction being recorded.

A Pattern of Troubling Behaviour

Lisa Lynn was found dead outside her home north of Melbourne in October 1999. A coroner later determined her death was caused by consuming a quantity of drugs and alcohol, and no charges were filed. However, prosecutors in a pre-trial hearing sought to introduce evidence from Lisa's parents about the tumultuous relationship.

Her mother provided a statement alleging significant abuse. "As far as I'm concerned, Greg is responsible for my daughter's death via mental torture inflicted by him, she lived in fear of him," the court was told. Crown prosecutor Daniel Porceddu alleged that Lisa was subjected to frequent physical and mental abuse by Lynn.

These historical details paint a disturbing picture that was not available to the jury that decided his fate in the high country murders case. That jury found Lynn guilty of murdering Carol Clay but acquitted him of murdering her companion, Russell Hill, 74. Lynn admitted to burning their campsite and moving their bodies, actions the sentencing judge later described as "brutal" and "horrific."

Justice and Unanswered Questions

Lynn, 58, was sentenced to a maximum of 32 years in prison for Clay's murder and must serve a minimum of 24 years before being eligible for parole. He has consistently maintained his innocence regarding the murders, claiming the deaths were accidental, and is appealing the conviction.

• March 2020: Carol Clay and Russell Hill disappear from their campsite in the Wonnangatta Valley.
• November 2021: Greg Lynn is arrested after a lengthy police investigation.
• January 2023: A suppression order is placed on Lynn's prior criminal history.
• June 2024: A jury finds Lynn guilty of murdering Carol Clay but not guilty of murdering Russell Hill.
• October 2024: Lynn is sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison.
• December 2025: The suppression order is lifted, revealing his past.

The lifting of the suppression order now allows the public to see a more complete portrait of the convicted killer. For Kenyans, this story serves as a stark reminder that violent crimes often have deep roots, sometimes hidden in plain sight, and underscores the critical importance of addressing domestic violence as a precursor to wider societal harm.

While the legal chapter on the high country murders continues with Lynn's appeal, the revelation of his past ensures that the story of Greg Lynn, and the lives he has impacted, is far from over.