We chat with Greg Haddrick about his book, In the Dead of the Night.
In March 2020 secret lovers Russell Hill and Carol Clay disappeared in Victoria's remote Wonnangatta Valley.
Greg Haddrick tells the gripping inside story of the twists and turns of the police investigation and the trial of pilot Greg Lynn, with many details that haven't previously been made public.
A&U: Hi Greg. Thank you so much for speaking with us. What was it about this case that made you want to write this book?
GH: In my experience not many true crime books relate and examine the details behind great police investigations. This struck me as a great investigation – in a situation rare in modern policing the investigators started with nothing – no idea what had happened at all - and then had to work through five covid lockdowns to zero in on the offender, and then top all that a memorable, marathon interview that succeeded in the prime but very difficult task of convincing the offender to tell them where the bodies were.
A&U: What surprised you about the investigation into these murders?
GH: Much of the basic methodology I had seen in other investigations, but there were three or four things unique to this situation – mostly driven by the hurdles they faced through the covid lockdowns. The difficulty they had installing the secret surveillance devices, leading to a ‘hot install’ is rare, and the carefully developed plan to use an undercover operative being undone by Western Australia closing its borders is unique. And they came perilously close to having to abandon the investigation until the offender was stung by a bee and suffered an anaphylactic reaction. That was unexpected, too. Finally, I had not encountered an investigation that was also left to race against time because they knew the surveillance warrants would not be renewed a third time.
A&U: The book shows some of the clever strategies the police used to catch an elusive killer. What was the one that most impressed you?
GH: The use of the 60 Minutes segment, which was aimed entirely at confusing and panicking the offender, was a classic. And it can’t be separated from the record of interview. How they then used what the offender thought they did and didn’t know from that segment to convince him to reveal the location of the bodies was brilliant.
A&U: Your book is incredibly well researched and has so much detail that’s not been reported. How did you go about your research?
GH: I have to be careful here to protect some sources who don’t want the extent of their role to become public (but who did want the truth of the investigation to be known). Let’s just say I had a lot of help from a variety of sources with an intimate knowledge of the investigation.
A&U: How close did Greg Lynn come to getting away with murder?
GH: Very. He had worked out a story that fitted nearly – nearly – all the forensic evidence that was capable of being found, he had a very good defence barrister, and he was lucky to draw a Judge known to be “so pro-defence” (that’s a quote from another Victorian criminal barrister unconnected with the case). So much of the evidence against him regarding his incriminating conduct had been ruled inadmissible. And then the jury was even instructed by that judge to look more favourably on the defence case. He had everything going his way.
And still lost.
In the Dead of Night
By Greg Haddrick
A mysterious disappearance, a brazen murderer and the police who hunted him down.
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