First jury discharged in missing campers murder trial

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Fourteen jurors have been discharged in the murder trial of a Caroline Springs airline captain accused of killing missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay at a campsite in Victoria’s alpine region.

Greg Lynn, 57, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and a jury was empanelled in Melbourne’s Supreme Court on Thursday.

Lawyers from both sides were due to open their cases on Friday morning, however Justice Michael Croucher informed the six women and eight men “technical reasons” meant they would have to be discharged.

A new panel of jurors will be chosen on Monday morning.

“It’s unfortunate you’re only going to be here for a short time, it’s my melancholy duty to explain to you that you have now been discharged as a jury,” Justice Croucher told the jurors on Friday.

“I’m not going on to go into the details now, I don’t want to embarrass anyone … it’s just technical reasons and the law is full of technical things.”

The trial is set to last for between four and six weeks, and jurors will be tasked with coming to a unanimous verdict about whether Lynn is guilty of two counts of murder