According to the Crimes Act 1958,Victoria Police can only hold a person under arrest without charge for a “reasonable amount of time” before they must be released unconditionally,released on bail or brought before a bail justice or magistrate.
The act says the number and complexity of offences to be investigated can play a part in determining what amount of time is reasonable,and may include visiting the site of a suspected crime or places connected to it.
Mr Lynn’s childhood friend Adrian Bootes warned people not to jump to conclusions while the case remained under investigation.
“Greg was a close friend till age 19. I am incredulous at the report,” he said.
People who worked with Mr Lynn,who is a pilot formerly employed by major airlines including Qatar and Jetstar,were told on Wednesday they were no longer allowed to publicly comment.
The advice came hours after Jetstar released a statement saying Mr Lynn had been officially removed from duty as a result of his arrest.
One Jetstar employee,who asked for her name to be withheld for fear of losing her job,said Mr Lynn came across as nice. Others questioned whether police had the wrong man.
“I have flown with him a number of times. He is the most amazing pilot. Greg is one of the nicest people ever. I don’t know what happened,” she said.
At Mr Lynn’s home in Caroline Springs,in Melbourne’s west,the blinds remained drawn and the driveway empty.
Security footage captured on Sunday afternoon,the day before his arrest,shows Mr Lynn in an Akubra hat,shorts and hiking boots as he welcomes a new neighbour to the area.
In the video,the pilot can be seen approaching the neighbour,Leo,as he washes his car in the driveway. The pair then have a chat and discuss the location of nearby security cameras.
“When I saw on the news this guy is a suspect for murder I’m like ‘damn it,what the hell is this’,” Leo said.
“I even offered this bloke a beer”.
Another neighbour,Chahn,who asked for her surname to be withheld,said Mr Lynn would share vegetables grown in his garden and fish caught in Victoria’s high country when he returned from camping trips.
The resident said she had made arrangements to visit their home before his arrest.
“He’s very calm and friendly. Every time I see him he’d say hello,” she said.
Neighbour Amin Khandakar said Mr Lynn,like most pilots,was grounded when COVID-19 hit and had been out for work for some time.
He said he first became aware of police activity at the home on Monday when several unmarked police cars and forensics teams parked outside the house.
“He’s a bit of a closed man,” Mr Khandakar said.
John Vella,who lives around the corner from Mr Lynn,said he noticed the man’s car had recently been repainted.
Online,Mr Lynn – a keen camper,fisherman and beekeeper – appeared smiling in pictures with his family in the months following Mr Hill and Ms Clay’s disappearance.
He camped with others at Lake Cobbler,in the Alpine National Park east of Mansfield,in April this year and canoed along the Glenelg River in January.
They also fished in Walhalla,a small Gippsland town,where Mr Lynn filmed himself four-wheel-driving through a teeming Thomson River.
Mr Lynn’s Nissan Patrol has since been seized by police and taken for forensic examination.
Students camping at Licola Wilderness Village captured the moment two helicopters from the police air wing descended near their school camp to arrest Mr Lynn on Monday.
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Missing Persons Network chief executive Valentine Smith said Mr Lynn’s arrest was an “incredible outcome” given the difficulties with the investigation,notably the remoteness of Wonnangatta Valley,the lack of witnesses and the time it took to discover the couple’s burnt-out campsite.
“It’s certainly an incredible outcome because there’s so much work that’s gone into this case,” Mr Smith told Nine’sToday show.
Ms Clay’s sister,Jill Walker,said the past 20 months had been strange and difficult “because in some ways,it’s still hard to believe”.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing.
With Cassandra Morgan,Marta Pascual Juanola and Broede Carmody
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