Hunter Finds Murderer Gary Hilton's Campground

Hunter Finds Murderer Gary Hilton's Campground
September 17, 2009

wsbtv.com

JACKSON, Ga. -- A hunter accidentally found camping supplies, clothes and books belonging to convicted killer Gary Michael Hilton in the Chattahoochee National Forest, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

It happened last Friday at a concealed campsite and the hunter thought the supplies were illegally dumped or stolen. Fannin County Sheriff's Sgt. Justin Turner said it's an area Hilton frequented.

Hilton is serving life in prison for the January 2008 murder of Buford hiker Meredith Emerson, 24. Emerson was reported missing on New Year's Day 2008 when she failed to return from a hiking trip. Her body was found a week later.

Hilton is also awaiting trial in the decapitation of hiker Cheryl Dunlap, of Tallahassee, Fla. Dunlap's body was found Dec. 19, 2007 in the Apalachicola National Forest, southwest of Tallahassee. He fought hard not to be extradicted to Florida. Little creep is afraid of the death penalty, and he's also expressed not wanting to serve time in a federal prison.

SLIDESHOW from wsbtv.com: Hilton's Suspected Victims

Hilton also is suspected in the slayings of an elderly North Carolina couple -- Irene Bryant, 84, and her husband, John Bryant, 80. Officials said the Bryants disappeared while hiking in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville. Irene Bryant had been beaten to death. John Bryant's skeletal remains were found in Feb. 2008.

The GBI turned over the items to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Officials have contacted the North Carolina Bureau of Investigation and are investigating whether items can be tied to the Bryants' killings.

I'm adding Cheryl Strother to the list of his possible victims.

Previous Stories from wsbtv.com:
June 18, 2009: Dismembered Body Found; Police Looking At Gary Hilton
June 6, 2008: Gary Hilton Moved To Florida On Murder Charge
May 2, 2008: Killer Hilton Loses Extradition Fight
April 30, 2008: Police: Gary Hilton Not Involved In University Student's Disappearance
April 9, 2008: Gary Hilton: 'I'm A Sociopath'

More articles here:

Hunter finds Gary Hilton's supplies in Georgia forest ...

Hilton items found in concealed Ga. campsite ajc.com

See additional info on Hilton from Glenn Adams, Wolfscratch, here, in the comments section.

Gary Michael Hilton--updates and tidbits.

I'm posting some new comments from an old Gary Hilton Timeline post, mostly because it is interesting news, and because I truly appreciate Susie's question and Wolfscratch's intelligence, detective abilities and diligence has kept Georgia officials looking and searching, not just for Meredith, but for all those who have entered the woods and never returned. If anyone has information on the below mentioned Cheryl Strother, please share...I'm not finding anything about her. Regards, Janet.

Susie said...
In 1974 a classmate of mine was murdered. She was found bound to a tree, raped? and "cut up alot". Her murder was never solved. Her name was CHERYL LYNN STROTHER. She was just 16 when she was murdered. Her body was found in the woods around FT. Knox, Ky. The similarities between the circumstances of Cheryl's murder and Hilton's MO are striking. Where did he recieve his (military) basic training? Has he ever been known to be in the FT. Knox area? Cheryl's death has haunted me, and many of our classmates, for many years! Thanks for any imput...

Wolfscratch said...
Susie, Very sorry about your friend Cheryl Lynn Strother. A tragic end to a precious life.

Link: http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?s=%2010dcc7305cfbacaeef7a8156ac19c86e&t=58543. Gary Hilton said to the jailers at the Dawson County, GA. jail, "if you are so intelligent, why were you caught." His response, "They haven't caught me since I was 14 years old!"

Please notify the LE that is working the cold case to compare the dna, now that it is available. GMH is being investigated even before birth. All media has been silenced; local & national. GMH's IQ is 150+. LE thought of him as a dried up old drifter. He was/is cagey, calculating, deflective, has no common mode of operation: from Levi Fradi; 11 year old boy to Irene Bryant 84 years old, man woman, boy, black, white, only a preference 120# 25 year old female. I am confident that he had associates.

I went to Blood Mtn., Blairsville, GA, today and placed the marble memorial for Meredith Hope Emerson, that is shown on http://glennindawson.blogspot.com/ at the Mtn Crossings Trading Post: Herbert Reece Trail, where she was abducted.

Glenn Adams said...
Hello Prairie Chicken, hope you are doing fine. Wolfscratch finally received a visit from LE. They took many of the items to the lab for testing....(finally! see glenn's above blog to see the beautiful memorial he made for her, and articles of clothing and miscellaneous items found in an area believed to be frequented by Gary Hilton.)

Glenn Adams said...
The following is a possible victim map of Hilton’s. It is only preliminary. I am confident that his victim total will exceed 150+, and those are only the ones that are deceased. Many were suspected,indicted, and encarcerated. LE didn't know his identity til 09/07...: may they rest in peace…http://tinyurl.com/2aja6w Wolfscratch (Glenn, can't get the address to open.)

Janet said...
Susie--I have been trying to find out information on her since your post and could find nothing, then Glenn posted the webslueth site, so thank you, both. I'll put something together for her...

Janet said...
Glenn, good to hear from you! I think what you have done with Merediths memorial is wonderful. Did you take any photo's? If so, could you post one or two? ...I'm glad LE is finally listening. I'll be anxious to hear what comes of it. Keep in touch, please. And thanks for the Cheryl link! You have a big heart. I hope you have a great year.

Glenn Adams said...
...Gained alot of info from the LE visit. Ottis Toole's name was brought up (two months before the 'Adam Walsh', case was closed), IQ of GMH, what he looked for when selecting victims...Of all the items; backpack, clothing (man, woman, child) hiking clothes, garrote, that I have found backtracking GMH, the agent was only interested in one item: A silver cross on a necklace. This was with the other items, but was mine. I wore it while dowsing for protection. Satan Worshipers, don't wear silver...Wolfscratch

Glenn Adams said...
Correction on my last statement:Satan Worshipers, don't wear Gold..Wolfscratch

Glenn Adams said...
Burn delayed for area near fugitive's armed camp

Jon Ostendorff

• JOstendorff@CITIZEN-TIMES.com

• published December 10, 2008 12:15 am

BREVARD – A Henderson County fugitive had equipment to make booby traps in a camp where federal investigators allegedly found gunpowder and guns, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said Tuesday. John Joseph Hiles' camp in the Pink Beds area of Pisgah National Forest was a quarter-mile from Yellow Gap Road. The area is one of the most popular in the region for hiking and mountain biking. It is also popular with hunters this time of year.

The government had planned to burn hundreds of acres in the area on Tuesday to clear underbrush to aid in searching for more ammunition and explosives. The Forest Service postponed the burn because of the rain.

Hiles, 45, was camping in the woods after failing to appear in court on charges of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, felony manufacturing marijuana and maintaining a vehicle for selling drugs.

Investigators charged him with growing 15 marijuana plans in his 1984 Ford Ranger pickup truck in May, according to an arrest warrant. He had potting soil, cups and fertilizer in the truck to use in the growing operation, according to the court papers.

Hiles was being held in Henderson County with bond set at $20,500. He is scheduled for a court appearance on Friday. The court papers listed his address as “general delivery,” which is often used by law enforcement when a person doesn't have a home address. Officials with the Henderson County Sheriff's Office did not return messages Tuesday seeking more details.

U.S. Forest Service agents and deputies from the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office captured Hiles on Nov. 21. He had placed a classified advertisement looking for a ride out of the state.

Forest Service agent responded to the ad and met Hiles in the forest, where he was arrested. The Forest Service closed the area and posted signs warning the public about the possibility of explosives in the woods after finding the camp, Forest Service spokesman Terry Seyden said.

The area remains closed. Safety measures include a new metal gate at the fire road leading to the camp off Yellow Gap Road, warning signs and increased law enforcement patrols. News of the camp and Hiles arrest surprised some forest users.“It's bizarre,” said Van Rogers, president of the Pisgah Area Southern Off-road Bicycle Association, who was mountain biking in the Pink Beds area two weeks ago. “I could have been potentially riding around some of that stuff.”

The camp wasn't near a maintained trial, Seyden said. He said authorities found equipment for making bullets in addition to guns and gunpowder at the camp. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating, Seyden said.

A message left with the agency seeking more details wasn't returned Tuesday.Federal authorities don't typically discuss ongoing investigations beyond details available in public court documents.

Hiles had not been charged with a federal crime. Seyden said he did not know how many guns, how much gunpowder or what materials that could be used for making bobby traps were stashed in the woods.Those details are not public because of the federal investigation, he said.He also said it is unclear whether any more munitions would be found.“We don't have hard evidence that there is anything out there,” he said.

He said the burn will cover a large area — up to 400 acres — to make sure firefighters setting and controlling the blaze are safe if hidden ammunition or power explodes. The burn area is much larger than the actual camp area as a safety precaution, Seyden said.

Yellow Gap Road is the same place where hiker Irene Bryant was killed last year. Georgia drifter Gary Michael Hilton is the only suspect in her death.Federal authorities in North Carolina are expected to charge him after a state court in Florida tries him for the murder of a woman on national forest land there. The case in Florida is still a year away, prosecutors have said.

Autopsy Reveals John Bryant Shot Gary Michael Hilton, confessed murderer in the slaying and beheading murder of Meredeth Emerson, is also a suspect in the murders of John Bryant and his wife Irene.

John and Irene were an elderly couple who were hiking in the mountains in North Carolina when they disappeared last October, 2007. Irene was found dead soon after the disappearance. John's body was found by a hunter in February, 2008.

The site where Mr. Bryant’s body was discovered appeared to be an illegal dumping ground. An autopsy report revealed John Bryant died from a gunshot to his head after being taken from Pisgah National Forest where he had been hiking with his wife.

Medical examiners used Mr. Bryant’s pacemaker to identify his body. The autopsy reported the presence of unfired but partially opened red shotgun shells containing birdshot and a piece of wire, small fragments of paper-like material and vegetation.

Now that a firearm has come into play, the case may hold more precedence to be tried federally. The Bryants ATM card was used the day after they disappeared, which is one of Hilton's MO's. Hilton also has been indicted in the death of 46-year-old Cheryl Hodges Dunlap.

http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080517/NEWS/666736887/0/OPINION*******************************************************This description of items found near Mr. John Bryant's Remains, has always haunted me: The autopsy reported the presence of unfired but partially opened red shotgun shells containing birdshot and a piece of wire, small fragments of paper-like material and vegetation. Now that a firearm has come into play, the case may hold more precedence to be tried federally.Wolfscratch

Glenn Adams said...
Hilton Case Material Released Soon Save

Jan 9, 2009

Reporter: Heather Biance Material from the case between the State of Florida versus Gary Hilton may soon be released to the public. Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis filed an order Friday, that will allow a limited amount of information of case related material to be released to the public to insure a fair trial to both the state and the Defendant. The released information will be filed into the Clerk of the Circuit Courts once there's been a final approval. Hilton is accused of murdering Crawfordville woman, Cheryl Dunlap and faces the death penalty if convicted.*****************************Finally, a little 'Sunshine' from the Sunshine State..Wolfscratch

Hilton 'prime suspect' in several deaths

Death penalty still an option in Emerson case, prosecutor says

By CHRISTIAN BOONE, TIM EBERLY

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Charged in the killing of Meredith Emerson, Cheryl Dunlap, John and Irene Bryant and being eyeballed hard for the murder of Patrice Endres, law enforcement suspects drifter Gary Michael Hilton might be involved in a murderous spree spanning three states within the last three months. I think for much longer than that.

Hilton, 61, in jail for allegedly kidnapping and killing Buford hiker Meredith Emerson now faces charges in the slaying of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, 46, of Crawfordville, Fla. in a National Forest near Tallahassee. A masked person suspected in Dunlap's slaying used her ATM card on three occasions following her disappearance on Dec. 1. Leon County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Rob Reisinger said during a news conference that deputies can place Hilton in the area at the time of Dunlap's disappearance.

Avid hikers John, 79, and Irene Bryant, 84, were last seen alive on Oct. 20 in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina near the borders of Georgia and South Carolina. Her body was found bludgeoned three weeks later; John Bryant found dead days later. Transylvania County (N.C.) Sheriff David Mahoney said there are many similarities in the killings of Bryant and Emerson.

In each case -- including Cheryl Dunlap's slaying -- the victims' ATM cards were used. Emerson, Dunlap and Irene Bryant were all found in state or national forests. In the two most recent slayings, the bodies have been disposed of in gruesome fashion. Georgia authorities said that Emerson was decapitated, and reports have circulated around Tallahassee that Dunlap's head and hands were severed from her body. Local officials won't confirm it, but Maj. Mike Wood of the Leon County Sheriff's Office told the Tallahassee Democrat there are similarities in the cases that deputies weren't at "liberty to discuss."

Yet another unsolved slaying in which the victim was dismembered has investigators in LaGrange wondering whether Hilton may be involved in yet another killing, though officials are quick to dismiss any known connection. Still, there are "obvious coincidences," said Capt. Mike Nixon, chief investigator for the Troup County Sheriff's Department.

On Dec. 6, a passing motorist discovered the body of a woman -- still unidentified -- missing hands, feet and head. The mutilated body was in five black plastic garbage bags along Stitcher Road in LaGrange, which is west of Macon near the Alabama line.

Although an attempt was made to burn the bags, some evidence was recovered, including a Domino's Pizza coupon from Chamblee. The address on Hilton's arrest warrant for Emerson's kidnapping is on Clairmont Road in Chamblee. Nixon said investigators believe the woman was killed in metro Atlanta.

"We're looking into Hilton. We're looking into everything," he said.

Rumors have spread in LaGrange and Tallahassee that the slayings are connected, as each corpse was dismembered and the bodies were discovered within nine days of each other. Nixon said he's heard the speculation but so far nothing links the two cases. And as of now, he said, Hilton is not a suspect in the LaGrange slaying.

Meanwhile, Forsyth County officials say they are investigating whether Hilton may have been involved in the slaying of Cumming beauty salon owner Patrice Endres, whose body was found a little more than two years ago in Dawson State Forest, about a mile from where Emerson's body was located Monday.

Hilton is accused of abducting and bludgeoning to death Emerson, 24, who disappeared while hiking with her dog in the North Georgia mountains on New Year's Day. He is charged with kidnapping with bodily injury in Union County, where Emerson disappeared in Vogel State Park. Hilton also faces a murder charge in Dawson County, where Emerson's body was found Monday and where police say she was killed.

Dawson County prosecutor Lee Darragh said Wednesday he would not comment on whether he will seek the death penalty for Hilton. Hilton was denied bail. Hilton's court-appointed attorney, Rob McNeill, said he could not discuss the case's details, but said Hilton "realizes the gravity of the situation." At the hearing Wednesday in Dawson County, Hilton was made aware of the murder charge against him. He did not enter a plea.

Hilton never spoke aloud, but nodded when Chief Magistrate Judge Johnny Holtzclaw asked whether his date of birth was Nov. 22, 1946. Upon entering court from a side door, a handcuffed Hilton, wearing an orange jumpsuit and holding a pair of glasses, chatted softly with his defense attorney. The hearing lasted five minutes. It did not appear that any Hilton family members were present.

None of Emerson's relatives came either, said Peggy Bailey, a family spokeswoman. Through Bailey, Meredith Emerson's parents, Susan and Dave Emerson, told the Journal-Constitution that Hilton was not worth "our time and energy." "Our focus is on Meredith," the couple said in a statement given Bailey. The family was busy Wednesday preparing for Emerson's memorial service at 2 p.m. Friday at Central Presbyterian Church in Athens. Another memorial service is planned for sometime later in Emerson's hometown of Longmont, Colo., just outside Denver.

Darragh, district attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit, which includes Dawson County, told reporters after Hilton's hearing that he planned to take the case to the grand jury in early March. Asked about the death penalty, Darragh has also said he was not a part of any deal made with Hilton to take the death penalty off the table.

On Tuesday, Union County District Attorney Stan Gunter told The Associated Press authorities had agreed not to seek the ultimate punishment against Hilton if he led them to Emerson's body, which he did. Vernon Keenan, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, said the Union County County district attorney's office discussed the deal with the Emerson family. Steven Bright of the Southern Center for Human Rights said reneging on the promise, even if it was made by another jurisdiction, would likely raise legal complications for prosecutors.

"I would think if an agent of the state made a representation that induced the defendant [to give up evidence], I would think he would be entitled to [get] the bargain," Bright said. "We will have a hard time having a credible justice system if the representatives of the state promise people something and then are free to disregard it." Jack Martin, an experienced Georgia death penalty defense attorney, said that going back on the deal could also mean losing the ability to use certain evidence against Hilton — including the location of the slaying and the body.

"As a general matter, if there was a promise not to prosecute and he gave information on that promise, that information cannot, should not, be used in any trial," Martin said. "The evidence regarding the body would not be admissible, which would complicate the death penalty prosecution."

An autopsy performed by the GBI on Tuesday found Emerson suffered fatal injuries to the head before she was decapitated. The autopsy also revealed Emerson was alive for three days after she disappeared, but the GBI has not released any information about what happened to her during that time. Emerson's body was delivered to a funeral home in Athens, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said.

Jeff Smith, of Sandy Springs, was one of thousands of people who have reported seeing Hilton moving around North Georgia and apparently living out of his van. Smith's encounter with Hilton provides insight into the lifestyle Hilton was living in the months leading up to the alleged slaying.

Smith said he found a makeshift camp Hilton set up on Oct. 26 at the entrance to a privately leased woodland area off Lake Alataoona in Cherokee County. The camp is supposed to be accessible only to members of a hunting club which leases the land, but Smith said Hilton's white van was parked on the dirt road blocking the gate.

When Smith approached the van, trash was strewn on the ground, several sleeping bags were in the mud and a stash of plastic storage containers was stacked head-high and covered with plastic. Hilton told Smith he was merely stopping for a rest on his way to the Cohutta Wilderness, east of Dalton. The story didn't make sense to Smith, who noted that their location was 8 miles off I-75 and 2 miles inside a remote, heavily forested area.

"Immediately I thought wait a minute, this guy is hiding from something," Smith said.
Smith advised Hilton he was trespassing, then walked away after Hilton became belligerent and called the police.

A Cherokee County sheriff's deputy who responded to the call videotaped a 20-minute exchange with Hilton, who admitted having a baton with him. Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison said the deputy ran a check on Hilton through federal and state criminal databases before letting him go. There were no outstanding warrants, Garrison said. After Emerson's disappearance, Garrison said detectives searched the wooded area in Cherokee County where Hilton was camping, but they found nothing suspicious.

Hilton pleads guilty, gets life for killing hiker

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Gary Michael Hilton pleaded guilty Thursday to killing hiker Meredith Emerson, and was sentenced to life in prison.

Hilton, 61, wore an orange jumpsuit and bulletproof vest as he sat somberly through the sentencing.
He was charged with kidnapping with intent to harm and malice murder in Emerson's January 4 death.
The 24-year-old University of Georgia graduate disappeared on New Year's Day while on a hike in the North Georgia mountains with her dog.

Emerson's parents gave emotional statements in court.

"I feel that no punishment for Mr. Hilton is too great," said her father, David Emerson. "I only pray that he suffers immensely for his heinous acts."

Susan Emerson, the victim's mother, said she was not sorry that prosecutors took the death penalty off the table.
"I feel like he should stay alive and slowly rot," she said. "As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as justice in this case. Nothing will bring our daughter back."

Dr. Kris Sperry, the state's chief medical examiner, concluded Emerson died of blunt force trauma to the head and was decapitated after death. Witnesses said they saw Emerson on Georgia's Blood Mountain with Hilton.

Days later, Hilton led authorities to her body, reportedly in a deal to avoid the death penalty.

"Anyone's emotional reaction would have appropriately be that this defendant deserved the penalty of death," said Lee Darragh, Hall County District Attorney at a news conference following Hilton's plea.

But after much deliberation, research and consultation with other prosecutors, Darragh decided a life sentence "in practical terms" is a "death penalty in and of itself."

"The most appropriate course was to have this defendant take responsibility for the death of Meredith Emerson through his guilty plea today," he explained.

Hilton would not be eligible for parole until he is 91 years old. "He will most likely die in prison and most certainly never see the light of day again," said Darragh.

Emerson's family agrees with the sentence, a family spokeswoman said.
"Today is the last day of a very long month, but January on its last day is a safer place than January on its first," Peggy Bailey told reporters. "There are sources of joy that will lead our families through the suffering and on to healing."

Investigators also suspect Hilton in the October slaying of Irene Bryant and the presumed death of her husband, John, in Transylvania County, North Carolina, said Sheriff David Mahoney. Authorities haven't specified what evidence they have.

Hilton also is the suspect in the death of Cheryl Dunlap, 46, whose body was found in December in Apalachicola National Forest, southwest of Tallahassee, Florida, according to authorities.

Gary Michael Hilton Evil on Earth

Hilton Suspected In Fourth Hiker's Disappearance
BRYSON CITY, N.C. --6:30 pm EST January 15, 2008-- The man charged in the beating death of a Georgia hiker is being looked at in the 2005 disappearance of a Florida woman who was hiking in western North Carolina.
Investigators said 26-year-old Rossana Miliani was last in Bryson City on December 7th, 2005.
A store clerk from Bryson City recently told a private investigator that Miliani came into her store with a white man in his 60s and appeared nervous when they bought a backpack. The clerk contacted private investigator Steve Siske after reading about Miliani on the second anniversary of her disappearance.
Siske said he noticed case similarities when 61-year-old Gary Michael Hilton was arrested for the murder of 24-year-old Meredith Emerson, whose body was found in a national forest in the north Georgia mountains.
A spokeswoman with the State Bureau of Investigation confirmed Monday that agents are "considering the possibility of a connection," but declined further comment.



Hilton Considered "Prime Suspect" In Fl. Woman's Murder
The Leon County, Florida, sheriff's office said the man charged with murder in the death of 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson can be considered a prime suspect in the death of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap.
Her body was found December 19 in the Apalachicola National Forest, southwest of Tallahassee. Sheriff's Major Mike Wood said today that authorities have confirmed that Gary Michael Hilton was in the area at the time of Dunlap's disappearance.
A state law enforcement source told WSB-TV that Dunlap also was decapitated, as was Emerson.



(upper right, Rossana Miliani; right, Cheryl Dunlap; below John and Irene Bryant)









Hilton Named Suspect In NC Murder
Investigators in North Carolina named Gary Hilton a suspect in the abductions of two hikers, both found bludgeoned to death in separate locations. The body of Irene Bryant, 84, was found about a month after she and her husband disappeared while hiking in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville. She had been beaten to death. John Bryant, 80, found in Macon County Feb 2.
"At this point, I do consider Hilton a suspect,” said Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney. “We are following up on all information regarding possible sightings of Hilton. We have not released any other information regarding Hilton at this point.”





NC Sheriff: Hilton Responsible In NC Case Of Missing Hikers, Too
AP February 1, 2008
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Authorities said there is "no question" that a man who pleaded guilty to murdering a hiker in Georgia is responsible for the deaths of two hikers in North Carolina.
Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said Friday that North Carolina authorities tried to interview 61-year-old Gary Michael Hilton in Georgia on Thursday, the same day he pleaded to killing Meredith Emerson in the mountains of northern Georgia.
Mahoney said Hilton declined to talk and asked for an attorney.
Authorities have named Hilton a suspect in the beating death of 84-year-old Irene Bryant, who was found dead near a hiking trail in western North Carolina. Her 80-year-old husband, John Bryant, who was found dead February 2 in the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County, North Carolina.

Authorities to search Georgia, Tennessee mountains for body of John Bryant

CITIZEN-TIMES.com

by Jon Ostendorff
updated January 23, 2008 2:03 pm

Authorities on Thursday and Friday will search in northeast Georgia and east Tennessee for the body of missing hiker John “Jack” Bryant, a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said today.

Bryant disappeared while on a hiking trip with his wife Irene on Oct. 21 in the Pink Beds area of the Pisgah National Forest near Brevard. Searchers found Irene Bryant’s body Nov. 9. She had been killed by multiple blows to her head, according to an autopsy report.

Investigators have linked her death and his disappearance to Georgia drifter Gary Michael Hilton, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said last week. Hilton has not been charged in the slaying.

Mahoney would not say what that “positive link” was or when he plans to charge Hilton, who is in jail in Georgia for the New Year’s Day slaying of hiker Meredith Emerson, 24.

State, federal and local authorities will search areas in Towns and Union Counties as well as parts of east Tennessee.

“Numerous sources have identified Gary Michael Hilton as being in this area of Georgia in late October 2007,” Bankhead said in a written statement about the search plans.

Someone used the Bryant’s ATM card in Ducktown, Tenn., the day after Irene Bryant was killed.

GBI agents last week said Hilton in 2005 had abandoned a van in northeast Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest. The van, which was recovered from a scrap yard on Friday, played a role in Hilton’s arrest in Emerson’s death.

A U.S. Forest Service officer wrote Hilton a ticket for leaving his van the forest. A warrant was issued for Hilton's arrest after he failed to pay the fine. Authorities used that warrant to hold Hilton after taking him into custody for questioning Jan. 4 in Emerson's disappearance.

He was driving another van with a license plate stolen in Brevard.

The GBI is seeking input from the public on any sightings of Hilton in this area of Northeast Georgia.

If anyone recalls seeing Hilton, or his white van, in Towns County in late October, please contact the GBI’s Cleveland Office at 706-348-4866 or toll-free at 1-888-233-5680.

Officials: No Hilton Link to North Carolina Case

Provided by: Gannett News Service
Last Modified: 1/4/2008 10:39:31 PM

BREVARD, N.C. (GNS) -– Despite the similarity of a yellow jacket, investigators say there does not appear to be a connection between a missing hiker in north Georgia and the killing of an elderly woman last fall in the Pisgah National Forest.

“We’re not ruling it out, but right now, it does not appear that it’s related whatsoever, other than they both happened on U.S. Forest Service (property),” U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Harold Young Jr. said Friday.

Authorities are seeking a man believed to have been seen talking to a 24-year-old hiker missing since Tuesday in the vicinity of Blood Mountain in north Georgia.

The man, whom authorities believe is 60-year-old Gary Michael Hilton, was seen several times on New Year's Day with Meredith Emerson, 24, formerly of Longmont, Colo, and recently a resident of Buford, Ga., in suburban Atlanta.

Authorities said witnesses said the man had a yellow jacket and a backpack with enough gear for at least a couple of days.Meanwhile, John “Jack” Bryant, has been missing since he and his wife, Irene, went hiking Oct. 21.

Investigators found Irene Bryant's body Nov. 9 about 25 yards from where the Bryants' sport utility vehicle was parked on a roadside in the Pink Beds area of Pisgah National Forest.

Investigators have said someone killed 84-year-old Irene Bryant with a blow to the head. Jack Bryant, her husband of 55 years, is not suspected in the homicide, authorities said.

A surveillance photo taken at a Ducktown, Tenn., bank shows a person wearing a yellow rain jacket withdrawing money using the Bryant’s bank card. The hood of the rain jacket obscures the person's identity and the card has not been used since, authorites said.

The yellow jacket similarity is “curious,” but doesn’t link the two cases, Young said, adding that he has been in contact several times with the agent handling the Emerson search.“That was of interest, but we just don’t believe it’s related right now,” Young said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Bryant Task Force Tip Line at 862-3645, the nearest FBI office or their local law enforcement agency.
(Asheville Citizen-Times)

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109062

Meredith Emerson--Autopsy

Autopsy: Hiker Was Alive for 3 Days

Reported by: Jon Shirek
Reported by: Kevin Rowson
Reported by: Blair Meeks
Reported by: Keith Whitney
Last Modified: 1/9/2008

An autopsy performed on the body of slain hiker Meredith Emerson showed she was alive for three days before she was beaten to death and her body decapitated, the GBI said Tuesday.

There are also new charges and a new jail for the man accused of killing her, Gary Hilton, 61, of DeKalb County.Emerson's body was found in Dawson County.

According to murder warrants issued on Tuesday there, Emerson was killed three days after she disappeared from a hiking trail in Union County. The warrants said she was then brutally murdered.

Just before 3 p.m. Tuesday, Gary Hilton arrived at his new jail cell in Dawson County where he will face a more serious charge of murder. As he was escorted into the jail, he asked a sheriff deputy if the jail was nice.

"At approximately 1:30 today, an arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Gary Hilton," said Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle. "Mr. Hilton is being charged with one count of murder of Meredith Emerson.

"Investigators said they believe Emerson was killed in Dawson County. Her body was found in a heavily wooded area of the Dawson Forest on Monday at about 7 p.m. Gary Hilton had given investigators an indication where her body would be. After an autopsy was completed at the GBI's Decatur lab, the results were announced in Dawson County.

"Dr. Kris Sperry, the chief medical examiner for the state of Georgia, has determined that Meredith Emerson died of blunt force trauma to the head," said GBI Agent-in-charge John Cagle. "Dr. Sperry indicated that after Ms. Emerson received the lethal injuries she was decapitated.

"Meredith Emerson disappeared from a hiking trail near Vogel State Park in Union County on New Year's Day. "The contents of the warrant allege that the crime occurred on January the 4th, 2008," said District Attorney Lee Darragh.

That means Meredith Emerson was alive for three days after she was abducted. The GBI would not detail any more specifics of the case. Gary Hilton will face a judge for the first time in Dawson County on Wednesday at 1 p.m.Emerson's body was found in the Dawson Forest -- about 24,000 acres of land near Dawsonville, north of the Forsyth County line. The park is near the Cumming gas station where Emerson's bloody clothes and ID were found.

Emerson's Family Releases Statement of ThanksOn Tuesday afternoon, Emerson's family released a statement expressing their thanks to all who helped search for Meredith over the past week, and they also announced a memorial service for her.

The GBI informed Meredith Emerson's family about today's autopsy results, and is giving the family updates on the ongoing investigation. Meredith's parents, Dave and Susan Emerson, released a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

They had been actively helping in the search and the investigation. The Emersons asked their close friend and Meredith's godmother, Peggy Bailey, who lives in Athens, to speak for them one more time.

"The family of Meredith Emerson would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following good people: Union County and Dawson County Sheriff's departments, fire and rescue departments, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the 60-plus agencies involved in the search and eventual recovery of Meredith. The family would also like to express their appreciation in the professionalism and compassion of the local and national media and thank them again for helping to facilitate getting information out about Meredith as well as helping the world learn to know her, and learn to love her, as we always have and always will. We would also like to thank the untold number of friends and volunteers and family who helped search and support all of us at this tragic and troubling time," Bailey read.

The memorial service for Meredith Emerson will be on Friday, at Central Presbyterian Church on Alps Road in Athens, at 2 p.m. The family asks that those who wish to honor Meredith can do so by contributing to their local animal rescue shelters.

Other States Eying Hilton in Other Murders

Florida has now joined North Carolina in requesting details of the Meredith Emerson murder to see if her killer could be responsible for more murders.

There are at least three unsolved murders detectives are focusing on. There is a growing concern that the killer of Meredith Emerson may be a serial killer who has left a trail of tragedy in at least three states.

John and Irene Bryant -- hikers who traveled the world well into their 80s -- were last seen in the hills of North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest.Their red SUV was parked not far from where the body of Irene was later found, beaten to death. John Bryant's body has never been found, despite agonizing searches by his family and other volunteers. The suspect in their murder was seen at a Tennessee ATM, using their debit card and wearing John's jacket. The jacket may be the clue that links their killer with the suspect in the Emerson murder.

"They can make determinations between the Meredith emerson case and the case that they're working in North Carolina," said GBI Director Vernon Keenan. "There's no conclusion been made; no linkage been made, but they were very interested in the case that we're working in Union County.

"Investigators in Florida will now follow in the footsteps of those from North Carolina, visiting the GBI in Georgia. They want to compare the suspect in the murder of 46-year-old Cheryl Dunlap last month in the Apalachicola Forest with Hilton as well. Dunlap's body was found by hunters in the woods, two weeks after the suspect used her credit card to try and get cash at a bank.

There are other cases in Georgia that may bear looking into as well -- notably, the murders of Patrice Endres and Levi Frady, though the GBI has indicated that they are not yet going over similarities there.

Meredith Emerson--Body found

Body of missing Georgia hiker found
Accused kidnapper leads authorities to her body in mountainous area

Associated Press

updated 3:34 a.m. CT, Tues., Jan. 8, 2008

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. - A drifter charged with kidnapping a 24-year-old hiker led authorities to her body Monday in the mountains of northern Georgia, investigators said, hours after a judge denied him bond in her New Year’s Day disappearance.

Authorities were also examining whether the death and the disappearance of two elderly hikers in October in North Carolina were related to the Georgia case.

Gary Michael Hilton, 61, showed investigators the spot where Meredith Emerson’s body lay, said John Cagle, an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Field Division.

Residents reported seeing Hilton’s van in the Dawson Forest Management Area, where the body was found, miles from where Emerson was last seen, Cagle said. A search had been planned there before Hilton told authorities where to look, he said.

The wiry, grizzled Hilton was well known in the area, often seen with his dog, Dandy, and police-style baton, Union County Sheriff Scott Stephens said. Hilton was the last person seen on the trail with Emerson, and investigators had gotten countless calls since identifying him as a person of interest in her disappearance, Stephens said.

Hilton is charged with kidnapping with intent of bodily injury, and more charges could be added, Enotah Judicial District Attorney Stan Gunter said.

Hilton’s attorney, Neil Smith, did not enter a plea on Hilton’s behalf during the 11-minute appearance before Union County Magistrate Judge Johnie M. Garmon.

Shackled at the hands and feet, Hilton thanked Smith, a public defender who was assigned to the case early in an attempt to encourage Hilton’s cooperation in the search for Emerson.
Investigators said Hilton, who was detained Friday, had tried to use Emerson’s credit card, according to his arrest warrant.

Three bloody fleece tops and a bloodstained piece of a car’s seat belt were found in a trash bin beside a convenience store where Hilton had used a pay phone, the warrant stated. Hilton had tried to vacuum and wash portions of his 2001 Chevrolet Astro van, which was found without the rear seat belt, according to the document.

Authorities said they are exploring whether the disappearance of a couple in North Carolina is related to that of Emerson. John and Irene Bryant, both in their 80s, had gone hiking in the western North Carolina mountains in October.

Irene Bryant’s body was found in November; authorities say she was killed with a blow to the head. Her husband remains missing but is presumed to have been killed.
Sheriff David Mahoney of North Carolina’s Transylvania County agreed that there are similarities “that we’re certainly wanting to look more closely at — nothing that we can release at this point.”

Mahoney did note that authorities in both cases were looking for someone wearing a yellow jacket, and that an ATM transaction was made with the Bryants’ card about 50 miles from the area of the Georgia investigation.

Emerson was last seen hiking with her dog in Vogel State Park, about 90 miles north of Atlanta. The dog was found 50 miles away Friday in a grocery store parking lot in Cumming, a suburb north of Atlanta, and identified using an implanted microchip.

Vogel is one of Georgia’s oldest and most popular state parks. The area includes a segment of the Appalachian Trail, the hiking route that stretches from Georgia to Maine.

The Killing of John and Irene Bryant of Hendersonville, N.C

BY BRIAN K. FINNICUM, EDITOR Friday, December 21, 2007 1:42 PM

A photo from the security camera at People’s Bank in Ducktown shows the hooded figure of the person who used John and Irene Bryant’s ATM card.

Officials believe establishing this person’s identity is key to solving Irene’s murder and John’s disappearance.

The son of a North Carolina couple whose bank ATM card was used to withdraw money at a Ducktown bank visited the Copper Basin area last week to try to draw out information that might help solve the crime against his parents.

“Why Ducktown?” wondered Bob Bryant Thursday. “Was it on the way to somewhere, or was it somebody from here?”

Bryant’s parents, John and Irene Bryant of Hendersonville, N.C., disappeared after going on a day hike in the Pisgah National Forest on Oct. 21 near the Cradle of Forestry and Pink Beds in Transylvania County near Brevard, N.C.

Later that day, a 911 call was attempted from the couple’s cell phone, but the call was dropped by the tower because of a weak signal and never reached the 911 dispatch office.Bryant said his parents were in the habit of taking hikes of two or three hours a few times a week, and would often go on short trips at the drop of a hat, but “when we hadn’t heard from them for a week, we got concerned.”

Bryant said when he also confirmed with his mother’s sister that she hadn’t heard from them either, even though Irene was in the habit of talking to her sister several times a week, and neighbors told him newspapers were piling up at their house, he flew from his home in Austin, Texas, to Hendersonville, and broke into his parents house.

He said everything appeared normal, but their packs were gone and he assumed they had gone hiking.Bryant then notified authorities that his parents were missing, and the sheriff’s department started an investigation, he said. That was when the dropped cell phone call was discovered, and that gave them a location in the Pisgah Forest where to start their search.

The next day, two weeks after their presumed disappearance, the couple’s truck was found parked at a trailhead, Bryant said. Almost as soon as the car was located, aircraft were overhead searching, and a large search party fanned out along the trail and vicinity, presumably looking for lost hikers, he said.

But, after a few days, it was realized that they were no longer looking for lost hikers, and the search was scaled back to mostly law enforcement, who began a thorough grid search, Bryant said. Soon, Irene’s body was found. She had been bludgeoned to death.

At the same time, officials learned that someone had used the couple’s bank card to withdraw $300 from the People’s Bank ATM on Five Points Drive in Ducktown the day after the couple went missing.

Since then, Bryant said he has been searching on his own in the Pisgah Forest, walking roads and bridges. “I’ve walked a lot,” he said, including seven miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Last week, he came to Ducktown. He said he came for a couple of reasons - to see the place and ATM that was used and to talk to local law enforcement officials about his parents; and to talk to the news media to plead with anyone who might have seen anything to come forward.

Bank security cameras show a figure walked up to the ATM on Oct. 22 at 7:35 p.m., wearing a yellow parka with the hood up. A distinctive band of what appears to be gray duct tape rings the waist of the parka. Cars can be seen passing on the street in the background.Bryant said he doesn’t know for sure, but the parka “certainly looked like something Dad would have. It certainly looks like it could be.”

John Bryant remains missing. Also missing is his backpack, a blue pack with an Appalachian Trail “End To End” patch on it. Bob Bryant said his dad had hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in sections.

“I just don’t understand how this would have turned into a murder,” Bryant said. His mother Irene was 84 and his father John was just a week shy of his 80th birthday. He said they wouldn’t have posed a physical threat and would have just handed over their wallets if someone had demanded them. He said neither would have offered any resistance unless the other had been physically assaulted.

Despite an intensive investigation not only by the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Department, but also the U.S. Forest Service and Park Service, the FBI, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Department, Bryant said no further clues about his father’s whereabouts have been found.

He said the presumption is that his father was taken against his will, and the presumption is that he is no longer alive.“They need a lead,” Bryant said. He said he came here hoping that someone might have seen the person in the yellow parka, or have heard something about the case.

“Please come forward,” he pleaded.A $10,000 reward has been offered for the right information, Bryant said. Anyone with any information can call the Polk County Sheriff’s Department at 423-496-3301.

http://www.thenewsobserver.com/articles/2007/12/25/news/news02.txt

A short, preliminary timeline :

Oct 21, 4 pm: An unsuccessful call to 911 from Irene Bryant’s cell phone. The signal is lost and the call never reaches an emergency call center. The provider is unable to lock onto a position using GPS. Authorities suspect Irene Bryant was killed that day.

Oct 22, 7:35 pm: Bryants’ bank card used to withdraw $300 from an ATM at a Ducktown, Tenn., bank. Suspect is on surveillance tape, but not a good shot.

Nov 2 or 3: Bob Bryant reports to the Henderson County Sheriff‘s Office that his parents are missing after not being able to reach them by phone or e-mail for two weeks, and hearing from neighbors that newspapers were piling up outside the Bryants’ home.

Nov 6: Search for John and Irene Bryant begins.
Nov 6, 1:45 pm: Bob Bryant, after traveling from home in Texas, finds his parents’ Ford Escape on the side of Yellow Gap Road in Transylvania County.

Nov 8: Law enforcement begins search of couple’s financial records for recent activity.

Nov. 9: Authorities determine couple’s bank card used.
Nov. 9: Sixty-five people join another 40 already searching for the couple. Searchers find body, which is sent for autopsy and identification.

Nov 12: Search for couple suspended.

Nov 13: Police go public with information on the bank card use, releasing photo from bank video. Medical examiner identifies body as that of Irene Bryant.