Missing Georgia hiker--Meredith Emerson, 24 #3

[WindChime]

#2 http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58192

#1 http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58066

Continue here.

[SuziQ]

Thank you WindChime!

The latest is Hilton will be in court at 1PM.

[Pharlap]

Thank you WindChime!

The latest is Hilton will be in court at 1PM.

Wonder what else they can add to his charges...:sick::behindbar

[SuziQ]

(snip)
The family of Levi Frady, whose body was found in the same Dawson County forest as Emerson's, thinks Hilton resembles sketches of two men police want to question in the 1997 murder.

Some members of Frady's family told WSB-TV Channel 2 Tueday they think a booking photo taken of Hilton after a 1995 arrest bears a striking resemblence to at least one of the sketches.

"That kind of caught my eye. It resembles the picture," said Justin Frady, the murder victim's cousin.

The side by side pics are at the bottom of the below linked article. He looks much like the one on the right.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15009776/detail.html

[cwiz24]

(snip)

The side by side pics are at the bottom of the below linked article. He looks much like the one on the right.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15009776/detail.html

Only difference is the amount of hair, but that's easily disguiseable.

[SeriouslySearching]

Thanks, WindChime!

The 1995 shot of him does look more like the sketch. I guess it is because of the hair (he had some at that point) and he isn't as "weathered" looking. Also, the pattern of the date does stand out, doesn't it? You guys are good! : )

[raindrops300]

I hope it's ok to post this link. These thread are moving so fast, I'm not sure if this has been noticed or posted on here. I know you guys have been on this blog also, but this stood out to me.
This probably should be included when you're looking at his timeline. Keep up the good work..ya'll are doing a great job.


http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/2008/01/who-is-gary-michael-hilton.html

""Someone needs to interrogate this guy to see where he was around '89 '90 '91 '92. My husband and I used to hike frequently in Flagstaff AZ and also around Sedona. We had an incident while on a trial that creeped us out enough to get the hell out of there fast! Who do you notify with this kind of thing? It's been years but a woman went missing at about 5 or 6 months prior to our incident (sometime around Halloween). He looks so much like the guy it's not funny. I don't like sounding like a nut but it's just something I can't seem to ignore now.
TerryR | 01.09.08 - 3:12 am ""

[Pharlap]

Only difference is the amount of hair, but that's easily disguiseable.

All the pic's have more similarity's then not.
How long did the ppl ,that talk to the artist, actually see Hilton?

[SeriouslySearching]

Wonder what else they can add to his charges...:sick::behindbarI think Murder with Malice pretty much covers it at this point, on top of the kidnapping charge in the other county. I am praying they aren't going to add sexual assault/rape to the mix. I know this would be a huge blow to the family. After what this creep has already done, I hope he spared Meredith from that. :(

[SeriouslySearching]

I hope it's ok to post this link. These thread are moving so fast, I'm not sure if this has been noticed or posted on here. I know you guys have been on this blog also, but this stood out to me.
This probably should be included when you're looking at his timeline. Keep up the good work..ya'll are doing a great job.


http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/2008/01/who-is-gary-michael-hilton.html

""Someone needs to interrogate this guy to see where he was around '89 '90 '91 '92. My husband and I used to hike frequently in Flagstaff AZ and also around Sedona. We had an incident while on a trial that creeped us out enough to get the hell out of there fast! Who do you notify with this kind of thing? It's been years but a woman went missing at about 5 or 6 months prior to our incident (sometime around Halloween). He looks so much like the guy it's not funny. I don't like sounding like a nut but it's just something I can't seem to ignore now.
TerryR | 01.09.08 - 3:12 am ""They should contact the FBI or the GBI. The missing woman should be enough to raise their eyebrows.

[SuziQ]

Do we even know that Hilton has ever ventured out west?

[Pharlap]

http://www.truecrimeweblog.com/2008/01/who-is-gary-michael-hilton.html[/URL]

""Someone needs to interrogate this guy to see where he was around '89 '90 '91 '92. My husband and I used to hike frequently in Flagstaff AZ and also around Sedona. We had an incident while on a trial that creeped us out enough to get the hell out of there fast! Who do you notify with this kind of thing? It's been years but a woman went missing at about 5 or 6 months prior to our incident (sometime around Halloween). He looks so much like the guy it's not funny. I don't like sounding like a nut but it's just something I can't seem to ignore now.
TerryR | 01.09.08 - 3:12 am ""

Were they any pic's in the local papers at that time?

[sweetmop]

I think Murder with Malice pretty much covers it at this point, on top of the kidnapping charge in the other county. I am praying they aren't going to add sexual assault/rape to the mix. I know this would be a huge blow to the family. After what this creep has already done, I hope he spared Meredith from that. :(

I agree that Murder with Malice covers alot, much too much, that we do already know as fact about this far.

And as much as it sickens me, I am fearful that this monster probably did sexually assault, torture and rape poor Meredith!

I am not intending to be disgusting, gross, etc., but he did keep her alive for 3 days, killing her on the Jan.4th.
I don't think for a second that this was only to obtain her ATM pin #!

This monster is evil, PURE EVIL!!! And evil has no conscience, many unspeakable and horrific acts were done to this beautiful innocent young woman.
It angers me so that he took LE to the location of Meredith's remains d/t the promise of no dp!!! He should be fryed today!!!

[catsmeow]

I agree that Murder with Malice covers alot, much too much, that we do already know as fact about this far.

And as much as it sickens me, I am fearful that this monster probably did sexually assault, torture and rape poor Meredith!

I am not intending to be disgusting, gross, etc., but he did keep her alive for 3 days, killing her on the Jan.4th.
I don't think for a second that this was only to obtain her ATM pin #!

This monster is evil, PURE EVIL!!! And evil has no conscience, many unspeakable and horrific acts were done to this beautiful innocent young woman.
It angers me so that he took LE to the location of Meredith's remains d/t the promise of no dp!!! He should be fryed today!!!

I SO completely agree!!!!!! I wish they would just fry him TODAY! It's cases like this that make me wish that were possible BUT for the fact that keeping him alive for a while might be worth it if we could find out information about possible other victims that could bring closure to other families. That would be the only possible reason, then, I'd say fry him and get it over with. What he has done is unspeakable, unthinkable and horrifying. I cannot fathom what this young lady went through.

[gardenmom]

Were they any pic's in the local papers at that time?

The more people that come forward with info, even if they aren't sure, will link him to other crimes. They all need to be checked out.

[SeriouslySearching]

Do we even know that Hilton has ever ventured out west?We don't know where Hilton has been yet. It will be people like this that will possibly place him in other locations. I haven't found anything about a woman going missing in a forest during that time in AZ tho. Anyone?

Also, I was looking for a cold case that was on here for an unidentified couple found in OK back in the 70s. I can't find it anywhere which is strange as I know I posted on it before. They were found in a National Forest here, if I am not mistaken.

[SuziQ]

We don't know where Hilton has been yet. It will be people like this that will possibly place him in other locations.

And I hope everyone that has info like that is calling LE. It doesn't do any good for them to make a post then not call LE.

[JinxieJada]

(snip)
The family of Levi Frady, whose body was found in the same Dawson County forest as Emerson's, thinks Hilton resembles sketches of two men http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15009776/detail.html

OMG he looks so much "different" in "younger" years (same features, just different somehow)....Was this the booking photo for his solicitation charges?

[MeoW333]

This dashcam video of Hilton when an officer was on him for camping with out the permit is very import, imo.

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006358/index.html

He looks much younger in it and at first i didn't recognize him due to his dark hair. In fact his hair was so dark i believe he dyed it to change his hair color at that point. The video was only a couple years back, correct?
The way he rambles on to the officer, you can hear the nervousness in his voice, he has something to hide, it's obvious, even then. What was he hiding then, is the question?

I think the link through the dogs is the way he meets his victims -walking his dog. I don't think it necessarily has to do with how trained the dogs are. It's just how he meets his victims. Maybe walks his dog, sees them with theirs, then stalks them.

[MeoW333]

Also his stature with the slight slouch matches in the dashcam vid to the atm surveillance footages.
As to him saying he was involved in the military and was doing "field maneuvers" that may have been 1. a sociopathic ploy to get cops to leave him alone 2. its really true and that would explain why he is so easily desensitized to his victims and perhaps the dismembering of corpses in order for them to decompose quicker
I really think his hair looks dyed black in that dashcam video..

[drumstick]

close enough .... It won't surprise me if we hear about the Frady case from this monster.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh68/specialsection/afacecropcomp.jpg

[georgiagirl]

close enough .... It won't surprise me if we hear about the Frady case from this monster.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh68/specialsection/afacecropcomp.jpg


The witness in the Frady case said the POI walked in a sort of stooped fashion which could mean a slouch....

[MeoW333]

Witnesses in the different composites, being only human won't remember every single detail, the closeness of the POI sketches in different cases and Hilton is astounding..

[concernedperson]

Death penalty NOT off the table according to the prosecutor from Hall and Dawson Counties. He said he wasn't part of the deal that Union County made and she was murdered in Dawson County. He said he hasn't made a decision yet. Pretty clever of the DA's if I must say so myself.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/08/emerson_0109.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

[jennyjwv]

I'm thinking maybe the atm uses in these cases was more the crime of opportunity - he is a killer - but i don't think money was the motive - how could you depend on a "hiker" to have much money? so i think money was an added incentive for him.....

[JinxieJada]

I'm thinking maybe the atm uses in these cases was more the crime of opportunity - he is a killer - but i don't think money was the motive - how could you depend on a "hiker" to have much money? so i think money was an added incentive for him.....

I agree But wanted to point out..some of these people that hike the trails are going through the trail..meaning lots of area/miles and from what I've been reading sometimes multiple states..Not surprising that they WOULD have an atm/debit/cc on them to fund their restocks, in case of Emergencies, in case of equip repairs etc.

Maybe not "Big" funds...But I'm sure there are those. I mean, how many really think to make a seperate "vacation" fund to keep just a set amount of money in when on the road?

Not nitpicking your post, please don't think that...just another avenue why he may have "targeted" them so to speak!

[schultzan31]

did anyone else notice on Nancy Grace that when she was ever so eloquently discussing the motive for decapitation, that she never once mentioned that perhaps he did this so she couldn't be identified quickly?

I mean, obviously decapitation is a horrendous thing to do, whether a person is alive or dead, but the fact that he did it to her when she was dead suggests that either Nancy was right and he gets some sick pleasure out of that, or that he was trying to conceal her identity. Either way its still horrible, but I think she missed a valid point.

Not that it matters exactly WHY he did it, but it could be a clue as to what type of murders we are looking for.

[Jade]

This dashcam video of Hilton when an officer was on him for camping with out the permit is very import, imo.

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006358/index.html

He looks much younger in it and at first i didn't recognize him due to his dark hair. In fact his hair was so dark i believe he dyed it to change his hair color at that point. The video was only a couple years back, correct? The way he rambles on to the officer, you can hear the nervousness in his voice, he has something to hide, it's obvious, even then. What was he hiding then, is the question?

I think the link through the dogs is the way he meets his victims -walking his dog. I don't think it necessarily has to do with how trained the dogs are. It's just how he meets his victims. Maybe walks his dog, sees them with theirs, then stalks them.


The video is from October: :waitasec:


In October, Hilton drew attention from a Cherokee County sheriff's deputy answering a trespassing call. Hunters had called authorities to report that a man, identified as Hilton, was camping on private property used for hunting off Upper Sweetwater Trail, sheriff's Sgt. Jay Baker said.

The deputy videotaped the exchange, speaking for 20 minutes to Hilton, who admitted having a baton with him. The deputy told Hilton to leave the property after confirming he didn't have any outstanding warrants.



http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/08/emerson_0109.html

Video is smarmy – he is just so persecuted :boohoo:

[jennyjwv]

that is true too jinx - just putting my thoughts out there - i was just thinking if he was involved w/say the levi case - he surely didn't have an atm card......so that couldn't have been the motive
was meredith's whole body found there? sorry to be graphic they really didn't say just that she was decapitated...

[SeriouslySearching]

I'm thinking maybe the atm uses in these cases was more the crime of opportunity - he is a killer - but i don't think money was the motive - how could you depend on a "hiker" to have much money? so i think money was an added incentive for him.....If he either sees them before at a convenience store or with their vehicle...he would get a good idea if they have money in the bank. I still think they need to check if Meredith was seen at a store making purchases before she went hiking and check out the cams there.

I believe it is his motive. He lives off the grid and it is easy money to him. He gets the thrill of the kill AND makes it a "payday" of sorts. He gets just enough cash to last him awhile and doesn't clean out their accounts, but only because it would draw more attention and further the risk of being caught, imo.

[cwiz24]

Death penalty NOT off the table according to the prosecutor from Hall and Dawson Counties. He said he wasn't part of the deal that Union County made and she was murdered in Dawson County. He said he hasn't made a decision yet. Pretty clever of the DA's if I must say so myself.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/08/emerson_0109.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Hate to be happy that someone's life may be ended, but if anyone ever deserved it, this creep does. Way to go DAs...that's why they're lawyers and Hilton was sleeping in a van.

[Pharlap]

Hopefully in the future, his history will be reported.
Where he was born, grew up, parents and the like.
What makes a monster do stuff like this, is beyond me.

[SeriouslySearching]

that is true too jinx - just putting my thoughts out there - i was just thinking if he was involved w/say the levi case - he surely didn't have an atm card......so that couldn't have been the motive
was meredith's whole body found there? sorry to be graphic they really didn't say just that she was decapitated...Yes, she was first killed with a blow to the head...then decapitated post mortem. I believe they have found all of her.

The only thing I can think of about Levi would be the kid saw something he wasn't supposed to. No, money would not have been a motive in his case...so there had to be another reason. They have not mentioned anything sexual in these killings so I think we can rule that out, too.

[MeoW333]

If he either sees them before at a convenience store or with their vehicle...he would get a good idea if they have money in the bank. I still think they need to check if Meredith was seen at a store making purchases before she went hiking and check out the cams there.

I believe it is his motive. He lives off the grid and it is easy money to him. He gets the thrill of the kill AND makes it a "payday" of sorts. He gets just enough cash to last him awhile and doesn't clean out their accounts, but only because it would draw more attention and further the risk of being caught, imo.

That's a very good point, they should check security cameras at nearby stores to see if Meredith stopped in before her hike and who was around at that time.
Hilton is a thrill killer who makes a profit off of it when needed.

[cwiz24]

I just finally watched the interview with the woman who spotted Hilton at the gas station. What a brave woman! She seems to have been very level-headed about trying to make sure police got there quickly and she had all the information they needed. She is responsible for saving the lives of his future victims and should be applauded.

[MeoW333]

did anyone else notice on Nancy Grace that when she was ever so eloquently discussing the motive for decapitation, that she never once mentioned that perhaps he did this so she couldn't be identified quickly?

I mean, obviously decapitation is a horrendous thing to do, whether a person is alive or dead, but the fact that he did it to her when she was dead suggests that either Nancy was right and he gets some sick pleasure out of that, or that he was trying to conceal her identity. Either way its still horrible, but I think she missed a valid point.

Not that it matters exactly WHY he did it, but it could be a clue as to what type of murders we are looking for.

I think he does it so they decompose quicker.

[SeriouslySearching]

Originally Posted by MeoW333
This dashcam video of Hilton when an officer was on him for camping with out the permit is very import, imo.

http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006358/index.html

He looks much younger in it and at first i didn't recognize him due to his dark hair. In fact his hair was so dark i believe he dyed it to change his hair color at that point. The video was only a couple years back, correct? The way he rambles on to the officer, you can hear the nervousness in his voice, he has something to hide, it's obvious, even then. What was he hiding then, is the question?

I think the link through the dogs is the way he meets his victims -walking his dog. I don't think it necessarily has to do with how trained the dogs are. It's just how he meets his victims. Maybe walks his dog, sees them with theirs, then stalks them.

The video was taken a week after John Bryant went missing and his wife was found murdered (or Bryant's ATM card was used). I would say he might have plenty to hide at that point. This is why I suggest they keep looking in the area for John.

I don't think his hair was colored, but we are just seeing the stocking cap.

I agree the dog is used as a ploy and obviously...an effective one.

[SeriouslySearching]

I think he does it so they decompose quicker.I don't think it makes them decompose any faster, but I will check it out. Chico?!

I think this time it indicates uncontrollable rage. I believe she tried to free herself by attacking him and it made him angry. If he is responsible for the other killings, this one is only different because of the decapitation so it doesn't support the theory of him doing it so they decompose faster to me.

[jennyjwv]

did it say if the bryant's had a dog w/them??

[dr dona]

I agree we're seeing his stocking cap not his hair. I feel the body mutilation is part of his rage.
To meredith's family- You are in all our prayers. We discuss crimes on this site. At times the details of these crimes are depraved. We care about your daughter and all other victims of senseless crimes. I am a Christian and know that Meredith's soul had already departed and she is with God now. She had already departed when many of these events occured.
Find the strength to go on and know that there are many who care about you. Hug Ella from us.
I do hope someone will adopt Dandy so there won't be another victim of this heinous man. If we can help the shelter take care of him please forward an address. I would hate if Dandy to be put down!!!!
Go with God.

[schultzan31]

did it say if the bryant's had a dog w/them??
They did not. At least there were no reports that they did.

I think that his victims having a dog was a way of him getting finding an excuse to get near them and for them to somewhat trust him.

However, I don't think that he only harms those with dogs...
If you think about it, why would a 24 year old woman start talking to 61 year old Hilton unless they had some common ground? I am in my early 20's and if an older man alone in the woods approached me I'd brush him off right away, if he had a dog I'd just think "oh he's got a dog, I have a dog, he just wants them to play together."
I don't think that now though!

The Bryants may have been much easier for him to get near, especially since they were older (like him) and I have read that they were friendly..I could see Hilton approaching them to talk about the woods or something. With a younger woman that may have been more difficult, hence using the dogs as a conversation starter.

[MeoW333]

I agree we're seeing his stocking cap not his hair. I feel the body mutilation is part of his rage.
To meredith's family- You are in all our prayers. We discuss crimes on this site. At times the details of these crimes are depraved. We care about your daughter and all other victims of senseless crimes. I am a Christian and know that Meredith's soul had already departed and she is with God now. She had already departed when many of these events occured.
Find the strength to go on and know that there are many who care about you. Hug Ella from us.
I do hope someone will adopt Dandy so there won't be another victim of this heinous man. If we can help the shelter take care of him please forward an address. I would hate if Dandy to be put down!!!!
Go with God.

Does anyone in GA know of any good Dog Rescue/Foster/Adoption groups that would be willing to bail out Dandy from the pound? If cost is an issue, i would take care of that. Unfortunately i am too far away to get Dandy myself. ALso having more pictures of Dandy would be very helpful for witnesses to identify Hilton.

[schultzan31]

Also, if Hilton did kill the Bryant's and Levi, we can probably assume that his crimes were not sexually motivated and that Meredith was not sexually assaulted.
I think that if it comes out that Meredith was, then we may need reevaluate his potential victims, unless he just randomly killed people and had no pattern, which would be unlikely.

[ipswitch]

I'm still working on the list, but this one really stuck out:

http://www.gbi.georgia.gov/00/case_detail/0,2695,67862954_74030338_89910097,00.html

Date Found: May 07, 1988 Race: White
Location: Bartow County
Weight: 180 to 210
Height: 6'1" to 6'3"
Sex: Male
Birth Range: 30 to 40
Contact:
Bartow County Sheriff's Office at 706/382-5050 or the GBI TIP line at 1/800-597-TIPS. Narrative: Found by: Couple looking for plants
Conditions: Victim had been killed in another location two to three days before. Head and hands of victim had been removed and were never located. The body was left in plain view with no attempt to conceal it.

[jennyjwv]

I wonder if hilton will confess to anything now that he knows he is finished .... some killers are weird and would get off on bragging about it and how they couldn't catch him - i wonder if they have dna evidence from these other murders they can try to match to hilton???

[SeriouslySearching]

Does anyone in GA know of any good Dog Rescue/Foster/Adoption groups that would be willing to bail out Dandy from the pound? If cost is an issue, i would take care of that. Unfortunately i am too far away to get Dandy myself. ALso having more pictures of Dandy would be very helpful for witnesses to identify Hilton.Dandy is essentially a witness in a murder case. That dog isn't going anywhere! They will hold her in "custody", imo. They need to collect hairs and samples from the dog to compare in other cases etc.

[SeriouslySearching]

I wonder if hilton will confess to anything now that he knows he is finished .... some killers are weird and would get off on bragging about it and how they couldn't catch him - i wonder if they have dna evidence from these other murders they can try to match to hilton???We can only hope he will brag to LE. I am sure they did collect as much DNA evidence as possible on other cases and will be comparing them.

[SeriouslySearching]

I'm still working on the list, but this one really stuck out:

http://www.gbi.georgia.gov/00/case_detail/0,2695,67862954_74030338_89910097,00.html

Date Found: May 07, 1988 Race: White
Location: Bartow County
Weight: 180 to 210
Height: 6'1" to 6'3"
Sex: Male
Birth Range: 30 to 40
Contact:
Bartow County Sheriff's Office at 706/382-5050 or the GBI TIP line at 1/800-597-TIPS. Narrative: Found by: Couple looking for plants
Conditions: Victim had been killed in another location two to three days before. Head and hands of victim had been removed and were never located. The body was left in plain view with no attempt to conceal it.Possible, but so far they have not mentioned anything about her hands. Other serial killers, drug lords, etc. have used this tactic to try to avoid identification of bodies. I don't think he did this to her for that specific reason at all.

[MeoW333]

Dandy is essentially a witness in a murder case. That dog isn't going anywhere! They will hold her in "custody", imo. They need to collect hairs and samples from the dog to compare in other cases etc.

Okay, good, i hope they will take pictures of Dandy to release for the public. You never know when it may jog someone's memory.. Hilton's been sighted as far north as Pa, Lord knows where all he's been to..

[georgiagirl]

The video is from October: :waitasec:


In October, Hilton drew attention from a Cherokee County sheriff's deputy answering a trespassing call. Hunters had called authorities to report that a man, identified as Hilton, was camping on private property used for hunting off Upper Sweetwater Trail, sheriff's Sgt. Jay Baker said.

The deputy videotaped the exchange, speaking for 20 minutes to Hilton, who admitted having a baton with him. The deputy told Hilton to leave the property after confirming he didn't have any outstanding warrants.



http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/08/emerson_0109.html

Video is smarmy – he is just so persecuted :boohoo:

I shudder to think he was here in Cherokee so close to my neighborhood and tried to use Meredith's ATM card just two blocks from my office in Canton. :(

[SuziQ]

The charge in 1995 that resulted in the younger mug shot we now see of Hilton was for beating up a roomate.

[cwiz24]

Possible, but so far they have not mentioned anything about her hands. Other serial killers, drug lords, etc. have used this tactic to try to avoid identification of bodies. I don't think he did this to her for that specific reason at all.

Also, most of the potential victims have been female.

However, I have read message board discussions that claim that Cheryl Dunlap's remains were left in the manner described in the GBI report above.

[concernedperson]

did anyone else notice on Nancy Grace that when she was ever so eloquently discussing the motive for decapitation, that she never once mentioned that perhaps he did this so she couldn't be identified quickly?

I mean, obviously decapitation is a horrendous thing to do, whether a person is alive or dead, but the fact that he did it to her when she was dead suggests that either Nancy was right and he gets some sick pleasure out of that, or that he was trying to conceal her identity. Either way its still horrible, but I think she missed a valid point.

Not that it matters exactly WHY he did it, but it could be a clue as to what type of murders we are looking for.

It indicates rage to me and the fact that he took her bloody clothes further exposing her. I am assuming her head was near the body and if it wasn't then we can look at concealing identity. The case of Cheryl Dunlap was different in so far as both the head and hands were gone. No verification from LE put that is the word from people around the area. Although this happened around a State Park there was no dog but she had had a flat tire so another crime of opportunity and he did try and use her ATM card.

[SuziQ]

Here is a post I made this morning in thread 2. Me and JennyWV were discussing the dashcam video. She thinks that Hilton may have dumped John Bryant there. Also we've only seen a snippet of the dashcam video. The entire thing is actually 20 minutes long. :

Hilton was in Cherokee County less than 4 days, 10-26, after someone used the Bryant's ATM.

From the below link:

Oct. 21, 4 p.m.: Someone uses Irene Bryant’s cell phone to call 911. The signal is lost, and the call never reaches an emergency call center. The provider is unable to lock onto a position using GPS. Irene Bryant was killed that day, authorities later say.
Oct. 22, 7:35 p.m.: Bryants’ bank card used to withdraw $300 from a machine at a Ducktown, Tenn., bank.

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pb...D=200771114122 (http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771114122)

[Reannan]

Cross-posted from something I just posted over at Steve's site:

I am not sure how well these are going to link, but here is the image from the Dunlap ATM close-up that SuziQ thought might have a white van in the background. It looks more like the back of a bus, and the front of a pickup truck. I took the image and copied it to MS Word, then copied it to Paint where I then inverted the colors. The second picture is the same inverted color picture, but I have labelled where I think I see a bus and a truck. Sometimes, it is amazing what a picture looks like with inverted colors.

Picture No. 1:
http://tinyurl.com/34jsrz (http://tinyurl.com/34jsrz)

Picture No. 2:
http://tinyurl.com/2n42me (http://tinyurl.com/2n42me)


I hope it works, so you guys can see it also.

[chicoliving]

Maj. Mike Wood of the Leon County Sheriff's Office has told the Tallahassee Democrat that Gary Michael Hilton is the prime suspect in the slaying of Cheryl Dunlap. Hilton has been charged with murder in the death of Georgia hiker Meredith Emerson.

"We have identified that he was in our county, and he is the prime suspect in a murder in Georgia where an ATM card was used," Wood said. "That makes him the focus of our investigation right now."

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109292

[Reannan]

Good, they can try him for the death penalty in the Dunlap case.

[schultzan31]

It indicates rage to me and the fact that he took her bloody clothes further exposing her. I am assuming her head was near the body and if it wasn't then we can look at concealing identity. The case of Cheryl Dunlap was different in so far as both the head and hands were gone. No verification from LE put that is the word from people around the area. Although this happened around a State Park there was no dog but she had had a flat tire so another crime of opportunity and he did try and use her ATM card.

He may have been in too much of a rush to cut Meredith's hands off. As gruesome as it sounds, I would imagine that it is not an easy process and if he knew authorities were looking for him he may have done it quickly.

[SuziQ]

A commenter at Huffs posted, IIRC, that when Carey Stayner was asked why he decapitated the body. He said because it was the worst thing he could think of to do.

God I hate what I'm about to type. They may not have found all of Emerson. But they at least found her head, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to determine blunt force trauma of the head as the COD.

[angelwngs]

Hey, wasn't the head missing from the body found in Franklin County Georgia in August or so of this year? They never did find the skull did they???? Franklin is not far from this area..:doh:

[SuziQ]

Maj. Mike Wood of the Leon County Sheriff's Office has told the Tallahassee Democrat that Gary Michael Hilton is the prime suspect in the slaying of Cheryl Dunlap. Hilton has been charged with murder in the death of Georgia hiker Meredith Emerson.

"We have identified that he was in our county, and he is the prime suspect in a murder in Georgia where an ATM card was used," Wood said. "That makes him the focus of our investigation right now."

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109292

Whoa! That was fast!

[SuziQ]

Reannan, you certainly can see more details by inverting the colors. Good job.

[dee10134]

close enough .... It won't surprise me if we hear about the Frady case from this monster.

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh68/specialsection/afacecropcomp.jpg


Looks like the SAME MAN to me!

[concernedperson]

Hey, wasn't the head missing from the body found in Franklin County Georgia in August or so of this year? They never did find the skull did they???? Franklin is not far from this area..:doh:

I think you are right but I will see what I can find.

[SuziQ]

More from Chico's link. A tip came in BEFORE Emerson was abducted:

Campbell said the Sheriff’s Office got a tip from a local hunter about a homeless-looking man with a large dog and a white van in the forest. The tip came on Dec. 19, four days after Dunlap’s body was found. The person who gave the tip said he had seen the man Dec. 7 and then saw the van Dec. 8 and Dec. 9.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109292

[schultzan31]

A commenter at Huffs posted, IIRC, that when Carey Stayner was asked why he decapitated the body. He said because it was the worst thing he could think of to do.

God I hate what I'm about to type. They may not have found all of Emerson. But they at least found her head, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to determine blunt force trauma of the head as the COD.

You would think that if they did not find her body they would still be searching for it though?

[jennyjwv]

i hope they are going to do a search near that area where the dashcam video was taken - he did act a little shaky in it - i bet he was sh*ttin bricks!

[dee10134]

Also his stature with the slight slouch matches in the dashcam vid to the atm surveillance footages.
As to him saying he was involved in the military and was doing "field maneuvers" that may have been 1. a sociopathic ploy to get cops to leave him alone 2. its really true and that would explain why he is so easily desensitized to his victims and perhaps the dismembering of corpses in order for them to decompose quicker
I really think his hair looks dyed black in that dashcam video..

To me, it appeared that he he was wearing some type of black knit hat like a skull cap in the dashcam video.

[dee10134]

Death penalty NOT off the table according to the prosecutor from Hall and Dawson Counties. He said he wasn't part of the deal that Union County made and she was murdered in Dawson County. He said he hasn't made a decision yet. Pretty clever of the DA's if I must say so myself.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/08/emerson_0109.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab


Didn't the Supreme Court just issue a moratorium on lethal injections???? Maybe they'll give him the choice of a good ol' public hangin' or the firing squad instead!!!

[SuziQ]

He may have been in too much of a rush to cut Meredith's hands off. As gruesome as it sounds, I would imagine that it is not an easy process and if he knew authorities were looking for him he may have done it quickly.

Chico's linked article gives you more dates for your timeline.

[Bobbisangel]

did anyone else notice on Nancy Grace that when she was ever so eloquently discussing the motive for decapitation, that she never once mentioned that perhaps he did this so she couldn't be identified quickly?

I mean, obviously decapitation is a horrendous thing to do, whether a person is alive or dead, but the fact that he did it to her when she was dead suggests that either Nancy was right and he gets some sick pleasure out of that, or that he was trying to conceal her identity. Either way its still horrible, but I think she missed a valid point.

Not that it matters exactly WHY he did it, but it could be a clue as to what type of murders we are looking for.


When he took LE to her body was her head with her body or had he done something else with it?

[SuziQ]

i hope they are going to do a search near that area where the dashcam video was taken - he did act a little shaky in it - i bet he was sh*ttin bricks!

Jenny, you really should call GBI or the Cherokee County Sheriffs office about your info. And while you are at it, tell them we want to see the entire 20 minute dashcam video!

[cwiz24]

You would think that if they did not find her body they would still be searching for it though?

I doubt they would have offered him death penalty immunity for only providing the location of part of her body.

This is terrible beyond words. I am in such grief for her poor family.

[cwiz24]

Didn't the Supreme Court just issue a moratorium on lethal injections???? Maybe they'll give him the choice of a good ol' public hangin' or the firing squad instead!!!

Sign me up to fire the gun.

[SuziQ]

When he took LE to her body was her head with her body or had he done something else with it?

LE in Florida said the same thing NG did, that the murderer had taken great pains to conceal the identity of Dunlap. Though they wouldn't give details.

[dee10134]

I don't think it makes them decompose any faster, but I will check it out. Chico?!

I think this time it indicates uncontrollable rage. I believe she tried to free herself by attacking him and it made him angry. If he is responsible for the other killings, this one is only different because of the decapitation so it doesn't support the theory of him doing it so they decompose faster to me.

Okay, this is going to be gory, but maybe he decapitated her in the hopes that some animal would come and take the head away with it. That way, she would not be able to be identified if the rest of her body decomposed, because the dentals would be somewhere else.

Or maybe he was just a sick bastard that got some kind of thrill out of it...

[SeriouslySearching]

I must have overlooked some of Dunlap's case. Hmmmm. So she was found without hands and head? I did miss that very important fact!

[angelwngs]

I think you are right but I will see what I can find.

CP, I just found the thread in the unidentified forum and bumped it... It appears that no head has been found in that case and that the body is still unidentified...

This case of this female body found, without a head/skull which was located HWY 320 in Franklin County GA, just sounds too darned similar to this guy's MO in my opinion...

[MeoW333]

Okay, this is going to be gory, but maybe he decapitated her in the hopes that some animal would come and take the head away with it. That way, she would not be able to be identified if the rest of her body decomposed, because the dentals would be somewhere else.

Or maybe he was just a sick bastard that got some kind of thrill out of it...

I thought of that too, it's possible..

[SuziQ]

Death penalty NOT off the table according to the prosecutor from Hall and Dawson Counties. He said he wasn't part of the deal that Union County made and she was murdered in Dawson County. He said he hasn't made a decision yet. Pretty clever of the DA's if I must say so myself.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/08/emerson_0109.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Bumping this post. DP is NOT off the table.

[SeriouslySearching]

Jenny, you really should call GBI or the Cherokee County Sheriffs office about your info. And while you are at it, tell them we want to see the entire 20 minute dashcam video!And I hope you were joking with Jenny about calling GBI!

[schultzan31]

Soo it looks like he confessed to keeping her in the van for 3 days? How sad is that..if only someone would have spotted his van

The man suspected of kidnapping and killing 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson told authorities that he held her captive for three days inside his van before taking her to the Dawson Forest Management Area on Friday and killing her

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109280

[SuziQ]

And I hope you were joking with Jenny about calling GBI!

Why shouldn't she call the state investigators?

[jennyjwv]

maybe the decapitation was out of rage - he probably knew he was going to get caught after this one because of all the media and publicity it was getting - and if he found out he was person of interest......he felt it was her fault. who did he call from the payphone??

[JinxieJada]

More from Chico's link. A tip came in BEFORE Emerson was abducted:

Campbell said the Sheriff’s Office got a tip from a local hunter about a homeless-looking man with a large dog and a white van in the forest. The tip came on Dec. 19, four days after Dunlap’s body was found. The person who gave the tip said he had seen the man Dec. 7 and then saw the van Dec. 8 and Dec. 9.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109292

Oh my! I'm trying to get caught up with all that's taken place today. Is he just the suspect here..and if he's found tied into it (formally) can/will they move him to florida?

It seems reading here is quicker than reading all the news updates - I seem to be reading repeats of stuff we've all been able to join together and pull/find out. I love all of you for everything everyone has done with this!

[dee10134]

He may have been in too much of a rush to cut Meredith's hands off. As gruesome as it sounds, I would imagine that it is not an easy process and if he knew authorities were looking for him he may have done it quickly.

Maybe he was in the process of removing her head and hands, but someone was coming so he had to take off quickly without finishing the job????

[JinxieJada]

maybe the decapitation was out of rage - he probably knew he was going to get caught after this one because of all the media and publicity it was getting - and if he found out he was person of interest......he felt it was her fault. who did he call from the payphone??


I've wondered this one to. Kind of a final "FU" to the world and to her. If it wasn't for her, and everyone knowing her, and making sure she was kept in the "spotlight" as well as SOO many people coming forward from the trails w/ various info..Who knows how many further would have met their ultimate demise from this monster?

[cwiz24]

I must have overlooked some of Dunlap's case. Hmmmm. So she was found without hands and head? I did miss that very important fact!

It wasn't released to the public, but insiders may have leaked information.

[schultzan31]

Ok I know this is controversial, but I wanted to throw it out there. I don't necessarily believe this but I did mention before that Brian from briansdream did a RV on Meredith (I know SuziQ doesn't like him :) )
BUT I did find something interesting. Brian was unsure that Hilton was the killer because in his RV he saw a man with glasses and he was certain that the killer wore glasses...

Just read this in Steve's comments:

"Appearing at 1 p.m. in a Dawson County courtroom, Hilton, 61, never spoke publicly but nodded when Magistrate Judge Johnny Holtzclaw asked whether his date of birth was Nov. 22, 1946. Upon entering court from a side door, a hand-cuffed Hilton, wearing an orange jumpsuit and holding a pair of glasses, chatted briefly with his defense attorney."

(http://snipurl.com/1x0f3)

and IF brian is correct, he saw that Hilton killed 7 people.

[SuziQ]

The below link was provided by Joanie at Huff's. Scroll down to see the side by side of the ATM pics and recent mug shot. Yep, it's all Gary Hilton, no doubt about it.

http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2007/12/sheriffs-office-identifies-body-as.html

[SeriouslySearching]

Why shouldn't she call the state investigators?And tell them what?! They should look for John in that area? Do you think they are totally devoid of figuring it out themselves? I am certain they know it is a possibility since they can place him in the area a week afterward.

[jennyjwv]

i wish they would show a pic of him trying to use meredith's atm card for comparison....

[aj1020]

Ok I know this is controversial, but I wanted to throw it out there. I don't necessarily believe this but I did mention before that Brian from briansdream did a RV on Meredith (I know SuziQ doesn't like him :) )
BUT I did find something interesting. Brian was unsure that Hilton was the killer because in his RV he saw a man with glasses and he was certain that the killer wore glasses...

Just read this in Steve's comments:

"Appearing at 1 p.m. in a Dawson County courtroom, Hilton, 61, never spoke publicly but nodded when Magistrate Judge Johnny Holtzclaw asked whether his date of birth was Nov. 22, 1946. Upon entering court from a side door, a hand-cuffed Hilton, wearing an orange jumpsuit and holding a pair of glasses, chatted briefly with his defense attorney."

(http://snipurl.com/1x0f3)

and IF brian is correct, he saw that Hilton killed 7 people.

If Brian has these visions about Hilton killing 7 people, why didn't he have the vision before he killed them so their lives would have been spared?? Or why doesn't he have RV's for every unsolved murder?? I think he's full of BS, IMO.

(not directed at you, Schultzan, I just think Brian tries to profit off victims)

[concernedperson]

The below link was provided by Joanie at Huff's. Scroll down to see the side by side of the ATM pics and recent mug shot. Yep, it's all Gary Hilton, no doubt about it.

http://enjoyingthejourney.blogspot.com/2007/12/sheriffs-office-identifies-body-as.html

That mouth was a dead giveaway.

[cwiz24]

And tell them what?! They should look for John in that area? Do you think they are totally devoid of figuring it out themselves? I am certain they know it is a possibility since they can place him in the area a week afterward.

I think sometimes that law enforcement can't see the forest for the trees, being so deeply involved in the cases they investigate. In fact, I am sure some LE members read WS to get different spins on cases that perhaps they hadn't thought of before. Just because they are professional detectives and most of us are amateurs does not mean they can't learn something from us.

I don't see the harm in contacting GBI with any piece of information. If it means that the Bryant family may be able to finally get some closure, then go for it.

[Pharlap]

Position of head :mad:and body too.

[SuziQ]

And tell them what?! They should look for John in that area? Do you think they are totally devoid of figuring it out themselves? I am certain they know it is a possibility since they can place him in the area a week afterward.

Are you kidding me? Why not call to make sure. How many times have we seen LE NOT do the obvious? It's that kind of thinking that gave Hilton a free ride all these years, IMO.

[SuziQ]

Position of head :mad:and body too.

How he carries his sholders stood out to me.

[cwiz24]

Are you kidding me? Why not call to make sure. How many times have we seen LE NOT do the obvious? It's that kind of thinking that gave Hilton a free ride all these years, IMO.

Exactly. How many people who were creeped out by Hilton over the past several years wished they had spoken up? How do you think that ex-cop that last saw Meredith feels right now? He's wishing he could repeat that one day of his life.

ETA: So many crimes are solved due to tips from the public, not from stellar police work. A tip is a tip is a tip. Let the cops sort out which ones are worthy. Cops are always saying "no piece of information is too small, too insignificant" when appealing to the public.

[SeriouslySearching]

I just think if we call GBI and report things like this...then when we DO find something significant to call them about...we won't be taken seriously.

You guys do what you want to.

[jennyjwv]

i know i feel bad for th excop - in the beginning i thought he could be a suspect! makes me scared to go hiking anymore - my husband is pissed! i told him last night i would be freaked out and suspicious of everyone we came across......we used to hike in the WV mountains every weekend! and he now wants to take our 1 year old too and that petrifies me!!! i'm paranoid as it is - let alone in the woods w/strangers!

[concernedperson]

Angelwngs just bumped up a thread about another headless female body found last spring in Carnesville, Ga.(Franklin County). No ID on this person but it sure is a similar pattern, rural area, etc.

[MeoW333]

That mouth was a dead giveaway.

No teeth; Hilton is missing his teeth..

[SeriouslySearching]

Tell him to take the kid to a park! Much safer for a one year old anyway! To them...a place with a bunch of trees and swings is much more fun than walking around climbing on rocks and thru the brush. LOL

[cwiz24]

I just think if we call GBI and report things like this...then when we DO find something significant to call them about...we won't be taken seriously.

You guys do what you want to.

No one needs to say "this is so-and-so from Websleuths". The caller can just be a concerned citizen. The dashcam video is available nationwide so anyone can see it.

[SeriouslySearching]

Angelwngs just bumped up a thread about another headless female body found last spring in Carnesville, Ga.(Franklin County). No ID on this person but it sure is a similar pattern, rural area, etc.Woah. Maybe I was wrong and it is about IDs instead of rage. :doh: This would put him in a whole new category, imo. That sent shivers right up my spine.

[jennyjwv]

Tell him to take the kid to a park! Much safer for a one year old anyway! To them...a place with a bunch of trees and swings is much more fun than walking around climbing on rocks and thru the brush. LOL

i know tell me about it! we also have 2 black labs - and whenever we take them anywhere i know i chat it up w/people that have dogs too so i can see where meredith was probably just being friendly and polite because the dogs were playing......i would have done the same thing.....

[Reannan]

Cross-posting from something I posted over at Steve's site. This is the same guy in all three photo's....I am sure.

Here is composite picture of the Dunlap ATM photo, a still shot from the dashcam of Hilton, and the Bryant ATM photo. This is the same man. I don't know if the image will be clear enough here, but the yellow jacket ATM shot from the Bryant case, even looks like he is wearing the same shoes he has on in the dashcam picture.
http://tinyurl.com/ywa6sm

[MeoW333]

No one needs to say "this is so-and-so from Websleuths". The caller can just be a concerned citizen. The dashcam video is available nationwide so anyone can see it.

cwiz, i wouldn't hesitate to call them if you find anything. At the very least they already have information, and if not it helps.

[SeriouslySearching]

Perhaps while Meredith was unleashing her dog...he unleashed his at the same time knowing they would run together. This would give him a reason to "buddy" up to her while trying to get the dogs contained or keep them in sight. She might not have been comfortable, but she would not have left Ella behind.

[schultzan31]

If Brian has these visions about Hilton killing 7 people, why didn't he have the vision before he killed them so their lives would have been spared?? Or why doesn't he have RV's for every unsolved murder?? I think he's full of BS, IMO.

(not directed at you, Schultzan, I just think Brian tries to profit off victims)
oh no I understand.
I am also skeptical but I also believe that anything is a possibility so we should exam all clues, no matter who gives them to us.
Thank you for sharing your opinion.

[cwiz24]

Cross-posting from something I posted over at Steve's site. This is the same guy in all three photo's....I am sure.

Here is composite picture of the Dunlap ATM photo, a still shot from the dashcam of Hilton, and the Bryant ATM photo. This is the same man. I don't know if the image will be clear enough here, but the yellow jacket ATM shot from the Bryant case, even looks like he is wearing the same shoes he has on in the dashcam picture.
http://tinyurl.com/ywa6sm

Wow. The stooped shoulders is uncanny. For some reason, he looks a little pudgier in the dashcam video, but that could be just heavy layering.

[schultzan31]

So, since Hilton has confessed to keeping Meredith in the van for 3 days..why didnt anyone hear Ella bark? I mean if my dog was in a van for 3 days he'd get antsy. and we know Hilton was in a public place because he tried to use her ATM.
Also how did he restrain her for 3 days?
Drugged her? Tied her up? Threatened to hurt Ella?

[cwiz24]

So, since Hilton has confessed to keeping Meredith in the van for 3 days..why didnt anyone hear Ella bark? I mean if my dog was in a van for 3 days he'd get antsy. and we know Hilton was in a public place because he tried to use her ATM.
Also how did he restrain her for 3 days?
Drugged her? Tied her up? Threatened to hurt Ella?

I suspect that if he had drugged her, they would have released that information. It would be some sort of comfort to me to know that she had not been conscious for those three days.

[MeoW333]

I suspect that if he had drugged her, they would have released that information. It would be some sort of comfort to me to know that she had not been conscious for those three days.

I think he may have kept Meredith in control with threats of hurting Ella or something like that. Meredith seems like she was level headed and wouldn't try anything rash. Maybe she bargained with him to release Ella, we don't know..

[Mygirlsadie]

schultzan31... we probably don't want to know the details of how he restained her for those 3 days. Only horrible things come to mind and what she must of been going through is enough to make me want to just bury my head in my hands and cry...



So, since Hilton has confessed to keeping Meredith in the van for 3 days..why didnt anyone hear Ella bark? I mean if my dog was in a van for 3 days he'd get antsy. and we know Hilton was in a public place because he tried to use her ATM.
Also how did he restrain her for 3 days?
Drugged her? Tied her up? Threatened to hurt Ella?

[aj1020]

So, since Hilton has confessed to keeping Meredith in the van for 3 days..why didnt anyone hear Ella bark? I mean if my dog was in a van for 3 days he'd get antsy. and we know Hilton was in a public place because he tried to use her ATM.
Also how did he restrain her for 3 days?
Drugged her? Tied her up? Threatened to hurt Ella?

Maybe he left Meredith in the one van and took Ella and Dandy along with him in the other van. Someone had mentioned earlier that maybe he'd been to some smaller towns with less tv coverage - in hopes that he wouldn't be recognized.

[SeriouslySearching]

They will do a tox screen to see if drugs played a role. This will take awhile to get back tho.

If the one poster is correct and he held her at an abandoned house in the woods...no one would have heard the dog bark or her screams. We don't know if he repeatedly hit her in the head either. All we have been told is that one blow caused her death. He could have rendered her unconscious while he went to the ATMs (he went to Canton and to Gainsville).

[bakerprune64]

Bumping this post. DP is NOT off the table.


Well thank God!

[ThoughtFox]

Since this was on the Appalachian Trail, I think they should look into all crimes up and down the trail, since it crosses main roads and runs through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They should certainly look at crimes up through western North Carolina - where Eric Rudolph used to hide. Rudolph was arrested in Murphy, which is on the same highway as Pisgah National Forest. Just north of there is the Cherokee Indian Reservation, and parts of it are remote and lonely, especially in winter. Those touristy places are deserted, but people still hike there. This guy could have worked a wider area than police think.

It's creepy to think of all the tourists and locals who might have seen this guy and just thought he was a hiker. No telling how many people he targeted but they got away before he could approach them.

[schultzan31]

They will do a tox screen to see if drugs played a role. This will take awhile to get back tho.

If the one poster is correct and he held her at an abandoned house in the woods...no one would have heard the dog bark or her screams. We don't know if he repeatedly hit her in the head either. All we have been told is that one blow caused her death. He could have rendered her unconscious while he went to the ATMs (he went to Canton and to Gainsville).

It was confirmed by Hilton though that he kept her in the van for three days, if authorities had found that abandoned house like the poster said and connected it to Hilton, don't you think that Hilton's statement probably wouldn't have been released?

However it does seem odd that she would be in a van for 3 days and neither her nor Ella was heard.

It is looking more and more like he killed John Bryant and I think they should search that area where the dashcam was filmed. Not only do we have a murderer here, but a kidnapper who keeps his victims hostage for several days before he kills them...def makes me think that Bryant saw the same type of end as Meredith sadly.

[angelwngs]

Perhaps while Meredith was unleashing her dog...he unleashed his at the same time knowing they would run together. This would give him a reason to "buddy" up to her while trying to get the dogs contained or keep them in sight. She might not have been comfortable, but she would not have left Ella behind.

I think you are probably 100% right... He either trained his dog to run up the mountain' or got lucky and had a dog that would do it without him having to train it to do so...

[Reannan]

How can this guy have two vans? You can only drive one at a time, unless someone is helping you!!! :banghead:

[SeriouslySearching]

I need links! Where does it say he confirmed he kept her in a van for 3 days? I haven't seen this yet. I did read where LE said she was alive until Friday tho, but I figured it came from the evidence they found.

[schultzan31]

I need links! Where does it say he confirmed he kept her in a van for 3 days? I haven't seen this yet. I did read where LE said she was alive until Friday tho, but I figured it came from the evidence they found.
I posted the link a few posts back..will go fetch it.

Repeat of my post:

Soo it looks like he confessed to keeping her in the van for 3 days? How sad is that..if only someone would have spotted his van

The man suspected of kidnapping and killing 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson told authorities that he held her captive for three days inside his van before taking her to the Dawson Forest Management Area on Friday and killing her

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_...storyid=109280 (http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109280)

[SeriouslySearching]

Thanks, Shultzan! I guess I just missed it then! I don't like to go off half-cocked and until I read those confirmations in the media, well...even then we can't be so sure they are all true. LOL

[chicoliving]

It sounds like they are going by Hilton's word.

[schultzan31]

Thanks, Shultzan! I guess I just missed it then! I don't like to go off half cocked until I read those things in the media...and even then we can't be so sure they are all true. LOL
I know, I am a journalist and I can't believe how the media messes up sometimes..
Some reported Ella as "Emma" for quite sometime..
Others said the person who located Ella said she looked like she "had" been running in the woods for 3 days..others reported she said "hadn't"
:banghead:

[SuziQ]

However it does seem odd that she would be in a van for 3 days and neither her nor Ella was heard.

I still have a hard time with the proximity of two adults and two big dogs in a van for three days. I'll be curious to know how the Greta posters info plays out.

[Reannan]

I hope they have recovered that black stocking cap he wore in the dashcam video. I bet it has forensic evidence of several other murders on it. His work was messy, and even if he wasn't wearing the cap at the time, I bet evidence was transferred to it. Especially in the Bryant case - we have him on camera wearing it a few days after they went missing!

[aj1020]

How can this guy have two vans? You can only drive one at a time, unless someone is helping you!!! :banghead:

Umm, it's physically possible to own two vehicles - I did on my own before I was married. We haven't seen anything about the vans being driven simultaneously in two different locations - for all we know one might not have even worked.

[SeriouslySearching]

It sounds like they are going by Hilton's word.Good point, Chico! If he doesn't mention an abandoned house...then maybe they will have less evidence to work with.

[MeoW333]

It sounds like they are going by Hilton's word.

If they are just going by his word, it is just that. Considering his background, his word isn't worth much other than leading LE to her body. The cabin should still be checked out. Maybe he led LE to her body so they wouldn't disturb other's he had put to rest..

[SuziQ]

How can this guy have two vans? You can only drive one at a time, unless someone is helping you!!! :banghead:

I get the impression from the post at Greta, that the van was disabled and backed up into a ravine type thing hidden in brush and trees. Sounds like it's still there.

[SeriouslySearching]

Umm, it's physically possible to own two vehicles - I did on my own before I was married. We haven't seen anything about the vans being driven simultaneously in two different locations - for all we know one might not have even worked.I agree! I had two vehicles and one was a two seater. I couldn't drive the kids around in it! I drove it to work or out just to play in!

One of his vans was older and probably did break down. He was charged for leaving something on Govt. property...so could it have been that van? It doesn't seem they are trying very hard to find it, are they?

[schultzan31]

It sounds like they are going by Hilton's word.

And he does have motive to lie. Let's say he took her somewhere (not the abandoned house the greta poster found), chances are he has taken another victim there, or has possessions that may link him to another murder.

I agree w/ Suzi that 2 dogs and 2 people in one van sounds iffy.

Anyone that has dogs know that if they are together they will PLAY! which means noise and barking..

I really wish the police would tell us if Hilton concealed his identity on the ATM video.. or what times he was at these banks (did they release that yet I may have missed it)


One of his vans was older and probably did break down. He was charged for leaving something on Govt. property...so could it have been that van? It doesn't seem they are trying very hard to find it, are they?

My guess is they have found it, and either it isnt relevant to the case (he sold it, it went to a junkyard etc.) or they are still investigating it.

[angelwngs]

Umm, it's physically possible to own two vehicles - I did on my own before I was married. We haven't seen anything about the vans being driven simultaneously in two different locations - for all we know one might not have even worked.

My brother owns and buys tags and insurance every year for over twenty vehicles........but he is a nut...

[aj1020]

My brother owns and buys tags and insurance every year for over twenty vehicles........but he is a nut...

Well at least he's being a law-abiding citizen and getting them licensed. ;)

[MeoW333]

I agree! I had two vehicles and one was a two seater. I couldn't drive the kids around in it! I drove it to work or out just to play in!

One of his vans was older and probably did break down. He was charged for leaving something on Govt. property...so could it have been that van? It doesn't seem they are trying very hard to find it, are they?

A lot of the time when LE is still gathering evidence on greater charges, they will hold someone on a smaller charge in order to keep them in their sights while they gain more evidence of the larger charge. That seems to be the case with Hilton (hold him for abandoned property on Federal land while looking into murder)

[SuziQ]

My guess is they have found it, and either it isnt relevant to the case (he sold it, it went to a junkyard etc.) or they are still investigating it.

They may have found the van at the property the Greta poster talked about. At the time he made the post (Jan 6th?) the van was still there hidden in a ravine under brush. With a wipe left to mark the location.

[SeriouslySearching]

A lot of the time when LE is still gathering evidence on greater charges, they will hold someone on a smaller charge in order to keep them in their sights while they gain more evidence of the larger charge. That seems to be the case with Hilton (hold him for abandoned property on Federal land while looking into murder)Yes, that is what I surmised from the beginning. I would just like to know about what abandoned property he left...or if they were talking about things he left on scene at Vogel.

[DeltaDawn]

What I am thinking is that Hilton was at the property the poster on Gretawire talked about finding. He did say that LE then went to that property didn't he?

Anyway I think that Hilton stayed in the cabin and that he left Meredith out in the car. I think he brought the two dogs in with him..dog feces and 3 mattresses found inside the cabin.

I wonder if Meredith kept giving him wrong pin numbers to try to buy herself time? Hoping someone would find them? The news says he used her bankcard 3x, 3different locations on 3 different days..it never says he was successful at withdrawing the money.

I also don't think he thought anyone was looking for him. Even though to us it was all ver the news..remember he is a homeless man living out of a rundown cabina nad his van..no way he would be watching any TV, although he may have listened to the radio. But I don't think that he knew people were searching for him..he wouldn't have spent all that time at the gas station cleaning out the van. It was almost 2 hours he was there. 4 different people recognized him and called in to police. One man even spoke to him for a while was he was cleaning up the van..what tipped him off was when the man called for his dog and he heard the name Dandy.

This man has probably got a whole slew of bodies that he has left in his wake. And I agree that the decap and hand removal is to slow down the ID. Looks like Florida ia very intent on the fact they think Hilton is their man too in Dunlaps murder.

[SeriouslySearching]

Where is the third location of ATM? I only heard about Canton and Gainsville.

[felder]

What I am thinking is that Hilton was at the property the poster on Gretawire talked about finding. He did say that LE then went to that property didn't he?

Anyway I think that Hilton stayed in the cabin and that he left Meredith out in the car. I think he brought the two dogs in with him..dog feces and 3 mattresses found inside the cabin.

I wonder if Meredith kept giving him wrong pin numbers to try to buy herself time? Hoping someone would find them? The news says he used her bankcard 3x, 3different locations on 3 different days..it never says he was successful at withdrawing the money.

I also don't think he thought anyone was looking for him. Even though to us it was all ver the news..remember he is a homeless man living out of a rundown cabina nad his van..no way he would be watching any TV, although he may have listened to the radio. But I don't think that he knew people were searching for him..he wouldn't have spent all that time at the gas station cleaning out the van. It was almost 2 hours he was there. 4 different people recognized him and called in to police. One man even spoke to him for a while was he was cleaning up the van..what tipped him off was when the man called for his dog and he heard the name Dandy.

This man has probably got a whole slew of bodies that he has left in his wake. And I agree that the decap and hand removal is to slow down the ID. Looks like Florida ia very intent on the fact they think Hilton is their man too in Dunlaps murder.

Delta: I completely agree.

[SeriouslySearching]

I thought I would bring that post over here from the last thread.

SuziQ said:
Just posted by Bluebird at Huffs. Thanks Bluebird! IMO, the van described below sounds like it's disabled and abandoned. The 2nd van maybe? We know from the dashcam pic that Hilton was a squatter. This may very well be the location where he held Merideth.

Tia,
Here is the excerpt from GretaWire. I will paste the link for the page but you would have to scroll down and search for his comments.
http://gretawire.foxnews.com/200...ead-8/ #comments (http://gretawire.foxnews.com/2008/01/06/open-thread-8/#comments)

Comment by Glenn Adams
January 6th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
"I am back from the search of the area around my home on the Amicacalola River. Last Thursday, I saw a wh. Van parked in the woods across a large field bordering a field. Their is a cable with a combination lock to keep out uninvited guests. The barbed wire fence connected to the gate had been cut then tied back together to hide the cut. I found several fresh items, bottle water, buiscuit wrapper, wet wipes. “Natural Foods” ;organic food sack(this is sold at trail head stores on the trail & intern.) etc, The Van had backed up in a trench to so that it wasn’t visible. The van had knocked down medimum size saplings and pushed them 20′ from their original location. A wet wipe bottle was placed on a stake to mark the location, in case he left. While LE was on the scene, 2 different neighbors stopped and said they saw the van and described to a tee. Aprox 300 yards from that location is a vacant house. The door had been smashed in and one room with curtains, had 3 mattresses, that were being slept on. Several items, clorox, dr. pepper 3/4 full, bottle water,dog feeces etc. A well off of the back porch; the cover had been removed and leaves around the cover had been recently disturbed.
GBI, & several LE, withK-9; cadiver dog. No hits for body but obvious they were there. It was very cold this week. When I called the tip line the GBI was searching the river about a mile below the house and field. They left after about an hour and said that had requested the dogs at the previous location. Tired, gotta go for now….."

[DeltaDawn]

Where is the third location of ATM? I only heard about Canton and Gainsville.

They have not released that info..only that he tried 3 seperate times, three locations, 3 different days.

[SeriouslySearching]

It sounds to me like the van was able to be driven since the parking place appeared to be marked in case it left and two people said they had seen it. I would have to assume they meant driving around. Since he wasn't there and LE was...sure sounds like the second van.

That poster mentioned the well, too. This would be a place he could have left her while he was gone. Would be almost impossible to escape from.

[JinxieJada]

What I am thinking is that Hilton was at the property the poster on Gretawire talked about finding. He did say that LE then went to that property didn't he?

Anyway I think that Hilton stayed in the cabin and that he left Meredith out in the car. I think he brought the two dogs in with him..dog feces and 3 mattresses found inside the cabin.

I wonder if Meredith kept giving him wrong pin numbers to try to buy herself time? Hoping someone would find them? The news says he used her bankcard 3x, 3different locations on 3 different days..it never says he was successful at withdrawing the money.

I also don't think he thought anyone was looking for him. Even though to us it was all ver the news..remember he is a homeless man living out of a rundown cabina nad his van..no way he would be watching any TV, although he may have listened to the radio. But I don't think that he knew people were searching for him..he wouldn't have spent all that time at the gas station cleaning out the van. It was almost 2 hours he was there. 4 different people recognized him and called in to police. One man even spoke to him for a while was he was cleaning up the van..what tipped him off was when the man called for his dog and he heard the name Dandy.

This man has probably got a whole slew of bodies that he has left in his wake. And I agree that the decap and hand removal is to slow down the ID. Looks like Florida ia very intent on the fact they think Hilton is their man too in Dunlaps murder.


I totally agree EXCEPT if he thought noone was looking for him...why did he switch out plates/tags on the van? I think in the beginning he thought exactly as you described..but something, maybe a newspaper he passed by, maybe a radio newsblip tipped him off.

Maybe he thought since Ella, as well as Meredith's belongings were located where they were, that he had "bought" himself sometime. With the switch of the plate, and what he thought was "getting rid of the evidence" that even, if he was picked up, there wouldn't be anything tieing him to it other than him being seen with her?

Just thoughts...different things running through the head...But that's one of the things I can't get over, if he thought nothing of what was going on, (ie people looking for him etc) why switch the plate id?

I've also wondered if that's why he did what he did after she died...A type of "You're the one that ruined this" thing....Everyone worked so hard to keep her in the spotlight, to pull clues together, to keep on the lookout etc. I don't think he counted on her being in the media as quick or as often as she was.


L

[DeltaDawn]

It sounds to me like the van was able to be driven since the parking place appeared to be marked in case it left and two people said they had seen it. I would have to assume they meant driving around. Since he wasn't there and LE was...sure sounds like the second van.

That poster mentioned the well, too. This would be a place he could have left her while he was gone. Would be almost impossible to escape from.

I agreee SS, this could be a place he could leave her in the van, bound and gagged, and leave Ella in the cabin. It makes sense he would want the dogs sleeping with him and her in the van. Well not normal sense, but he loved well mannered dogs more then well mannered people that is how he would look at things. Also with both dogs with him he would be assured she would not have Ella's help if she tried to escape, ie Lassie..I am sure he remembers that show we all grew up on where the dog could release the owner from any and all situations. Maybe this is why he only liked friendly well behaved dogs..because he knew how to deal them and knew they would not be as risky to his misdeeds as say a vicious dog or a dog that did not obey.

[SeriouslySearching]

Actually...I meant he could have left her in the well...not the van.

[MeoW333]

How deep was the well? Was there only one way to access it? Otherwise, the well seems like too much trouble.

[DeltaDawn]

I totally agree EXCEPT if he thought noone was looking for him...why did he switch out plates/tags on the van? I think in the beginning he thought exactly as you described..but something, maybe a newspaper he passed by, maybe a radio newsblip tipped him off.

Maybe he thought since Ella, as well as Meredith's belongings were located where they were, that he had "bought" himself sometime. With the switch of the plate, and what he thought was "getting rid of the evidence" that even, if he was picked up, there wouldn't be anything tieing him to it other than him being seen with her?

Just thoughts...different things running through the head...But that's one of the things I can't get over, if he thought nothing of what was going on, (ie people looking for him etc) why switch the plate id?

I've also wondered if that's why he did what he did after she died...A type of "You're the one that ruined this" thing....Everyone worked so hard to keep her in the spotlight, to pull clues together, to keep on the lookout etc. I don't think he counted on her being in the media as quick or as often as she was

I think switching plates was probably something he started a long time ago thinking it would lead people away from him being recognized at the ATM machines...switch plates and you're not the white Astro van owner at the bank. Remember the disquise he had , the mask on his face, if that is him in the ATM video from the Dunlap case, so he knew ATM's had cameras. I still don't feel he thought anyone was specifically looking for him...he spent too much time cleaning out that van and talking to the man at the convenience/ gas station ..he felt pretty comfortable by that time that he was not about to be caught. I think he was just cleaning up to go onto his next victim..thank God that he was caught.

[SeriouslySearching]

I don't know the answers there. He wouldn't have cared about her "comfort" and if he had a rope around her...he could raise and lower her. Doesn't mean he didn't keep her in the van or the house while he was there...but I was thinking how he could insure her staying put while he was out trying to use her card.

[SeriouslySearching]

It will be interesting to find out when the NC plate went missing and if he stole it during the time the Bryant murder/kidnapping took place. I think since someone got his tag number at Vogel...perhaps he had this plate already and switched it soon after taking her.

[DeltaDawn]

Actually...I meant he could have left her in the well...not the van.

Sorry SS.. I misunderstood. I think he wanted the water from the well for the dogs. But you could be right..that would be a great place to put a body that probably wouldn't be discovered for quite some time.

[i.b.nora]

Ga. Drifter Now Suspect in Fla. Slaying (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iAMqzN5MVUP5W2xvpdifTvBRzRvQD8U2KTP01)

"In Florida, the Leon County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that Hilton was a prime suspect in the death of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, whose body was found Dec. 19 in the Apalachicola National Forest, southwest of Tallahassee.

Authorities say a masked person suspected in Dunlap's death used her ATM card three times after her disappearance Dec. 1.

Sheriff's Maj. Mike Wood said Wednesday authorities had confirmed that Hilton was in the area at the time of Dunlap's disappearance.

Based on similarities between the Georgia and Florida cases and Hilton's presence in the area when Dunlap disappeared, Wood said Hilton was the focus of the Florida investigation."

[angelwngs]

Sorry SS.. I misunderstood. I think he wanted the water from the well for the dogs. But you could be right..that would be a great place to put a body that probably wouldn't be discovered for quite some time.

He could have been considering dumping the body in the well and changed his mind...or he could have used it as a manipulative device, taking the well cover off in front of her and threatening to put her in it, to try to get her pin number...

[ScooterD]

I haven't seen this link posted yet (sorry if it has been and I missed it!)
Looks like GBI missed him by about an hour...during the time Meredith was likely alive.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109301&GID=PubQmFid/i60VvFxBs1HD4DXyx6ZZMhdkAwc9qtLKoc%3D

.More information is emerging about how close the GBI may have been last week to capturing Gary Hilton and rescuing Meredith Emerson.

[schultzan31]

He could have been considering dumping the body in the well and changed his mind...or he could have used it as a manipulative device, taking the well cover off in front of her and threatening to put her in it, to try to get her pin number...

If someone kidnapped me and asked for my pin number... I'd give it to them without a second thought. Take my money, but spare my dog and me!

how many of us would guard our pin number over our lives? u know what I'm saying..I dont think he kept her alive for her pin number... she would have given it to him when he asked for it.

[angelwngs]

If someone kidnapped me and asked for my pin number... I'd give it to them without a second thought. Take my money, but spare my dog and me!

how many of us would guard our pin number over our lives? u know what I'm saying..I dont think he kept her alive for her pin number... she would have given it to him when he asked for it.

Well, he tried unsuccessfully to use her card @ the ATM's 3 times...

[hprofits]

I haven't seen it posted yet but local news is saying her remains were found in two different locations. There's video of it here

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15011719/detail.html

I live less than a mile from the Dawson County Jail and Courthouse and I can tell you the media are camped out.

[Pharlap]

If someone kidnapped me and asked for my pin number... I'd give it to them without a second thought. Take my money, but spare my dog and me!

how many of us would guard our pin number over our lives? u know what I'm saying..I dont think he kept her alive for her pin number... she would have given it to him when he asked for it.


I don't know about that.
From what I"ve heard about her, she was feisty...
I probably wouldn't, thinking he's going to kill me anyways if I can't get away from him... Not going to give him a dime.

[concernedperson]

I haven't seen this link posted yet (sorry if it has been and I missed it!)
Looks like GBI missed him by about an hour...during the time Meredith was likely alive.

http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=109301&GID=PubQmFid/i60VvFxBs1HD4DXyx6ZZMhdkAwc9qtLKoc%3D

.More information is emerging about how close the GBI may have been last week to capturing Gary Hilton and rescuing Meredith Emerson.

This is so horrible and chilling. If only....

[ipswitch]

This is the article that gets my blood boiling: (bolding mine)

http://newsherald.com/headlines/article.display.php?id=246

...snip...
Wood said the forestry officer who stopped Hilton ran a check, then released him with a warning about camping regulations when no arrest warrants turned up.
Miami-Dade County prosecutors confirmed that, until Nov. 9, Hilton had an outstanding arrest warrant for failing to appear at his 1972 arraigment on a charge of receiving stolen property.
Because the case was so old and could no longer be prosecuted, the charges were dropped and the warrant quashed in a routine purging two months ago, said Ed Griffith, spokesman for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.

...more at link...

[angelwngs]

I don't know about that.
From what I"ve heard about her, she was feisty...
I probably wouldn't, thinking he's going to kill me anyways if I can't get away from him... Not going to give him a dime.

I agree...it is possible that the pin number might have bought her time...IMO, as well.

[LionRun]

On occasion a killer will remove the head or hands of his victims and dispose of them in a different location to delay or hamper identification of the body. But, I get the impression that Meredith's remains were both found near to each other. If this is true, than it seems more like some twisted, macabre need has been fulfilled and/or maybe it was his bizarre signature. If Cheryl Dunlap's remains were all found near to each other as opposed to having been disposed of in separate areas, that may be a unique aspect of an MO that may further indicate Hilton as a suspect, perhaps.

Lion

[angelwngs]

It is ironic that he did not kill her dog and that it actually helped somewhat in his capture...

If she had not given up her pin number, would he not have thought to torture her dog to obtain it?

Why couldn't he access her ATM? Do you think he had her pin number? Has this been stated/reported or not?

(And... how could someone be so callous as to brutally murder 'people', yet go to the trouble and take the chance of getting caught by not killing the dog???)

[hprofits]

On occasion a killer will remove the head or hands of his victims and dispose of them in a different location to delay or hamper identification of the body. But, I get the impression that Meredith's remains were both found near to each other. If this is true, than it seems more like some twisted, macabre need has been fulfilled and/or maybe it was his bizarre signature. If Cheryl Dunlap's remains were all found near to each other as opposed to having been disposed of in separate areas, that may be a unique aspect of an MO that may further indicate Hilton as a suspect, perhaps.

Lion

See the newest video here

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15011719/detail.html

They are saying her remains were found in two different places in Dawson Forest.

[concernedperson]

It is ironic that he did not kill her dog and that it actually helped somewhat in his capture...

If she had not given up her pin number, would he not have thought to torture her dog to obtain it?

Why couldn't he access her ATM? Do you think he had her pin number? Has this been stated/reported or not?

(And... how could someone be so callous as to brutally murder 'people', yet go to the trouble and take the chance of getting caught by not killing the dog???)

She probably gave him the wrong pin number as she knew he would kill her if he accessed her account. She was buying time I imagine.

[angelwngs]

On occasion a killer will remove the head or hands of his victims and dispose of them in a different location to delay or hamper identification of the body. But, I get the impression that Meredith's remains were both found near to each other. If this is true, than it seems more like some twisted, macabre need has been fulfilled and/or maybe it was his bizarre signature. If Cheryl Dunlap's remains were all found near to each other as opposed to having been disposed of in separate areas, that may be a unique aspect of an MO that may further indicate Hilton as a suspect, perhaps.

Lion

I agree, Lion. This is what makes me think that the still unidentified body located in Franklin County, Ga late last Spring which was recovered without a head might be connected to him as well...

[angelwngs]

She probably gave him the wrong pin number as she knew he would kill her if he accessed her account. She was buying time I imagine.

You are probably right... CP...

[DeltaDawn]

If you were going to outside ATM's at banks..but the bank card wasn't from that bank..would the ATM still work? I didn't think that it would. I am thinking that this man has it togather in some aspects and not in others. Like he thinks every bank ATM will accept every card, yet knows to change car plates and dismember bodies to throw off ID. He really is a very scary person, half sane and half very insane.

I think he simply didn't kill the dog because he likes dogs that are well mannered and thought that dog would not betray him.. Again I don't think he realized the extent to which people were looking for him..the time spent in the Huddle House, the time spent at the gas station/convenience store.

He just isn't all there and so he in no way thinks like we think.

[SuziQ]

Well, he tried unsuccessfully to use her card @ the ATM's 3 times...

I'm pretty sure it was two times at two different ATM's on the same day. I think 3 times is coming from the Dunlap case. He used her card succesfully 3 times, On dec 2,3,4.

[DeltaDawn]

I'm pretty sure it was two times at two different ATM's on the same day. I think 3 times is coming from the Dunlap case. He used her card succesfully 3 times, On dec 2,3,4.

Thanks SuziQ..I was the one that said 3x..so I must have confused this with the Dunlap info.

[SuziQ]

If you were going to outside ATM's at banks..but the bank card wasn't from that bank..would the ATM still work? I didn't think that it would. I am thinking that this man has it togather in some aspects and not in others. Like he thinks every bank ATM will accept every card, yet knows to change car plates and dismember bodies to throw off ID. He really is a very scary person, half sane and half very insane.

That might explain why he went to a second ATM. I'm pretty sure it's been reported that he was not able to withdraw money. And the media keeps referring to her card as a credit card. I know I have a pin for my credit cards. But I never activated the pin. So if someone wanted the pin for those cards, I would be SOL. However, was her card a Visa debit card she used to access her bank account? Who knows?

[Angelray]

so far all I have found is ss number issued in Flordia.. checking somemore things

[SuziQ]

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 19th 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.

Authorities also confirmed the body of Dunlap was decapitated just like Emerson.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15011719/detail.html

[DeltaDawn]

I thought they said cc and bank card..I never have activated the pins to my cc either..maybe he is so out of it he thinks all cards at any location with the right pin will give him money..esspecially if they did in the past.

[concernedperson]

That might explain why he went to a second ATM. I'm pretty sure it's been reported that he was not able to withdraw money. And the media keeps referring to her card as a credit card. I know I have a pin for my credit cards. But I never activated the pin. So if someone wanted the pin for those cards, I would be SOL. However, was her card a Visa debit card she used to access her bank account? Who knows?

Good point. I don't use my credit cards either as a resource for obtaining cash and I know I have never activated a PIN for them. I only use a debit card for that.

[SuziQ]

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead told Channel 2 the GBI Crime Lab is awaiting the results of a rape kit administered during the autopsy of Meredith Emerson to confirm or refute suspicions she was sexually assaulted.

The GBI has asked other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to assist in putting together a timeline of suspect Gary Hilton's whereabouts in recent years.

Also, Channel 2 has been told human remains identified as those of Emerson were found in two different locations -- each off a different road in Dawson County. Both scenes have been completely processed by GBI crime specialists.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15011719/detail.html

[Lisahas2cats]

Since this was on the Appalachian Trail, I think they should look into all crimes up and down the trail, since it crosses main roads and runs through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

I was thinking there has been a string of unsolved murders over the years of hikers along the Appalachian Trail. Like you, I think there should be some serious investigating on that angle!

[concernedperson]

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead told Channel 2 the GBI Crime Lab is awaiting the results of a rape kit administered during the autopsy of Meredith Emerson to confirm or refute suspicions she was sexually assaulted.

The GBI has asked other law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, to assist in putting together a timeline of suspect Gary Hilton's whereabouts in recent years.

Also, Channel 2 has been told human remains identified as those of Emerson were found in two different locations -- each off a different road in Dawson County. Both scenes have been completely processed by GBI crime specialists.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15011719/detail.html

That horrible, horrible person. I hope Dawson County goes for broke on this case.

[DeltaDawn]

So we have two people murdered in the same way, 2 different locations, yet both in National forests or National Parks. This looks very much like the Bryants are going to turn out to be his vics also. I am wondering if the two girls killed in the Shanendoah (sp) Park in VA also had cc and bank cards stolen..or money? Was that ever reported in that case?

[aj1020]

If you were going to outside ATM's at banks..but the bank card wasn't from that bank..would the ATM still work? I didn't think that it would. I am thinking that this man has it togather in some aspects and not in others. Like he thinks every bank ATM will accept every card, yet knows to change car plates and dismember bodies to throw off ID. He really is a very scary person, half sane and half very insane.


Actually, most bank cards (either plain ATM cards or Debit cards) are accepted at most ATM machines, whether the ATM is from that same bank or not. There are several ATM networks (Cirrus, Shazam, just to name two) that ATMs belong to - they normally belong to more than one network. So, I could use my ATM card if I travel out of state (or out of the country) as long as my ATM card and the machine I'm at are part of the same network.

... I used to work for a company that made ATM software, so I thought I'd help with that one. :)