Gary Hilton

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Gary Hilton
GaryHilton.jpg
FDC mugshot
Born
Gary Michael Hilton

(1946-11-22) November 22, 1946 (age 75)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Other names"The National Forest Serial Killer"
Conviction(s)Federal:
First degree murder (18 U.S.C. § 1111) (2 counts)
Kidnapping (18 U.S.C. § 1201)
Robbery (18 U.S.C. § 2111)
Use of a firearm during a crime of violence (18 U.S.C. § 924)
Florida:
First degree murder
Kidnapping
Grand theft
Georgia:
Murder
Criminal penaltyFederal:
Life without parole
Florida:
Death
Georgia:
Life imprisonment
Details
Victims4+
Span of crimes
2007–2008 (known)
CountryUnited States
State(s)North Carolina, Florida, Georgia
(possibly South Carolina)
Date apprehended
January 5, 2008
Imprisoned atUnion Correctional Institution, Raiford, Florida

Gary Michael Hilton (born November 22, 1946),[1] known as The National Forest Serial Killer, is an American serial killer responsible for four known homicides between 2007 and 2008 committed in three states, all of which occurred within the premises of national forests. Sentenced to death in Florida and to life imprisonment in Georgia and North Carolina, Hilton remains a suspect in several other killings, including that of Judy Smith.

Murders[]

John and Irene Bryant[]

On October 21, 2007, a retired couple of avid hikers living in Horse Shoe, North Carolina,[2] John and Irene Bryant (80 and 84, respectively), left for a hike through the Pisgah National Forest, leaving their parked maroon Ford Escape at the Yellow Gap Road near U.S. Route 276. After not hearing from them for two weeks, family members reported the couple as missing to the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, who promptly launched a search for the Bryants, consisting of more than 30 volunteers, cadaver dogs and a helicopter. Through examining their phone records, it was learned that Irene had attempted to call 911 on the day of her disappearance, but the signal was lost and the call was dropped.[3]

On November 10, the search party located the body of a woman on the Barnett Branch trail, covered with leaves. Suspecting that it might belong to Irene, they sent it to the county coroner in Chapel Hill to perform an autopsy.[4] Three days later, the body was positively identified as that of Irene, who had apparently been bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument.[5] As this was now considered a homicide perpetrated on federal land, the FBI launched an investigation with an award of $10,000 to whoever could provide information leading to the killer. Simultaneously, it was revealed that a bank card belonging to the Bryants had been used to withdraw $300 from an ATM in Ducktown, Tennessee, with the surveillance cameras showing an older Caucasian man wearing a yellow rainjacket whose hood was obscuring his face.[6] By this time, John was still considered a missing person, possibly abducted by whoever had killed his wife.[7]

On February 3, 2008, Mark Waldrop, a hunter, accidentally discovered a skull in Nantahala National Forest, just off the forest service road, known as "The Switchbacks".[8] After calling the local deputy for assistance, the duo investigated the scene, and upon closer inspection, a pelvis and spine were located about 20 yards from the skull. Since there was no clothing or identification near the remains, the bones were sent to the medical examiner in Chapel Hill in order to identify the decedent.[9] After two days, it was positively identified as that of John Bryant.[10]

Cheryl Dunlap[]

On December 3, 2007, 46-year-old Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, a resident of Crawfordville, Florida, did not appear for her job at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, where she worked as a nurse.[11] Considering this behavior to be unusual, her colleagues reported her missing on the following day, after her abandoned car, a white Toyota Camry, was located north of the county line.[12] Approximately five days later, a search party of around 180 people was organized to help locate her, and despite initially unable to find anything, the members still hoped that they would locate Dunlap alive.[13]

On December 16, Ronnie Rentz, a hunter passing through the woods in the Apalachicola National Forest with his dogs, discovered the decapitated, decomposing body of a white woman, immediately reporting the finding to the state authorities.[14] As they were initially unsure whether the body was Dunlap's,[15] it was sent to the medical examiner, who confirmed that it was indeed hers via DNA profiling.[16] Classifying her death as a homicide, authorities announced that they were looking for a suspicious green truck seen in the area around the time Dunlap disappeared,[17] driven by a man who had used her ATM card five times in Tallahassee, withdrawing $700 from her account. Over the next few days, numerous tips were submitted to the police,[18] some of which were about a strange homeless man with a dog who was driving a green 2001 Chevrolet Astro van, but this lead did not lead to an arrest.[19] Around this time, rumors began circulating that a serial offender was operating between Georgia and Florida, but at the time, the Leon County Sheriff's Office's statement was that they were investigating the case as an isolated homicide.[20]

Meredith Emerson[]

Main article: Murder of Meredith Emerson

On New Year's Day of 2008, 24-year-old sales manager Meredith Hope Emerson decided to go for a hike along the Freeman Trail on Blood Mountain, in Vogel State Park. She was accompanied by her dog, Ella, and according to several witnesses, they had observed a mysterious older man with his own dog following her. On January 3, 2008, authorities located her 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier, in which they found various items such as her water bottle, a dog leash, and a police baton.[21]

Further investigation into Emerson's companion on that day revealed that he was 61-year-old Gary Hilton, a local drifter known for his strange behavior and vicious temper, who often walked his dog Dandy along the trail.[22] Since this revelation, he was announced as a person of interest in the case, with police requesting that they officially interrogate him about the case.[23][24] A day after this announcement, Emerson's dog Ella was found wandering at a Kroger parking lot and returned to her family members.[25]

On January 5, authorities located numerous items belonging to Emerson inside a dumpster near a QuikTrip parking lot in Cumming: her bloodied clothing, wallet, driver's license, a University of Georgia ID card and a bloodstained car seat belt.[26]

Suspected victims[]

In addition to the above-mentioned homicides, Hilton has been investigated and remains a suspect in the following unsolved murders:

  • Judy Smith (51): on September 7, 1997, several human bones and personal items were found in Pisgah National Forest, scattered near a campground. The decedent was eventually identified as hiker Judy Smith, who was last seen in Philadelphia five months earlier. While it has been suggested that Hilton might have murdered her, no supporting evidence for this has been found.[27]
  • Jason Knapp (20): Clemson University student who disappeared c. 1998 in Table Rock State Park, in Pickens County, South Carolina, declared legally dead in 2018. Due to similarity to his other known crimes, Hilton was proposed as a suspect, but denied any connection to Knapp.[28]
  • Rossana Miliani (24): hiker from Miami, Florida who was last seen in the company of an older white man in his 60s, buying backpacks from a convenience store in Bryson City, North Carolina in 2005. Following Hilton's arrest, the store clerk, Steve Siske, contacted the authorities to note the similarities between her case and that of Meredith Emerson.[29]
  • Michael Scot Louis (27): South Daytona resident who went missing on November 21, 2007.[30] A few weeks later, his dismembered remains were found by a fisherman in Ormond Beach, packed in black bags which had been dumped in the Tomoka River.[31] The remains were not immediately connected to Louis, with identification occurring several days later by a lab in California. His head was never located. Authorities have stated that while Hilton remains a suspect in the murder and was in the area at the time, he is not the sole one.[32] Louis' then-girlfriend, Nelci Tetley, who was later arrested and due to stand trial for the 2017 murder and dismemberment of boyfriend Jeffrey Albertsman, is also considered a viable suspect in the case.[33]

Arrest, trials and imprisonment[]

Five hours after police found the items linked to Emerson, Hilton was arrested thanks to two anonymous phone tips, which claimed that he was vacuuming his van at a local establishment.[34][35] He was transferred to the county jail, where he was subsequently charged with kidnapping based on the material evidence connecting him to the case. While he was being held at a federal prison in Atlanta, the search for Emerson's body continued in a 90 square mile area of the Chattahoochee National Forest.[36] Upon examining his van, the same 2001 Chevrolet Astro as reported earlier in tips by witnesses, authorities noticed that it was missing its rear car seat belt, which matched the one located among the Emerson's personal items.[37]

In exchange for dropping the death penalty against him, Hilton agreed to reveal where he had disposed of Emerson's remains, leading the investigators to the Dawson Forest Management Area. She had been decapitated, but the coroner determined that it had been done post-mortem in an attempt to prevent identification.[38] Hilton claimed that he had abducted her to steal her bank cards and PIN code, and that he had repeatedly hit her with the police baton until she had died. He later pleaded guilty to her murder, and was thusly sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years. In September 2009, a hiker found camping supplies believed to belong to Gary Hilton, which were then turned over to the Florida authorities for use in the upcoming Dunlap trial.[39]

About a month later, Florida prosecutors charged Hilton with Dunlap's murder, claiming that forensic evidence linked him to the slaying.[40] Despite his efforts to fight his extradition, Hilton was brought to Leon County from the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison in June 2008, and was remanded to await trial for the Dunlap killing.[41] Attorneys Ines Suber and Steven Been, who specialized in capital murder cases, were hired as his public defenders.[42] At his trial, prosecutors claimed that Hilton had abducted Dunlap from the Leon Sinks Geological Area and held her captive for two days, before eventually killing and then decapitating her body. He had also attempted to get rid of potential evidence by incinerating her head and hands in a fire pit, before finally dumping the body in the forest.[43] When Hilton's defense team claimed that there was no forensic proof, the prosecutors reminded that Hilton had claimed on tape that he had disposed of Dunlap's body, but now deliberately tried to distance himself from it. After four hours of deliberation, the juries found him guilty on three out of four charges, with a recommendation to impose the death penalty on the convict.[44][45] On February 22, 2011, he was officially sentenced to death for the crime and sent off to Florida's death row.[46]

In 2012, Hilton was brought to trial for a third time, for the murders of John and Irene Bryant. As part of a plea deal with the prosecutor, he admitted his guilt in the killings and was sentenced to an additional life term without the chance of parole.[47] During the hearings, Hilton described how he had killed Irene on the spot and then kidnapped John to extort his bank details, before shooting him in the head with a .22 Magnum and then dumping his body in The Switchbacks.[48]

Aftermath[]

During and after his trials, criminal profilers from the FBI and agencies from across the country attended the proceedings to interview Hilton.[49] According to criminologist Eric Hickey, Hilton was likely responsible for other homicides prior to 2007, a claim supported by other veteran profilers, who were skeptical that Hilton had begun killing at such an old age.[50]

In 2018, Hilton unsuccessfully attempted to have his death sentence overturned, citing his defense team as dysfunctional and ineffective. His appeal was denied by both state and federal authorities.[51]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Inmate Population Information Detail - Gary M. Hilton". Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  2. ^ Mike McWilliams (November 18, 2007). "Bryants' passion was nature". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1.
  3. ^ Adam Behsudi (November 7, 2007). "Search for elderly hikers expands". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  4. ^ Adam Behsudi (November 10, 2007). "Search for couple leads to body". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  5. ^ Andre A. Rodriguez (November 14, 2007). "Search for couple turns into homicide investigation after woman's body ID'd". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1.
  6. ^ Andre A. Rodriguez (November 14, 2007). "Search for couple turns into homicide investigation after woman's body ID'd". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 5.
  7. ^ Mike McWilliams (November 18, 2007). "Bryants' passion was nature". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 5.
  8. ^ Jon Ostendorff (February 4, 2008). "Remains found in Macon sent for ID". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1.
  9. ^ Jon Ostendorff (February 4, 2008). "Remains found in Macon sent for ID". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 6.
  10. ^ Jon Ostendorff (February 5, 2008). "Body confirmed as Bryant's". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1.
  11. ^ Nic Corbett (December 21, 2007). "Dunlap's murder spurs interest in safety course". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 2.
  12. ^ Jennifer Jefferson and Tabitha Yang (December 4, 2007). "Missing woman's vehicle found". Tallahassee Democrat.
  13. ^ Nic Corbett (December 9, 2007). "Residents, friends help search for missing Crawfordville woman". Tallahassee Democrat.
  14. ^ Nic Corbett (December 16, 2007). "Woman's body found in woods". Tallahassee Democrat.
  15. ^ Tabitha Yang (December 17, 2007). "Woman's autopsy may be done today". Tallahassee Democrat.
  16. ^ Nic Corbett (December 20, 2007). "Body identified as Dunlap". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1.
  17. ^ Nic Corbett (December 21, 2007). "Dunlap's murder spurs interest in safety course". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1.
  18. ^ Julian Pecquet (January 13, 2008). "Dunlap case leaves questions". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1.
  19. ^ Julian Pecquet (January 13, 2008). "Dunlap case leaves questions". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 2.
  20. ^ Nic Corbett (December 20, 2007). "Body identified as Dunlap". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 2.
  21. ^ Tim Eberly (January 5, 2008). "LINKS TO HIKER FOUND". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. B5.
  22. ^ George Chidi (January 4, 2008). "Man sought for questioning about hiker". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. A8.
  23. ^ George Chidi (January 4, 2008). "Man sought for questioning about hiker". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. A1.
  24. ^ Tim Eberly (January 5, 2008). "LINKS TO HIKER FOUND". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. B1.
  25. ^ Daniel Yee (January 6, 2008). "Missing Ga. hiker believed dead; suspect held". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 2.
  26. ^ Mike McWilliams (January 8, 2008). "Connection sought in slain hiker cases". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1.
  27. ^ O'Neill, Marnie (May 14, 2016). "Boston nurse vanished in Philadelphia, found dead in North Carolina". News.com.au. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  28. ^ Teresa Bockel (April 5, 2018). "Missing for 20 years: Central York graduate Jason Knapp legally declared dead". York Daily Record.
  29. ^ Jon Ostendorff (January 15, 2008). "Fla. woman disappeared in Swain County". Asheville Citizen-Times.
  30. ^ "Body found in bags identified". Orlando Sentinel. December 13, 2007.
  31. ^ Denise-Marie Balona (December 7, 2007). "Bags with body parts found in Volusia canal". Orlando Sentinel.
  32. ^ "Hilton [find title later]". Tallahassee Democrat. June 19, 2009. p. 2.
  33. ^ Tony Holt (January 19, 2018). "Police: Daytona woman who killed, dismembered boyfriend is linked to similar cold case". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  34. ^ "Missing hiker's friend held". The Clarion-Ledger. January 5, 2008.
  35. ^ Mike McWilliams (January 8, 2008). "Connection sought in slain hiker cases". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 5.
  36. ^ Daniel Yee (January 6, 2008). "Missing Ga. hiker believed dead; suspect held". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. 1.
  37. ^ Errin Haines (January 7, 2008). "Search for missing hiker scaled back; bloody tops found". The News Journal.
  38. ^ "Drifter pleads guilty to murder of hiker". The Baxter Bulletin. February 1, 2008.
  39. ^ "Hunter finds murderer's supplies in Ga. forest". Tallahassee Democrat. September 18, 2009.
  40. ^ Rhonda Cook and Christian Boone (February 29, 2008). "Hilton indicted in killing in Florida". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D1.
  41. ^ Nic Corbett (June 7, 2008). "Hilton arrives at county jail". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1.
  42. ^ Nic Corbett (June 7, 2008). "Hilton arrives at county jail". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 2.
  43. ^ Jennifer Portman (February 16, 2001). "GUILTY: Jury convicts Gary Michael Hilton in 2007 slaying of Cheryl Dunlap". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1.
  44. ^ Jennifer Portman (February 16, 2001). "GUILTY: Jury convicts Gary Michael Hilton in 2007 slaying of Cheryl Dunlap". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 2.
  45. ^ Jennifer Portman (February 22, 2011). "Jury recommends death for Hilton". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 1.
  46. ^ Jennifer Portman (February 22, 2011). "Jury recommends death for Hilton". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 2.
  47. ^ Sabian Warren (March 28, 2012). "Hilton admits to double killing". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. A1.
  48. ^ Sabian Warren (March 28, 2012). "Hilton admits to double killing". Asheville Citizen-Times. p. A8.
  49. ^ Christian Boone and Rhonda Cook (March 2, 2008). "Serial killer experts target Hilton case". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D1.
  50. ^ Christian Boone and Rhonda Cook (March 2, 2008). "Serial killer experts target Hilton case". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. D6.
  51. ^ Julie Montaro (October 30, 2018). "Convicted serial killer Gary Michael Hilton's appeal denied". WCTV.

Bibliography[]

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