My friends and I were comparing those same two pics. AND...both victims were found in the same park.
The poor litle angel boy was shot with a handgun according to reports online. How many unsolved crimes have the same weapon identified?
Anyone?
Two more cases from Athens. Both UGA students, one includes arson:
http://tinyurl.com/2qjqga
http://tinyurl.com/2s4shk
ETA: regarding my above post. They both resemble Tara Grinstead, IMO.
Yes, they do. And I've been wondering for some time now if Georgia had a serial killer that no one wanted to admit was still out there doing his thing. Is it Hilton? Who knows, at this point?
It's a question worth asking, though.
The fact that Hilton had a dog reminds me of Buffalo Bill.
Could someone please post the height and weight of Hilton? TY in advance
You missed this beautiful woman:
Cayle Bywater, 29, Missing 12/29/07 Athens, GA
Can everyone please put the word out to find Cayle.
I got that one and posted her in Steve's previous blog. LE is looking into a connection as well. She was seen at a dog park with her dog the day she went missing.
Here is another one. The composite obviously doesn't look like Hilton. But the circumstances fit:
http://tinyurl.com/2mdlsd
On Saturday, July 16, 2005 at 12:30 a.m., Anita Redmon was shot to death as she worked as an attendant at the west gate of Stone Mountain Park. A $55,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Redmon's murder.
Ah nevermind, Stone Mountain park is an amusement park. (inserts embarassement smiley)
This makes me sick, and angry! He sounds like another Duncan to me.
Good job matching these sketches and potential GMH victims.
"You missed this beautiful woman..."
I don't know who you meant to address with this comment, but nope, no one's missed her. I mentioned her in the post, and SuziQ mentioned her elsewhere.
I am a little skeptical still that Hilton might have been involved with Cayle's disappearance, but that doesn't mean it wasn't foul play. The way she left things was too suspicious. Having had a bipolar person in my family, I can tell you that sometimes their disappearances (and some bipolar people will habitually try to vanish, depending upon their particular sets of delusions) could be predicted, if they happen more than once.
No one expected Cayle's vanishing this time, so I feel fairly certain that something hinky is going on there.
I've read his height is 5'10" and his weight about 160.
No, Stone Mountain is NOT just an amusement park. It's a real park, and a real mountain is there. It's a large dome-like mountain you can't miss from several points all over the Atlanta Metro. There is an amusement-ish park there.
That said, I'm doubting Hilton had anything to do with Ms. Redmon's murder. Police have been seeking a particular suspect for some time based on eyewitness testimony -- a fairly young black man, and he was with other young men at the time.
It's real easy to start wanting to hang every unsolved in two states on this guy, but I'm sticking to the ones that make sense and don't already have strong suspects -- the exception being the Endres case. Suspecting Hilton there makes a little more sense than suspecting Jeremy Jones, at this point.
Thank you. What do you expect the height of the guy with the yellow jacket at the ATM is? This is the link to the security camera still pics.
http://www.wyff4.com/slideshow/n...610/
detail.html
TY in advance
The one thing that holds me back in connecting Cayle to Hilton is she went missing only a couple of days before Emerson did. Maybe Hilton had escalated to a spree killer.
Steve, I told you I was having a hard time not raising this case to a higher level of sinister than it already is! lol. Seriously though, the only reason I picked Redmonds case was the park aspect. But if their is a specific suspect already in mind then that one is definitely out.
I'd put the person in those security cam pics from the Bryant case between 5'10" and 6'0" tall.
According to retired FBI agent Gary McCrary " "If there is any one common motive among serial killers, it's playing God, having the power over life and death of another individual," says McCrary. "It's a very intoxicating experience."
The experts state that most that fit this profile feel they are "outcast" and the killing gives them a trill from being able to overpower their victims.
And the added thrill is doing the dirty work and not getting caught.
If anything of a positive nature can come out of this maybe other crimes will be solved and he will pay dearly for what he has done.
I agree, Tammy. I think, btw, you were referring to Gregg O. McCrary, not Gary.
Sorry about that Steve..Gregg is correct.
Typing at 2:30 in the AM ..not paying attention to the finer details.
I have chills ~ it appears to me as well that this man may be yet another serial killer. What is also chilling is how many times since August that I have visited Cobb County Court Records, and the surrounding area. What is going on there?
For whomever mentioned "Duncan" ... not even in the ballpark. Duncan likes(d) kids, and is a violent sexual predator, long history of psych treatment, and served time for similar acts against children.
I've not had time to do any research on this, but it looks like many of you will essentially help aid authorities in what you all have found. Thanks for that, and I am convinced this was not Hilton's first violent crime. He's been "lucky", as Mr. Huff put it, in my opinion.
How devastating for this beautiful girl's family!
From the Florida case of Cheryl Dunlop. Crosspost from WS:
Dunlap related ATM pic, Am I imagining things or do the eyes look like Hilton's?:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/sto...=4010778&
page=1
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/
h...2_071217_ms.jpg
Anybody else disappear at the same time as the child? Perhaps he saw something and had to be eliminated.
SuziQ ~ Most definitely has a resemblance to me! Wish they had a face shot at the ATM he was trying with Emerson's card.
I have a super 'bad feeling' about this man, and it breaks my heart. He's done more than what is known, and I am so confident of that (speculation ... the trail will be lengthy, and the span will be years).
Devastating, but am also relieved her family can now take her back home where she belongs!
I read that the yellow raincoat was actually one of the couples (Bryant's ? )so here's hoping if he is responsible then he hasn't disposed of it yet and they can identify it.
When he was attempting to use Meredith's credit card at the ATM was he disguised as well? Have they released any of that info- I don't recall seeing it? I think there is similarity in body type & posture with the Bryant's Atm pics and Dunlop's Atm pics.
This case has touched me very closely also. I have often vacationed and hiked in a number of the areas mentioned in NW GA, and my family has friends who live and work north of Vogel State Park. They are horrified by this senseless tragedy also.
So who is this man, what are his known patterns, and do they correlate to any other missing person cases?
Has anyone been able to locate criminal records, statements from past or present employers/friends/coworkers that would help give a timeline of his life and insight into his personality?
I've found some info at a blog here: http://www.zimbio.com/
Gary+Micha...Hilton+Meredith (my apologies if someone else has posted this link already), but I'm struggling with extracting the effective info from the typical "me too" phenomenon in the comments.
Thank you for that link Jax. I had seen it but misplaced it.
I would love to see the Emerson ATM pics to compare to the ones in the Bryant and Dunlap cases. In the Dunlap case the person went back to the ATM three days in a row. LE delayed releasing the pic because they staked the ATM out. But the person never came back. He succesfully withdrew money each time. I wonder if it was $300.00 each time as it was in the Bryant case.
I find it odd that in both the Bryant case ATM photos and the Dunlop ATM pics that there is the appearance of duct-tape.
In the Bryant case, the tape is around the waist of the slicker, while the suspect in the Dunlop case clearly has a piece of duct-tape over his nose area in attempt to obscure his face.
I realize that duct-tape is something that lots of folks use, but that it would show up in two ATM shots of missing and murdered people in the same basic area? That's just odd. I think that Shaggy and Scooby would call it a "clue".
I'm normally a lurker, but I just had to mention something about that, because no one else had, yet.
I think it is Hilton in the Bryant and Dunlop ATM pics. I bet anything there is duct tape in the Emerson ATM photo's also.
I think that the GBI has known there was a serial killer on the loose, but didn't want to admit it, because they didn't want to scare everyone.
I am glad that he had the "decency" to lead investigators to Meredith's body, however, I'm sure it wasn't out of the goodness of his little black heart.
Thank you for the great coverage Steve!
Emerson family will give public statement today.
http://tinyurl.com/2ktbw5
Tezi said: I am glad that he had the "decency" to lead investigators to Meredith's body, however, I'm sure it wasn't out of the goodness of his little black heart.
***
I agree. I think Hilton either wanted to take credit for his work or the death penalty was taken off the table. I will be curious to see if he is forthcoming about other cases if he's responsible.
RIP Meredith. I feel so sad for her family and friends.
Blood Mountain was my favorite place to hike when I lived in Atlanta in my early 20s, and since I also used to hike alone with my dog (not that particular trail, but others), this case got my attention immediately. I had so hoped for a happy ending. But perhaps some good will come out of this, in that Hilton was finally caught and maybe more deaths can now be prevented.
I do think it will be found that Hilton committed other murders. If that is the case, it seems like over time he got sloppy. It certainly seems a pretty big risk to have let her dog go free, dumped her clothes where he did, and wash his van of blood in broad daylight. Perhaps he got cocky after getting away with (many?) others.
I am hopeful that the fact that he led police to her body means he will be more forthcoming with other details (other murders) too.
If Hilton is involved with Cheryl Dunlap's murder then LE has been way off the mark. They've been looking for a camo wrapped pickup and black Dodge truck.
I think he saw an "opportunity" and took it, and hadn't thought it through like he had perhaps others. Not that I believe he was a cunning and stealthily calculating person ever... just that, like Steve has illustrated in the other topic related to this case, he flew under the radar because he was just some dingy loser that no one really took much notice of and really, honestly, didn't want to. This is an advantage. To be odd and off-putting, but not to the point of walking around in public with his pants around his ankles, for example, and prompting people to immediately call LE or report the behavior. Just weird enough for people to want to stay away, not odd enough to spurn people to pick up the phone and report or take a good, hard look at.
Generally, people do not ruminate much over these kinds of people while going about their daily lives. They think "Hell! That guy is creepy." and get the heck on their way. This is the advantage that these people have.
Another thing that I've thought about is that this guy obviously has several screws loose. That kind of secluded lifestyle, homelessness and self- segregation will lead a person to further deteriorate over time...taking "opportunities" or "chances" that are not as well thought out as previously. This is where I believe Hilton was/is and what led to the more sloppy crime in this instance.
I don't think the guy was ever a rocket scientist, by any stretch of the imagination.
A weapon was used to kill Meredith. But no details given in this report
http://tinyurl.com/343xh8
i wonder too ..if this could be the monster, who killed Cheryl Dunlap.
I live in Crawfordville and this has upset our community.
I hope law enforcement is looking at Hilton closely for any killings he may have done. How scary.
I am assuming that the attack that killed Meredith was quick, because if there was a struggle, her dog would have attacked Hilton.
Atlease I hope it was quick.
So it was just reported, seconds ago on MSNBC, that Meredith was killed by blunt force trauma to the head.
I am so very, very sick right now. I can't believe what I'm reading per CNN.
CNN.Crime is now reporting that Emerson was decapitated. How very sad.
That's the rumor of what happened to Cheryl. Her hands were dismembered too.
Now, I'm really thinking about Albert Fish. Good God.
How horrible! The world has gone insane.
I've added an update about this development. It's precisely the sort of thing I was afraid of, but once I committed to writing about it, I couldn't ignore such a thing.
Y'all, the removing of a murder victim's head (or hands, or any body part, for that matter) strikes me as the act of a person who is quite comfortable with murder. Someone I'd strongly believe has done this before.
I'm sitting here at work and I can't get anything done. On the other entry, a few days ago... before Meredith was found, I posted something that I felt STRONGLY about... afterwards, I felt bad for posting it because people related to Meredith are readers.
I basically said, I really hope the parents weren't in the search, and that it would be a ... very gruesome find. When I wrote that, I was thinking of a very specific case, and that it would the same outcome. So when I refreshed CNN 20 minutes ago, I almost started crying.
This is too much. This girl. This FAMILY. I feel DEVASTATED for them. This is horrific. I don't know how the parents can ever get on with their lives. I'm not yet a parent, and I know if I were to ever face a situation like this, there would not be enough meds in the entire world to keep me going. This is a disaster.
And like everyone, I think this is just the beginning. This was not a botched robbery. This "MAN" is evil.
I didn't know whether to believe the posts about the condition of Cheryl's remains or not. She was discovered by hunters and word leaked out.
Suspected it might be true when they wouldn't release cause of death and now that FL LE is headed to GA, it sounds like the local posters were correct.
Still puzzled about the camo truck in the bank parking lot.
I am freaking totally out right now. I know I would have gone naively along with him and his dog. As an animal lover I would always think the best of someone with a pet. I always thought a serial killer would look like Dahmer or Bundy, not an old man with a dog. Hilton really is the troll under the bridge that we are told to fear as children. I'm scared of my own instincts now. To me he looks just like the sketch of the Levi Frady suspect. God knows how long he has been doing this!
This totally took me by surprise. I guess I saw him as some petty thief who cared little enough that he could kill. But what he did speaks of something so totally evil - I think he likes the kill and the money he thieves is on the side. He had to have done this before. If responsible for Levi, which does not fit a pattern (neither do the elderly couple with Meredith) maybe the only pattern is loving to kill. Moving on now to mutilation.
My heart hurts so much for Meredith's loved ones, and whatever she endured. It does seem that she may not have suffered. I'm thinking he came right up behind her on the trail and she never knew what hit her.
Meridith was decapitated, so was Cheryl Dunlap. There was also a murder in Florida recently...Jimbo Beale killed with a machete in North Florida State Park.
Barb, regarding your instincts; I think it is generally a safe routine to just not go anywhere that is remote alone. If you are a hiker, hike with a group. Even that would not be a guarantee; because nothing in life is guaranteed to be safe. Has anyone, anywhere heard anything about where Hilton obtained his dog, Dandy? Does Dandy fit the description of a pet that has been reported missing with a person?
Well, forget my previous thought. It appears she was held captive for 3 days and killed on Friday.
: (
Deb, I'm not so sure she didn't suffer. WSBTV is reporting he didn't kill her till Friday.
"In another development WSB-TV Channel 2 has learned the arrest warrant for Gary Michael Hilton said that Emerson, who disappeared on New Year's Day, was not killed until Friday. It appears Emerson was alive and held captive for three days."
As details become available it is shocking to realize that this man had to have done this before. Decapitating Meredith certainly wouldn't be something a first time killer would do. It makes you stop and think of all the missing and murdered people in the neighboring states and whether he's involved.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Meredith's family and friends as their loss is great enough without the added knowledge of what he did to her.
You know -- I follow a lot of these stories, and my heart always aches, and I get angry. But somehow this is different. I'm just so sick over this. And so angry.
Deb,
I figured it out, you know why this one hurts so much more...it's because it was so preventable..so many warning signs not only b/f this crime but during this horrible one too.
you know why else? Because Meredith only did what anyone of us would have done...been cordial to an old coot with a pretty dog and this is what she got in return. It makes you lose faith in the notion of kindness, fate, and all other things human.
and go*****it why wasn't she found on Wed or Thurs- while alive...that's what I am beaten up over.
I mentioned this b/f but there was a poster named Glenn Adams on GretaWire who said on Thurs. of that wk he saw the white van nr. Amaciola River and there was recent human stuff...food wrappers, dr. pepper, natural organics wrappers, bottled water. and in an abondoned house was the same, and dog feces and mattresses. LE was there and figured Hilton and meredith had been there. Unless I don't have my facts straight. But maybe that's where he was keeping her during T/W/Th.
bluebirdskidays -
You're probably right. But hindsight is always 20/20. I am a pretty cautions person. Maybe too cautious. I call my 19 year old daughter and check up on her all the time. Time her coming home - if she doesn't pull in the driveway in X amount of minutes, I'm calling her again. Not because I don't trust her - she's a great kid. Because I know the world out there. I've seen this happen up close, in my town, and it will never be "this never happens here" to me.
I know her friends think I'm crazy, and no one else's Mom is calling them. Still my daughter knows what we've been through in our town, and she is quite gracious with my concern.
I pray that Meredith's family members don't get caught up in "what if" because the what ifs will kill you.
It happened, and everyone tried their best to find her, and they couldn't in time. It's crushing.
"why wasn't she found on Wed or Thurs- while alive...that's what I am beaten up over."
Me too ... and if I'm feeling this, I can't imagine what her family is going through. I want to go scream somewhere.
Well, go home and hold your daughter close instead of screaming 
Meredith is now at peace and in a better place.
I am home ... it's my daughter that's out again. With my van. Shopping at the Salvation Army - her fav. place to buy clothes. But she has her boyfriend and her brother with her ... so I'm not AS worried.
And yes, Meredith is at peace.
Well, it appears ol' Mack got around. To be a homeless guy, he had travel money, and two vans. Hmmmm...
From a poster over at the zimbio webzine: "jgenter" 1/7/08 at 12:02 am
"I ran into Hilton last Aug or Sept(???) 2007 at a park in East Bradford Twp, PA (near West Chester). He was parked at a trail-head and appeared to have spent the night in his white Astro van. He had many blankets or sleeping bags hung over a fence - as if he was airing them out. I remember wondering why the local police did not notice him, especially since his Georgia license plate was out of place and his appearance was wierd. I wondered how he traveled so far when he appeared as though he was homeless. I thought he was perhaps a Vietnam vet and perhaps received disability payments. He did not appear to be someone who could hold a job.
I am very sorry I did not call the police at the time I saw him. I do not know whether the authorities had any idea Hilton had traveled as far as Pennsyvania. I wish I had said something."
http://tinyurl.com/27k92r
A recent comment on the Zimbio zine mentioned by a previous poster: by StrangeThingsHappen "I have viewed and studied pretty closely the documents which place Gary Hilton working for this remodeling company all the way back to April of 1998. His signature in 1998 begins looking one way, then dramatically changed to look another way for 1998, 1999 and into 2000, and then sometime around 2000 it starts degrading into almost nothing that is legible. I wonder what occurred in 2000 that may have been related to this change in his signature? Does anyone have confirmation of the Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis?"
It's just really despicable that people walk around cities who are cold-blooded torturing killers. And it's ironic I see this news clip after reading that Georgia prison guards have routinely beaten inmates. I hope this evil guy gets what's coming to him in prison.
Speaking of moving around...I mentioned this to Steve already and didn't post it at the time because I couldn't be certain it was the same Gary Hilton. Still not but,
In 1973 a Gary M. Hilton was sued in Dade County. It was an automobile accident and he was a co-defendant. The other defendants were an insurance co. and a U-Drive-It company.
U-Drive-It companies were big back in the 70s. Basically, you drove a car to another state for the cost of gas. Someone was moving and needed their car transported and they would contract one of these companies to move the car. So if you had a good driving you could apply to drive a car to another city.
Wonder if Gary was driving cars all over the US in the 70s...
What I heard about Dunlap was that LE wouldn't connect her case to a series of other recent one's in the area (body parts found) and that the killer had taken steps to make sure she couldn't be identified.
ThefirstDiane: Have you ever seen the movie Hitcher?
Does ANYONE have a bead on how old Gary's dog, "Dandy," was? Could Dandy be as old as 11?
Because when lesbian couple Lollie Winans and Julie Williams were brutally murdered on the Appalachian Trail in 1996, they had a golden retriever (strawberry-blonde coat) named "Taj" with them. I don't know that "Taj" was ever recovered.
Just thinking out loud.
Suzi, don't think so.
http://tinyurl.com/27k92r
You should all have a look over at Zimbio.
There are a lot of people on there that had contact with Gary Hilton.
He was also using the name Michael Hilton apparently.
So they took the death penalty off the table. Can't blame them, finding her was more important and he'd probably croak in prison before he was executed.
...Was he in South Florida in the very early 80s? What is the time line with this monster?
He was in Miami in 1972. Has an arrest record for buying stolen property. After that, no online records until 1979 when he's arrested in GA.
I am absolutely sick reading what this piece of crap did to her! And of course, in order for the searchers to have him "help" find her, they had to take the DP off of the table. I can understand that from the point of view that the family needs to know. However, if he doesn't deserve the DP, who does? I have been sitting here crying because once again a caring person has been killed by some piece of crap who obviously didn't have anything better to do with his time.
As a mother of two teenagers, I panic every time they leave the house. I am also a first-time grandmother to a wonderful little girl, who I fear for everyday. What the hell is wrong with people????? If something were to happen to one of my children or my grandchild, I would advise LE NOT to take the DP off of the table, if at all possible. But, then again, I've been faced with the situation of losing someone I love to murder (suspected, not yet proven), and I want to see the person responsible punished severely. This person took my family member from my family, leaving us to ask why. Questions I'm sure Meredith's family has. There are no easy answers. I pray for her family, friends, and everyone involved in the search and recovery. Believe me, I know how hard it is.
I'm sure they had input from Meredith's family as to whether to put that deal on the table. I will guarantee they wanted that deal to bring their baby home. The rage against him probably hasn't hit square yet and would likely never overcome their desire to have their baby back.
I suppose anything bright out of this if there can be, is that here is a beautiful girl, whom most of us have never met, and she has stolen our hearts...we have gotten to know her and love her in our own way. That is what her family wanted and I really think that is what has happened. She can rest at peace.
To add to what thefirstdiane just posted -- a Gary M. Hilton born in Nov. 1946 also was divorced in Miami-Dade County in 1971 from an Ursula Gros. So he was married at some point. I've tried to track down Ms. Gros (who may now be named Ursula Taylor), but records of her after 1985 are hard to come by.
Steve, that's eerie about "Taj".
Frangi is over at zimbio asking about how long he has had his dog! I hope it is 'our frangi'! I just can't reconcile someone as evil as Hilton having the kind of heart that loves a dog - but I can see him keeping one for a sourvenir, and controlling the dog forever.
SuziQ, seeing Taj again on that flyer sent goosebumps up my arms. If Dandy is an older animal, it's conceivable.
Wouldn't it be strange to walk up to the dog and say "here, Taj," and have it respond? I had that experience under benign circumstances once. My family acquired an Irish Setter we named (unimaginatively, I admit) "Big Red."
I became convinced the dog had another name and a life before us -- he was at least 2 when we got him. I kept trying dog names that might fit until he blew me away one day by responding to "Prince."
I was thinking it was over-dramatic to start trying to pin crimes all over the southeast on Hilton. After the revelations today about what really happened to Meredith, it seems a lot more plausible that this wiry older man was some kind of 'predator x' all along.
Serial killers are most active between the ages of 25 and 45. We should wonder about unsolveds from about 1969 through 1999 in particular.
I hope it is 'our frangi'!
It's me...
Steve, I posted your question about Dandy's age at WS. I hope you don't mind. Maybe between all of us (frangi) we'll get an answer.
Reannan, some killers would just as readily knock off an animal without a second thought. But there have been multiple instances of psychos who inexplicably take good care of animals while treating human beings as if they're mannequins. I can think of two spree murders I've read about that took place on farms. The killer(s) knocked off whole families, then went and fed the cattle and the dogs.
Don't try to make rational sense out of some of this. It isn't possible.
Steve, he seemed ultra protective of the dog to from what a poster a Zimbio said.
He got VERY upset when their dog approached his.
Hmmm
We too came upon this weirdo at MCP one day after one of our dogs playingly went up to his. He screamed for us to call our dog off and began swinging this huge baton type stick at our dog. As we approached closer, it became immediate clear something was amiss about this man. He had white foam coming from the sides of his mouth and continued ranting that our dog "did not mind" and that he would hurt him.
Parkgoer posted this at Zimbio
Wow... that is scary about Hilton evidently being in PA just as short as 5 months ago. Very mobile. It's definitely plausible to start going back and looking at murders/missing persons from all over the South. We'll see if he "talks"... but there seems to be no rhyme or reason, if indeed, he's connected to other murders. The two cases that stand out the most are the elderly couple in NC and the woman in the panhandle of Florida. I'd be very surprised if he DIDN'T have something to do with those. The Levi case is shocking... the composite is so eerily similar to what Hilton looks like, and the location...
I guess with the scum of society, there are no "threads". We know Duncan liked children... and Couey, and so on. We know many times it's women in their 20s... who knows with this disgusting mf.
All,
I can't pinpoint it exactly, but I just don't feel Meredith suffered while with Hilton in the sense that we are all thinking. I'm sure it is part "hope", but it's a gut feel nonetheless and that's all it is..we'll likely never know and I hope for her loved ones sake, they don't know. I only post this to put the possibility out there..
1)I don't think he is the sadistic type you think of when you hear decapitate. I personally think he did it to obscure her identity if she was found. I do not believe he did it for sick pleasure which is where most of our heads are going. Notice he did it after the blunt hit. Decapitating was too personal and gory to do while alive. He had to blunt hit first. Thus, some comfort to all those out there that likely, she did not suffer from the blow. Again I am only speculating. There is something in him that can't use and up close personal, gory weapon (knife) on a live person. His MO seems to be a blow to the head-a little more distant.
2) From the poster on GretaWire who did his own sleuthing (b/c it was 500 yrds from his house) and found the abandoned house where he was keeping her, it looked like there were food and drink items in the house. Dr. Pepper, "Natural Organics" in a yellow sack, and wet wipes. Could it be that he actually got those things for her while holding her? Did he get the wet wipes so she could potty? There was dog feces inside the house according to the poster...thus, they likely didn't go outside to relieve (anyone). The shirts found with blood were likely what she was wearing (as it was very cold) when he did the final. Thus, again I am inferring and hopeful she was kept warm. I believe he only took them off again for ID purposes, not for anything more sinister.
I don't really know where I am going with this other than to just put it out there...we can always hope that was the way. I just can't shed this feeling. I don't think he masterminded all this and others...I think it was opportunity,control, thrill and $$ not necessarily in that order. I think he did all of it by the seat of his pants but he did have a general theme (baton, hiking). He's just too disorganized mentally and physically to have the mind of a SK? I do not think he killed the Frady boy. Gun is a totally diff't weapon and would likely kept using that MO. I do think he killed the older couple and the other girl. Just too many similarities to overlook.
Hilton was given 5 years probation in 1995 according to Dekalb Cty records. Then in 2000 an order was entered that Hilton serve non-reporting probation.
So I think it's fair to say Hilton was sticking close to Atlanta 1995-2000. No roaming the SE at that time.
It's his younger years that are frightening. Florida's a graveyard anyway.
Webslueths is overloaded at the moment 
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006...6358/
index.html
Has this been posted? It's portions of Hilton captured in a dashcam video in, I believe, Cherokee County. It was close to the time of the NC murder/missing.
I feel sorry for the guy that took down his license plate because he felt uncomfortable about his interaction with meredith on the trail and by his car - that guy is probably very upset that he didn't follow up on his suspicions -
if the police know where he kept meredith for 3 days maybe they will find a lot more evidence of other crimes - wonder if it was the 'wolf creek' cabin -
I believe that just the psychological torture of being held captive for days would have caused suffering for Meredith. I believe that we all hope he didn't physically hurt or torture her in the days he held her captive but you have to consider he forcibly took her, hid and held her, and then killed her. No doubt promising her if she cooperated he would let her go.
Thanks, Pinecone for the link. Hilton doesn't look too effing frail, he looks to be a pretty good sized man. And quite the bullshitter.
thefirstdiane | 01.08.08 - 8:32 pm |
Hilton was given 5 years probation in 1995 according to Dekalb Cty records. Then in 2000 an order was entered that Hilton serve non-reporting probation.
***
You'd be stunned if you knew how slack the DeKalb county probation system is. A person has to literally put forth a concerted effort to be charged with a probation violation. Even then, the penalty is not much more than a rebuke. Petty crimes probably report only once a month, at most.
bluebirdskidays, being disorganized mentally and physically is probably something that came with age and supposed illness. That could have led to his capture this time. But he wasn't always that way. The fact that Hilton was able to overpower, hold hostage, kill and decapitate his victim, then clean up his van with bleach, is in no way indicative of being mentally or physically disorganized.
Emerson may have not indured physical torture. But I am sure the diabolical jerk put her through plenty of mental torture to say the least. To me that's as bad if not worse.
bluebird, sad to say, I cannot disagree with you more.
Respectfully, bluebirdskidays, you seem to be basing your judgments on what a serial killer would or would not do much more on fiction than fact.
Fact is, there are classes of sks, and one class is literally defined as "disorganized." There is another class some profilers have called "mixed." Dennis Rader, the BTK Strangler, sometimes had elements of the disorganized combined with an overall organized approach. This made him hard to profile based on the criteria in use at the time.
Some serials are, quite simply, sloppy, animalistic creatures who don't kill out of a pronounced sexual need or any kind of definable issue -- they do it because they need a power jones, and homicide gives it to them.
They also do not always focus on one gender or one age group of victims.
In Nashville, in the late '90s, we had Paul Reid, the fast-food serial killer. Reid was borderline retarded. He was bizarre, eccentric. He never killed for sexual reasons, that I can recall, and his kills were across race, gender, and age lines (naturally, since he was in Nashville, Reid wanted to be a country star, too. The CBS affiliate there played his demo tape one night on the news. It was indescribable, to say the least.)
Paul Reid claimed (I think) at least 8 victims, in the end.
He didn't rape or torture victims, he executed them. But Reid met the baseline criteria as established by the FBI for being a serial -- he killed over a period of months, with "cooling-off" periods between each murder, or group of murders. Reid would kill, basically, to eliminate witnesses of the robberies he committed, but several of the murders were obviously unnecessary, not needed in order to protect himself, which meant that Paul, well, he just liked killin', too.
Serial killers are like the rest of us in one respect -- there is an infinite variety of ways they do what they do, and a broad spectrum of reasons.
And frankly, even if Hilton was polite and respectful to Meredith right up to the moment he bludgeoned her to death, she still suffered. There's just no way to get around it, I'm sorry. The act of kidnapping her and her dog and isolating them defines suffering, in and of itself.
Please don't think I'm angry with you -- I'm not. I'm just adamant about trying to get people to honestly assess what's up here. This young woman did suffer, and terribly so. That dog was traumatized, even. Meredith's family now has years of suffering ahead. I won't minimize it, and won't let anyone else do it without putting my own 2 cents in, either.
As for Hilton perhaps being connected with the Frady murder -- the difference in weapon usage is irrelevant. Dennis Rader killed with garrotes, a knife, and attempted murder with a gun. The Zodiac Killer used guns and notably, a knife. Joseph Edward Duncan III strangled, bludgeoned, and shot his victims. Duncan killed mostly children, but he took adults out, too, including a man who was 6 inches taller and 100 lbs heavier.
Gary M. Hilton is real, and it's looking like he was a real monster. That he kidnapped this young woman, her dog, that he dismembered her in any way after holding her captive for days, tells me that he is about as ice-cold as they get. Just as I will not minimize the fact that Meredith Emerson had to have suffered horribly, I won't minimize the danger and evil I think may have been inside this man, after all.
Thanks, Pinecone for the link. Hilton doesn't look too effing frail, he looks to be a pretty good sized man. And quite the bullshitter.
thefirstdiane | 01.08.08 - 8:48 pm |
Yeah, right. That tape is valuable evidence. Hilton played his role well.
I asked a WS poster to come here to post a link but he found the answer as to what happened to Lollie's dog...
From Americas most wanted transcript:
[Host, John Walsh] On June 1st, Lollie's dog was found wandering near Skyland Lodge. Rangers who were already looking for the overdue campers zeroed in on the area and quickly made the gruesome discovery.
sound familiar? dog wasnt found until right before the bodies were...
http://www.websleuths.com/
forums...d=1#post1896494
According to america's most wanted, Taj was found June 1st wandering around, the bodies were found right away after that.
http://members.aol.com/femnet/am...et/
amwtrans.htm
Just because a man has thin, gray hair, lots of wrinkles and walks stooped over, doesn't mean he is frail. He's only 61 years old! My father was a lot more wrinkled and stooped at 72 and he had more upper body strength than much younger men. Don't be fooled by Hilton's appearance!
Steve, I'm with you. What was done to Meredith, her family, and yes even her dog, most definitely was and is torture.
Mohabi, the frail comment was tongue in cheek. I have thought the guy was full of it since the MS story came out and his retreating to the woods for his final days.
Wrote a whole post in response and deleted as it's not worth it. The real meaning of my post was lost, and did not convey accurately what I meant. Who cares. It doesn't matter anyway, it would only try to prove an argument which really doesn't matter anymore. Thank you for your input, respectfully. May Meredith and her family be at peace.
bluebirdskidays where did u read about the abandoned house? TIA!
I just got home from work and learned of the details released today. The sorry SOB.
What motivates one to do this we will never know and to me it is nothing short of pure evil. Looking at his face I feel like I did the first time I ever saw Mansion on TV..staring at the devil.
You are right Steve he is real and he is a monster. A living breathing monster that has done the unthinkable to an innocent "child".
Who said this guy had MS? That Barbara lady, who is full of chit from some things I have read??? I would think anyone with MS, who had a home at the business they worked for, would NOT decide to "go live in the woods". I am not denying that he may have had something - but I ain't buying the MS thing yet. As to whether or not Meredith suffered. Bluebirdkidsdays, Meredeith was an experienced hiker who was trained in martial arts and she was held captive with her dog for at least three days. There HAD to be suffering involved. I am sure she tried every possible combination of mental and physical maneuvers to escape, but she didn't - which tells me, she was chained, duct-taped, or tied up. I think what Bluebird is trying to convey is that perhaps the three days consisted of mental bantering back and forth, rather than physical torture. Who knows? When I first saw his eyes, I saw the same self-centered evil that I saw in John Couey's eyes. They KNOW they are doing wrong, but they don't care, and they will never, never, ever, stop. Meredith Emerson has without a doubt saved countless other lives. He will not kill again.
Steve,
I just searched on the Soc. Sec. Death Index (www.ssdi.rootsweb.com) and found an Ursula Taylor in FL who died in Dec. 2001 - but here's the (possibly) creepy thing: her birthday was Oct. 20, 1949. Remember an earlier poster asking what might be significant about the date(s) of Oct. 21-22 (when several possible victims were killed)? Would Hilton's ex-wife's birthday trigger something in him to make him act out around that day?? Maybe I'm grasping at straws...
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006...6358/
index.html
Video of Hilton by a Cherokee Deputy in Oct 2007.
Sorry - looked thru my notes and found that the 3 incidents I mention above are Levi Frady (disappeared Oct. 22, 1997), Tara Grinstead (disappeared Oct. 22, 2005), and the Bryants (disappeared Oct. 21, 2007). Coincidence or something more???
Again.. wow... very scary.
Texan, that's the woman Steve was referencing. I found her marrige license in Palm Beach and the DOB matches.
But if she was married to this Gary Hilton they have been divorced since 1971. Quite a long time to carry a torch.
What I find interesting is that she was born in Germany. Military romance?
Murder warrant:
http://media.myfoxatlanta.com/
PD....ant_murder.pdf
thefirstdiane--
What was the reason for GMH's probation in 1995? I only ask because there was quite a run of murders in VA during 1996-1997.
Some have been pinned on Richard Marc Evonitz who preyed on young girls. However, the Winans/Williams and Alicia Showalter Reynolds cases do not match, imo, since they were all in their mid 20s. Another man, Darrell David Rice, identified as the RT 29 stalker, was considered the prime suspect in those murders, but in light of the "way" these women were murdered, I hope LE considers Hilton as a potential suspect too. There is male DNA in the Winans/Williams case that has never been conclusively matched.
Did someone say that Hilton had been living at his place of employment for the last 7 years? That in itself is a bit strange. Why have we not heard from his employer, or any co-workers? That would be pretty standard given the circumstances. From one of the other sites, it was discussed that his boss was a John Tabor of Insulated Wall Systems. Well, you can easily find a John Tabor who is a major hitter in the renovation business with google, but he is based out of Maryland. Not sure it is the same guy. Not sure why we haven't heard from "the boss"!!!!
A, it looks like he had a string of felonies over the years that he got off the hook for and the last one in Dekalb was theft by taking. He received probation for that one.
Records and old and incomplete, but guessing, it looks like past plea deals and he screwed up again. So he got probation.
thefirstdiane,
> ...they have been divorced since 1971. Quite a long time to carry a torch.
For a normal person, perhaps yes - but a fragile mind might be more traumatized by the rejection of a divorce...and if she were his first (or only) love?
> ...she was born in Germany. Military romance?
So maybe his line (in the Cherokee Co. video) about being "on maneuvers" or whatever it was he said may not be a complete load of BS if he were truly in the military - the time frame fits (his age in the late 60s). Can we find out about a military record, anyone?
Nevermind - if "John Tabor" was his boss with a wife of "Jana Tabor", then she may be an attorney - and thus - the silence from the "boss".
http://www.accenthealth.com/
tran...cript200401.pdf
thefirstdiane--
Thanks so much for the response and information.
what happened to public stonings?
In case anyone is interested, here's the link to Jana Tabor's profile on the Georgia State Bar website:
http://www.gabar.org/directories...il/?
id=MDU4NjE1
Jon, public stonings are still alive and kicking. Head east over the Atlantic and when you reach desert, you're there. Make sure to have a beard and the Quran when you get there and watch out for IEDs.
Regarging "public stoneings", I like what someone here or over at WebSleuths said - "If an eye for an eye were in practice, it wouldn't take long for the entire earth to be blind". Personally, I want a justice system that punishes rather than coddles. I also want a justice system that can recognize "circumstances" that lead up to a "crime". If a spouse has been abusive forever, and the violence is escalating, and the victim spouse kills him/her, then.....so be it!!!!! THAT murderer does NOT deserve the death penatly. I actually think we have a pretty good system here in this country (try not to think about the OJ trial).
I have recently read much about GMH and his drifting thru GA, FL and NC. I have read nothing about his being in PA during summer of 2007, but I saw him parked at a trail head in a small township park in West Chester, PA. He looked crazy and had numerous blankets/sleeping bags hung over a fence, as if to air them out. I noted his GA license plate and wondered why police had not noticed him.
Perhaps the authorities should be thinking about links to missing persons over a much larger area.
Welcome to Steve's site, Jgenter! I had already quoted you up above from what you had posted over at the zimbio site. Does LE (Law Enforcement) know about this?
About Hilton's boss. I read on one of the TV station websites tonight that his ex-boss was the person who alerted police to his whereabouts when he made the phone call from the pay phone in Cummings.
I'll see if I can find a link.
Can anyone find out exactly what was the property belonging to Hilton that was abandoned? I was wondering if it was the 2nd van we have heard about.
How could he have abandoned a second van in the National Parks Service? You can't drive one upb there, park it, and then leave it to go get another vehicle.....without help.
I don't know about you, but I think I see something hanging off this guys left side, maybe like a baton or a Knife Sheath? http://img148.imageshack.us/img1...92/
bildecd9.jpg This is from one of the Cheryl Dunlop ATM pics.
The beanie/cap looks similar to the video taken of Hilton last year as do the long sideburns.
How could this scum predator not be on the radar before now? Could it be because psycopaths know how to avoid getting caught. Meredith happened to be in the wrong place. I was praying she could be found and pray for her and her family now. We all need to watch out for each other and call police if we think someone is dangerous. I wish the Cherokee Co. policeman had checked him out further. At least he is in jail now. I am sure he will get the death penalty for one of his other many murders. The police I hope will be able to identify these horrible unhuman beings more quickly in the future. Hope they put him in a cell with the most vicious prisoner. Be careful out there. Do not go alone to walk, hike, etc...these predators are out there!
It's very odd that LE have told Cayle Bywater's family that GMH has been ruled out as a suspect. The circumstances are remarkably similar.
What if the "climax" of this kidnapping and execution was the three days of holding the victim captive? What if Cayle Bywater struggled and was killed right away, thus preventing GMH from achieving whatever sick thrill he gets from this?
Would this have made him more desperate for another victim, and thus more sloppy, resulting in both Meredith's death and his capture?
I know that's a lot of speculation, but I just can't see how these two cases could be "unconnected." A good friend of mine is the local coroner and he is very fond of saying "There is no such thing as coincidence."
I feel for Cayle Bywater's friends and family. I'm not sure how it is that Meredith's case got so much coverage and Cayle's so little. No matter how terrible, at least Meredith's family has some answers, and can begin grieving. I can't fathom the endless night for the families of the missing.
Let us all pray that the insanity defense does not raise its ugly head here. I think it's in Britain that they have a verdict, "Guilty but insane." It figures in sentencing but not in establishing innocence. I'd like to see that adopted here, as it seems far more just than the travesty we have now.
Meredith, God rest your soul.
Larkin I feel the same way you do about Cayle Bywater. Just because LE doesn't know of a connection, doesn't mean their isn't one. It really upset me that LE would yank her family's chain like that. And what LE made that statement? GBI or the same LE that has written Cayle off as a nutcase runaway from the beginning? I really get upset with LE when they make statements like that. Because then the public discounts the seriousness of the case and doesn't care.
It is so sad that the people so vulnerable to crime are also the ones that are quickly written off as not being victims of one. Whoever is responsible for Cayles disappearance, it was foul play and not related to her mental disorder, IMO.
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
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….."
How could this scum predator not be on the radar before now? Could it be because psycopaths know how to avoid getting caught. Jen | 01.09.08 - 12:06 am |
***
He blended into the background. Had no friends and kept people at a distance unless they suited his purposes. He presented a different face to different people. Check out the video of him from the police dashcam. That's not the same role he was playing to the woman who ordered the asp for him. He told her about his pain and that he had only 6 years to live. Apparently, she believed it.
He acted menacing to walkers in the dog park, and they were afraid of him.
No one cared to keep track of him, for good reason, and no one missed him when he was gone. However, as soon as his description was broadcast in this case, thousands of calls flooded the GBI tip line.
I knew someone who saw daily logs from an interstate alert system and he told me that every day human body parts are found along the interstates, in all states. There are murderers out there.
Thank you Bluebird!
Has anyone yet considered whether he might be the Zodiac killer?
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.
The mention of him being in Pennsylvania is really bothering me, has been since I saw it on zimbio, because I _want_ to say I saw him too but I am not positive. It would have been on, or around, August 17th. (Warning: I ramble heavily in the next paragraph, and the more I try to trim it down, the worse it gets)
We had driven to Western NY b/c my husband was fighting a parking ticket. Our plan had been to go back to Niagra Falls, but we changed course b/c he was upset about his fine and all the cops on the road. We headed south. It was ~2:30a when we crossed the PA/NY border, and I drifted in and out of sleep til we stopped at 8 so he could get a nap. We pulled off at a trailhead. It was an Appalachian trailhead. This was a HUGE deal to me because I had never seen any of it but had been clinging to the delusion I would someday walk it since like 2000. I got out to smoke, and to take pics.
At the time, there was no one there. I finished my cigarette, and was walking down to the info board (you know, where there's historic blahblahblah, and people might sign in/out?), when an older (late 50s, early 60s, bald, beard, moustache, very gruff/stern/NASTY) looking shows up. I do not spook easily but I was scared. And as he went into the woods, I quickly went back to the van, and locked the doors. I have only have three pics from that stop, and they all suck. I quit at 3 pics for practically NOTHING. I don't remember a white minivan (the only car i saw was a blue hatchback -- there were others but they were parked on a curve behind trees/bushes). I do remember a dog but cant say if it was with the man.
Maybe it was someone else and this is a 'false memory' but it really doesnt feel that way. I will ask my husband in the morning and he will be able to tell me exactly WHERE we were or what towns we were near. Ugh, I am freaking out right now and I shouldn't be but my heart is really pounding and I'm cold.
It was definitely August 17th (confirmed that from the photos' properties), around 9:15a. I really do believe I saw this slimeball, and I am 90% sure that it was him with the dog.
@Marie -- while the thought crossed my mind, about the Zodiac, it's WAY too premature to go there. At the moment, I definitely do NOT think so.
Steve,
Perhaps there may be a connection to the unsolved dismembering of Mary Faye Hunter around the 1968-1970 timeframe.
I recall she was from Nashville,TN and part of her body was found near Decatur, Alabama.
There are many similarities with the cases being examined and the locations are not too far off the territorial range...
This news article posted today from a west Florida paper indicates the Leon County Sherriff's office does intend to travel to GA as they continue to investigate some similarities between Cheryl Dunlap and Meredith's cases:
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/arti...article/11214/
1
Robert and thefirstdiane, remember the old Florida charges? I guess Quashing means dismissed. Sounds like Hilton never had to face those charges.
Quote from Jax's above linked article:
Hilton has at least one connection to Florida, a 35-year-old stolen property charge recently dismissed in Miami.
http://www.nwfdailynews.com/arti...article/11214/
1
This is really sickening... just when you think a crime can't get anymore disturbing, details begin to emerge.
Has it been made public whether or not this poor girl's head was found with or near the body? Do we know whether it has been found at all?
I ask this difficult question, because it most likely will tell a lot about her killer, shedding some light on Gary Michael Hilton's motive, methods, and mental state.
According to the ME, Meredith's COD was blunt force trauma to the head. The act of decapitation took place after the fact and was clearly overkill; unnecessary to achieve what I suppose was to be Hilton's main objective... Meredith's death. That being said, Hilton was still seemingly compelled to perform this grotesque act.
What was his reason for beheading Meredith?
I know that many evil deeds have no rhyme or reason and that trying to make sense of them is often as senseless as the act its self, but I do feel that there is something to this.... It may help us determine if he has killed before and why this most recent murder had such a violent escalation.
When I first heard the decapitation details, I immediately thought of "Yosemite Park Killer" Cary Stayer and his murder/beheading of naturalist, Joie Ruth Armstrong.
When asked by police why he (Stayner) decapitated his victim, his answer was as follows:
"I just did the most revolting thing I could possibly do. It was something I just felt I had to do."
Is Gary Michael Hilton a psychopath cut from the same cloth as Stayner? I should point out that there have been some questions surrounding Cary Stayner's sanity, though he was found sane enough for conviction and sentencing.
So what have we still to learn about Hilton and HIS mental state?
That he held Meredith for three days points out to me that was fully aware of what he was doing and completely capable of controlling a healthy young athletic woman.
It also suggests that he is either an organized offender or "mixed."
While I suppose it makes little sense categorizing him after the fact, this could prove helpful when comparing this vile crime to others Hilton may have committed.
Now back to the act of decapitation...
Was the decapitation an act of blood lust? did Hilton simply lose control?
Well, for three days, he seems to have been in complete control. Not to mention, he was in control of himself enough after the murder to attempt to clean up his vehicle and dispose of evidence linking him to the murder.
Is Hilton a hunter or a "collector?"
Was the head the spoils of "the hunt," just another trophy for the mantle?
I say another, because despite the fact that the other murders he is being connected to seem to lack the decapitation component, it is still possible that he has done this exact same thing before.
Was the act of decapitation meant for shock value?
I highly doubt this was the case... I have a hard time believing that such a killer would willingly lead the police to his victim's remains. Seems to defeat the purpose and even "take the fun out of" posing or macabrely mutilating the body.... Hilton really doesn't strike me as the type who plays such games.
Finally, was the decapitation of Meredith symbolic or a show of power?
If it was, perhaps only Hilton will ever know...
One thing is for sure. This guy could turn out to be quite a prolific serial killer, when all is said and done.
(Think Henry Lee Lucas, Ottis Toole, Tommy Lynn Sells, and other vagrant/vagabond type killers)
(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/150097...776/
detail.html
Other half says we were closest to Brickerville. Google Maps puts this ~50mi away from West Chester, PA.
Regarding the decapitation questions, wasn't Cheryl Dunlap of Crawfordville, Florida decapitated also? And just because the Bryant wife wasn't decapitated, the husband hasn't been found. He may very well have been. It seems like Hilton keeps his victims alive long enough to get their PIN numbers then kills them. He may have kept Bryant captive for several days and then killed and decapitiated him.
Two interesting segments from this article
http://tinyurl.com/27u5ad
Where she was killed:
The affidavit for Hilton's murder warrant disclosed that Emerson died in Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, five miles southwest of Dawsonville, where investigators found her body Monday evening with Hilton's help.
Hilton past includes beating roommate, hit and run, etc
Little is known about Hilton, but he has been convicted of two felonies — one for the possession and distribution of marijuana, another for theft by taking.
He also has arrests dating as far back as the 1970s, including a 1982 arrest on charges of arson and hit-and-run in DeKalb County and a 1995 arrest in Cobb County on charges of beating up a roommate, according to an online jail log.
Not to add more speculation, but I did a quick missing persons search for GA and notices the teacher who went missing a couple of years ago, Tara Grinstead, also went missing on October 22, 2005. Probably a coincidence, but thought I would point it out.
I am having such trouble conceiving of the fact that Meredith was held captive for three days. She was so young and strong, it is amazing that she was unable to break away. I can only assume that the forensics show that she was severly bound. And you would think that Hilton would of had to tie up Ella too.
I imagine the dog, Ella had alot of evidence on her, especially if she was also held with Meredith. Does anyone know if any evidence has been collected from the dog.
Even strong people think that if they just cooperate that the person holding them may let them go.
Didn't Ella have "Canine Good Citizenship" training? That's what it appears from the photos. It is a great program for dogs, but it also works with them to suppress any kind of hostile instinct towards all humans. I have 3 very big dogs (one is a black Labrador/Great Dane cross named Ella, too.) All of whom are gentle, kind and obedient and love people (which is instinctual for them), however, none of them would tolerate anything that would put me in a state of fear. They are not polite to THAT extent, and for that I am very grateful. They are better deterrents than guns, IMHO.
Perhaps Hilton threatened her with harm to her dog. I have no children, but I do have "my girls". I am not sure what I would do if someone threatened them in some way with death or bodily harm, it would be like threatening my child.
It is simply NOT imaginable to know what someone would do in that circumstance, or in any hostage situation. We all can say.."Well if I had a gun XXX" or "If I knew Judo XXX" or "If I was young and strong XXX would occur", but frankly none of us know what we would do in that situation unless we have been right there.
Luke... Ok now I am going to sound a bit crazy here for a minute but here goes anyways..
I am going to use a word (I saw already today in a headline....{not going there}) Vampire. Not your typical made-up Hollywood ones, but the kind that are real; people who suck peoples lives away, one way or another.
I ask you to remember that he has no teeth right? I have also thought long and hard about why would someone do such a thing and something stuck-out about him not having ANY teeth.
I don't want to disturb anybody (anymore then we already are by this gruesome murder) but I think that 'might' be something of signifigance. I am not going to go any further, but lets just say that we have known killers who wear their victims skin....
So he kept her in the van for three days!
http://tinyurl.com/2sh8mm
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, a source close to the investigation told 11Alive News Wednesday.
Leon County Sheriff Larry Campbell said today he thinks Gary Michael Hilton, who has been charged in connection with the death of a hiker in Georgia, was in the Tallahassee area about the time of Cheryl Dunlap’s disappearance.
A man matching Hilton’s description was seen in the Apalachicola National Forest in Leon County, where Dunlap’s body was found, Campbell said.
“At this point, yeah, we think it was him,” Campbell said. “In fact, we feel very strongly that it was.”
http://tinyurl.com/3cmgzs
thefirstdiane | 01.09.08 - 1:22 pm | #
So They never followed up on the tip that a homeless guy and white van were in the area re Dunlap. If they did, Meredith would probably be alive today.
Chris, I'm totally baffled as to what happened with Cheryl's case. No mention of a white van ever, just pictures of a camo pickup and be on the lookout for a black dodge p/u.
This is how he has been getting away with it for all these years(?)
In the forensics on Dunlap, how was it determined that she was killed. I can't locate that information.
Chris...I'm not so sure HOW accurate your info. is going to get with such a high-profile case. Atleast right now..... But I'm gonna look into it too...
Chris, LE has not released Cheryl's cause of death.
Interesting. DP is still on the table and he attended college.
Gunter told The Associated Press Tuesday that he and Nahmias, who was considering prosecuting the case federally, agreed to bargain with Hilton and promise not to seek the death penalty against him if he told them the location of Emerson’s body.
Asked today whether he would honor that agreement, Darragh said he would not “discuss the issue at the present time.”
A judge denied bond Wednesday for Hilton, a drifter accused of kidnapping and killing Emerson, 24.
Clad in an orange jumpsuit during Wednesday's hearing, Hilton spoke only to his attorney, telling him he had finished two years of college.
Hilton's attorney, Neil A. Smith, declined comment, other than to say "there are significant mental health issues, I would think" involved in the case.
http://tinyurl.com/2r5wej
ellenott,
I think I've pretty much lost the inability to be disturbed... :p
I definitely see a significant blood lust to this crime.
You have certainly drawn an interesting parallel here. Regardless if his final actions were "vampiric" in nature, I totally buy into a vampire analogy for these types of predators.
It seems to me that Hilton's lifestyle was predatory, leech like. He drifted to and fro, getting by any way he could. At some point, he decided that robbing folks for their money, belongings, and pin #s was the way to go. In the beginning, murder probably wasn't considered a necessity. Perhaps this changed after a few close calls. At some point, he apparently took to killing and even found it, dare I say, enjoyable....
What we witnessed with Meredith's gruesome murder was either the final evolution of an evil vicious killer; or the work of a psychopath who had killed in such a manner before, with the same disregard for human life.. Perhaps, for whatever reason, he got sloppy this time and that subsequently was his undoing.
The introduction of Hilton driving that poor girl around in a van for three days paints another possible picture, one of fear of rejection and desertion...much like Dahmer.
Perhaps things were fine until Meredith made clear that her intentions were to move on. Was this the moment that Hilton showed his true colors? If this IS the case, the beheading was to me, a statement... possibly a assertion of dominance and a show of power; the ultimate form of control.
That poor girl....
"From the Florida case of Cheryl Dunlop. Crosspost from WS:
Dunlap related ATM pic, Am I imagining things or do the eyes look like Hilton's?:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/sto...=4010778&
page=1
http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/
h...2_071217_ms.jpg
SuziQ | 01.08.08 - 3:03 am"
From the above link I saw the pictures from the ATM camera and am I imagining things or is there a white vehicle in the back that looks like it could be a van...a white chevy astrovan? It sure looks like it in the background.
hmm-- odd a bunch of our recent comments aren't here anymore.
now that I just commented I see the recent comments again. weird. oh well.
D--
I had to go to SuziQ original post for link to work. Here it is, should work here. Also, I can not tell at all if van is in image.
http://tinyurl.com/3y7veb
Luke,
>...Hilton driving that poor girl around in a van for three days paints another possible picture, one of fear of rejection and desertion...
This echoes or reinforces my thesis of what may be behind his acting out - the result of his ex-wife Ursula's divorcing him years ago...
His rage at female abandonment, or at least the threat of same - it's not an uncommon cause of this type of criminal behavior.
Update from the previous Tallahasee article:
Updated: 1:45 p.m.
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."
I haven't been keeping up since the horrific news of yesterday... I can't. I haven't slept in days thinking about this girl, and her family, and her dog, and this monster.
1. Who did he make the phone call to and why.
2. Why is there blood in the van, that he was washing... also on the seatbelt that he cut out.
they just announced that Micheal Gary Hilton, CAN be placed in Leon County around the time Cheryl Dunlap dissapeared. this was on WCTV6.com
This case has made me so sick. For some reason, it has grabbed me unlike any other "similar" incident I have read about. I am a young, active female. I am trusting and outgoing to almost everyone I meet. Never again. This is a life changing story.
That's because Sheriff Campbell does not want the public help. He went on TV and said that the forum that was started was full of blatant lies and the public needed to stay out of it. He didn't think the tip about the van was even followed up on until after Hilton was caught. They really messed this one up!
M - I have read (sorry, no link at the moment) he made the call to his ex-boss, who then called authorities. There is probably blood in the van because he kept her there for 3 days - perhaps this is where he killed her.
I have looked at the Dunlap ATM photo and I cannot discern anything in the background - just blurred lights. I am sure the authorities have done all they can to enhance any images they have of these ATM events in the various cases they are dealing with.
I do think I see eyeglasses on the masked man's face (Dunlap photo), and I was wondering if Hilton wore glasses because I have not seen him with them in any of the booking photos, either current or from 1995. But then I read this:
"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)
Prayers for Meredith, her family and friends. I was so hoping for a different result.
i'm in shock...that the Leon County
detectives, had information of someone seeing a white van ! if they had said that to begin with it would have saved a life...maybe
LE hasn't shared how Dunlap was killed. All that they have released is that efforts were made by the killer to "obscure her identity". Beheading someone would work pretty well, but I recall someone stating that there had been rumors that her hands were removed. The reasons for the mutilations may be more complicated than preventing the identity of the body.
Reannan, I brought up the hands. When she was first found posters at the Tallahassee board claimed that the hunters that found her said her head and hands were missing.
Thanks diane! This is a gruesome question, but I think it is important - do you know if they ever found her head or hands?
I don't know. LE has been very secretive. They did have to perform a DNA test to identify her.
More than ever, I believe GMH should also be explored as a suspect in the Alicia Showalter Reynolds and Winans/Williams cases from 1996 in VA.
Darrell David Rice is most likely the Route 29 stalker, and although Reynold's disappearance on March 2, 1996, coincides very tightly with the timing of those events, her case seems different. Rice's motive seemed to be sexual and involved a hatred of women. Reynold's murder, however, involved themes that might sound more "familiar" due to the recent Bryant, Dunlap, and Emerson cases. Here are some snippets from the Reynold's case found at http://www.readthehook.com/
stori...talker.rtf.aspx
"Evidence pointing to foul play quickly emerged. At 1:15 that first afternoon, a woman on Clay Street in Culpeper, which is about five miles from where Alicia had been abducted, found her Citibank MasterCard and called the number on the back to report it..." and "...[a]lso recovered the afternoon of March 2-- but not turned in to the State Police until March 8-- was a black parka, later identified as the one Alicia had been wearing. It was found in Madison County on Route 626, less than a mile east of Route 29, at about 2:30pm. On March 9, the last items-- several more credit cards-- were found in Culpeper." A stolen parka and stolen credit cards? That does not sound like Darrell David Rice's MO, but it does sound like GMH's MO.
As one final tie in, the Route 29 stalker (again, Rice does seem to be the guilty party in these stalkings), often flashed his vehicle's headlights, and if the woman stopped, he would state he saw "sparks" coming from under the woman's car. There would be no need to "look under the hood." However, in the Reynold's case, "the man and woman [Reynolds] were studying the engine; some observers saw her getting into his truck. She was never seen alive again." As with Dunlap's flat tire, did Reynolds actually have car trouble?
Reynold's body was found "May 7...in a rural part of Culpeper County...under several fallen logs in a gully that was invisible from the road." No details regarding the MOD or COD have been released, but I would be interested to know if those would now sound "familiar" too.
Note--spring 1996 was after GMH's 1995 conviction for theft by taking and after he "beat" his roommate, showing an escalation in personal violence.
All in my opinion.
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
Picture No. 2:
http://tinyurl.com/2n42me
I hope it works, so you guys can see it also.
Bryant died from similar injury.
Irene Bryant’s body was found covered with leaves Nov. 9. Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said she died of blunt force trauma to the head and was not dismembered.
Lots of significant photos on Cheryl Dunlap's case and atms on this link:
http://enjoyingthejourney.blogsp...es-body-
as.html
You may have to copy and paste.
Patrice Endres also was not found intact. I do not know what that means. LE has been secretive in her case as well.
if you blow up the ATM picturein Tallahassee....it does look like there is a White Van in the back ground.
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
saw this on BBcrimes... balding grey haired man broke in and kidnapped a woman south of Tallahassee in the middle of the night.
I wish they would release the ATM footage of him using Meredith's card!!
12/15/07 - Woman kidnapped from home in the middle of night by balding, grey-haired man.
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headline...s/
13543277.html
Snatched this from WS...there wasn't much follow up discussion about it.
Does anyone want to put together a master list of additional murders by Hilton sharing at least three distinctive traits?
I say add Judith Osteen, 60, from just south of where Cheryl Dunlap resided.
12/15/07 - Woman kidnapped from home in the middle of night by balding, grey-haired man.
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headline...s/ 13543277.html
WTF??? Surely, they have shown a picture of Hilton to the sister who was forced to the floor?
I think the more these psychos do this it is like an addiction and will be done more frequently than the first few....getting him might solve a lot of open cases!
Confirmed Wsbtv:
"Authorities also confirmed the body of Dunlap was decapitated just like Emerson."
Hi Guys~
I have been reading all the posts (and perhaps I missed this info), but has it been announced where Hiltons dog, Dandy is?
Lori
"Wood also said that U.S. forestry officials ran Hilton's tag on Nov. 17 and Dec. 28."
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109292
So, Hilton zig-zagged between states after his big crimes? I assume the above quote means he was in Florida on November 17 and December 28. We know he was in Cherokee county, Ga. after the Bryant crime, which happened in NC and TN. I'm sure Alabama and SC are included in his resume.
I can't believe people are still asking about his damn dog.
Why? I think it's only natural to be concerned about his dog. The poor thing has been subject to trauma.
Just because something horrible happened to a person doesn't mean that we should negate that those animals, Ella and Dandy, weren't a party to trauma as a result of that dipsh*t.
I am sure that Meredith, as a dog lover and owner, would be thinking about that too if she hadn't crossed paths with that guy and it had been someone else.
Pinecone,
It's not just a "damn dog" as you so eloquently stated. It is a dog that potentially has useful crime scene info. So, FYI the reason "this person" is still asking about "his damn dog" is because I am curious if they have found any forensic evidence from either of the canines involved in this horrible nightmare. Maybe that will help you understand why "people are still asking about his damn dog".
They almost had him while she was still alive.
GBI Just Missed Rescuing Emerson
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109301
Lori, animal control has his dog. I'm not sure in what county, possibly Dekalb since that's where they picked him up.
I bet that forensics immediately retrieved all of the evidence that they could from those two dogs.
Is there any type of tape that is specific to vinyl siding installation? I was reading an article where the sheriff in the Cheryl Dunlap case was saying they hadn't figured out what kind of "mask" the ATM-user was wearing. I've heard others mention duct tape. I'm just wondering if Hilton may have had easy access to some sort of siding installation tape, and if that kind of tape may be what we see in this disguise.
I do agree with you Luke about this all being a matter of "assertion of dominance and a show of power; the ultimate form of control." You hit on a good number of points, but I don't agree that this was anymore "sloppy this time" than any other "times." I think that he has been getting away with this BY being blatantly obvious and that it has worked for years(?) because we don't expect someone to be so blatant and so nonchalant about these things. (I know someone here has made that point already...)
Maybe why they were looking for wrong vehicles b/c they WERE there as a matter of chance and because a white (family-like) van in contrast, just doesn't pack so much punch......
What I think went wrong (or right) with this murder (and why he finally got caught) was .....Meredith Emerson herself, b/c she was a woman who really shined!!! We all saw this in the pictures and why we all were immediately so drawn to this case... She had an aura around her that people actually WANTED to look at (as opposed to Hilton) and someone(s)? saw her on the trail and remembered her.
I know we are all sad that she had to be a victim, but I can also see that she really is the hero in this. Her Beauty is ultimately Hiltons downfall. (Not to say that any of the other women that were killed by him(?) weren't just as beautiful!) But she shined enough for somebody else to care and notice. I am sure that person(s)(?) is devastated that they did not do more at the time, but they too are also a hero in my eyes. I hope that they themselves can see that..... whoever "they" were. (That will be an interesting side of the story to come out as well.)
PS... I think I read that the damn dog went to the nearest animal shelter.... somewhere...
Thefirstdiane~
Thanks for answering my question.
I see some singularities between Meredeth Emerson's case and John Walsh's son Adam Walsh. Adam was 5 or 6 years old when he was abducted from a department store in Florida back in the 1980's. Adam was decapitated his head was found in or near a river somewhere but his body was never found.
Just when I think this can't get any worse, it does. Rape kit done and her head was buried off one road and her torso another.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/150117...719/
detail.html
VIDEO: GBI Releases More Information On Hiker Investigation
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/...NGNEWS/
80109051
Found this did not know if anyone had seen this but I had read something about this on another site.
Did Deputy Will Ballard (from the video in Oct.) search Hilton's van? Maybe we were that close to catching him with John Bryant's body?
(And just to add to my "vampire" theory.......Hilton says. “I’ve got it in my BLOOD.” http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...storyid=109291)
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109301
ellenott | 01.09.08 - 7:52 pm | #
-- Well said!
Except, I don't think Pinecone meant to be insensitive though.
I sure hope she wasn't raped. That would be so awful.
I think that we could have saved Meredith if the police put out the alert sooner. Just missed saving her by hours.
Maybe this is a very hard lesson learned, that will save others from now on. If I was her family, I would totally get into a similar thing like the AMBER alert, yet it would
be about disseminating info about adults ASAP.
STEVE: again, I am only seeing comments up til 7;07pm today. I refresh, everything I am suppose to do, I know that when this is posted I will get the most up to date screen though, cause I went through this before earlier today.
ellenott | 01.09.08 - 8:12 pm | #
--Don't see where you get the quote
" I've got it in my blood"
@Chris -- I have no idea what the problem is. Since this comment system is a separate thing that I merge with my blogger account, it may be an issue native to Haloscan (this commenting system) over which I have no control.
Steve
Pinecone, you made me laugh!
Heard on Greta's show tonight that the similarity between Meredith & Patricia Endres is the disposal of her belongings. Her clothing and personal items were dumped in Forysth county and she was found nude in Dawson.
Hey chris | 01.09.08 - 9:31 pm | my qoute about the "blood" was from this
www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?
storyid=109291..... 5th paragraph down...“I’m the man,” Hilton says. “I’ve got it in my blood. I’m on perpetual field maneuvers.”
I want to thank all of you for the information that you have posted. I am so disturbed by Meredith's horrific murder. I have several thoughts and questions. It sounds like Hilton initially overpowered Meredith by hitting her with his baton. I believe I read that the baton was actually found on the hiking trail. If he hit her hard enough to overpower her, wouldn't she most likely have had a severe trauma to her head and at the least, a serious concusion? Would it be possible that during the following three days she might have been in an unconsious or semi-consious state? Is it possible that she ultimately died after three days from an untreated brain bleed that resulted from the initial traumatic brain injury? Hopefully, she wasn't aware of what was happening to her for three days. Is it also possible that Hilton decapitated her simply to make her identification more difficult and to eliminate a specific COD? He certainly knew enough to use bleach to clean blood in his van. He was obviously covering his tracks if he left her head and body in two different places. Hilton is a psychopath and he knew exactly what he was doing. He's done this before. In Cherokee County he told a Ranger that he had been a paratrooper. Can anyone find his military history?
This will be the last comment I make on this case. This one is just too hard to take. I haven't slept for days, just thinking about Meredith, and her family, and her doggies (per facebook, either she or her family had multiple dogs). I've seriously slipped into quite the depression, and am already naturally paranoid. I am lucky enough to be able to "distance" myself from this somewhat. I know so many around Meredith will never be able to do that.
Unfortunately, I feel that Meredith suffered tremendously. Both mental and physical torture... she must have been terrified for herself, and for poor Ella. In fact, I'm surprised she did not literally have a heart attack from the stress.
There is nothing good surrounding this situation. Yes, Hilton will never hurt anyone again... but I don't see that as a 'beacon of light' coming from this case. This is bad. Very bad, and it keeps getting worse. I do know that justice will be served for Meredith, in this lifetime and in the one to come. She IS beautiful.
Relatedly, this weekend, before the details began to emerge, I kept seeing/thinking of Adam Walsh. I verbalized this to my bf, and have also privately contacted Steve about it. I kept seeing the "famous" picture of Adam in the little baseball uniform. Another poster tonight alluded to this... I'm sure the older people know about Adam, and if you grew up in Florida in the 80s, you most definitely know his story.
I can't say why, and it is probably with slim odds, but I feel like Hilton is connected to Adam Walsh SOMEHOW. That's probably in my own intuition though. Maybe it'll work itself out. Can someone explain to me why John Walsh is so adamant that Otis Toole killed Adam? The evidence is hazy for me.
On a final note, keep up the good work guys. Ya'll are intelligent, well-researched, and incredibly sympathetic.
I'll continue to pray so hard for Meredith's family and loved ones.
I posted this at Websleuths too, but it's worth repeating...
This is appropos of nothing, but I feel compelled to toss it into the mix:
Gary Michael Hilton -- November 22, 1946
Theodore Robert Bundy -- November 24, 1946
There was a time when such a thing would have freaked me out. I used to pay a lot of attention to astrology, but I've grown more skeptical as I've aged.
Still, the above is pretty weird.
Oh my goodness. I only just read the last update...Meredith was kept alive for 3 days? Oh no. Im upset that during this whole time the search was being conducted on the mountain when the evidence pointed so clearly, to her being removed/kidnapped from that area!Someone saw him the morning following New Years, they had his ID and his tags. If only they could have followed up more closely on HIS where abouts. She might have been saved.
Im sorry, I dont mean to blame all those who worked so hard to find her and Im sure much was done in addition to the mountain search but if only this outcome could have been prevented!
I just cant imagine what her family is going through.
Im praying for all Merediths loved ones.
I was attacked by a stranger many years ago and managed to survive.
The police called him a sociopath and told me they knew he had attacked six other women before me. He waited outside my health club, where many people knew him and saw him talking to me.
I was attacked at 7 pm while unlocking my car in the parking lot- surrounded by many people w/i a few cars distance. He transported me to yet another parking lot- in the remote section of the lot and attacked me there- in my own car. I lost consciousness at some point- thankfully.
I was like Meredith. We look very much the same, I have a black lab, I was trained in martial arts and very good at it. I was streetwise, having lived in bad neighborhoods for years while in college.
I was outgoing, altruistic, friendly and very strong mentally, not naive.
However, I made one crucial mistake- I did not trust my deepest instincts when they conflicted with logical thoughts.
Meaning: I felt strange when this guy asked me things, he was good looking, looked well groomed, well spoken, others there knew him, so I dismissed the strange gut feeling I had when I felt him in the parking lot.
Others saw him with me before, I felt I should just scream and lock the doors, but I felt I would look foolish.
Surely no person in their right mind would attack me, while surrounded by all these shoppers etc!
That is what I thought. My logical mind interfered. I did not know about predators minds functioning differently!
I survived with many injuries, however he got away. He is out there now! I am sure he is worse!
I want to make sure that all young women, men know to trust their instincts and develop an understanding of predators! It helped me to study the minds and modus operandi of other predators! I can identify most now.
There are many that go undetected for decades!
Sorry about the long post-I spent years dealing with predators and learned a lot about their minds since then. I just want to say-- listen to your instincts! Develop your instincts! Learn as much as you can about predators so that you can identify patterns of behaviour which normally confuse people.
Confusion is a friend of the predator. They actively try to confuse with words and actions. While you are confused you are easy prey!
Normal people can't imagine what predators do to get to a victim.
Learn from people who survived. Never trust anything a predator says. It is always a lie!
Lies are meant to confuse people, so that they are easier to manipulate, control, overpower.
I survived 2 more psychopaths. Apparently succesful, good looking, popular and altruistic people are preferred targets. Psychopaths love to destroy that. I mean that- as they see us as things, not people.
I never considered myself anything special, but to a psychopath I was perfect. They could take over my accomplishments, my friends, my life- thats how the psychologist described it.
They wanted everything I had without being , doing anything- so they tried to kill me, to take over completely in their minds.
It took a long time before I understood about the workings of psychopaths. Now I understand much.
I hope you will too. Understanding helps to stay safe!!
Sorry about the long post! There is so much to say when everyone keeps saying they don't understand.
You can learn and feel safe! I did.
sandra
Sandra,
Reading about what you went through really touched me. Have you ever read the book called "The Gift of Fear" ? it's about how people, especially women, need to learn to trust their gut instincts and ignore what you call the logical mind. I really learned a lot from that book.
I am so sorry about what you went through. Thank you for sharing it so that other women can learn.
cricket
Your post is so valuable, Sandra. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
Cricket, I read the "Gift of Fear", too.
Great book!
Thank you savera | 01.09.08 - 11:25 pm | Your honesty is sincerely insightful!
Does anyone have anything about his parents? Rereading the "in my blood" quote has made me think about his family. Probably no good way to find that out on a goggle search?
you say google, I say goggle..... : )
I have thoughts about the Bryants and GMH as a suspect. The wife exited the trail before her husband did (let's just say he took a bathroom break before heading home). GMH came upon her as a woman hiking alone. Then, POW! here comes a big, strong husband walking down the trail. GMH is a nut, but he is not going to take on two people at once; he thought the lady was ALONE. How he overtook the husband is what troubles me. The son says his Dad was extremely strong for his age. How the hell did Hilton get a man to enter his vehicle? Anyone have thoughts? It appears that GMH didn't routinely carry a gun.
I just don't know where people like Hilton come from. I'm a former marathon-runner, I've been a lot out there by myself.
I was afraid of the guy lurking in the bushes, I was happy if i found some companion I could "trust."
no that's the guy i have to fear.
Cutting girls heads of? What is wrong with this guy?
Where does it come from? Remember Dahmer saying something about "natural law", whatever that is. Don't get it.
I could go back and talk about Ted Bundy, or any, any of these evil people known to us. I know it's evil. But evil takes so many forms.
Where does the need to kill come from?
Killing seems to be an urge to some people. Where does it come from? It's certainly not human in my mind.
Kirsti, sadly, I think it is VERY human. In fact, humans are about the only species that kills for no apparent reason. Animals kill for surival. People kill for many reasons - most of which you and I can understand, i.e. you find your husband/wife in bed with another person. The reason I am fascinated by true crime, is the psychology behind people like Hilton, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, etc. They have made decisions to kill that I DO NOT understand! Killing is not crucial to their survival - so WHY do they do it? There is only one answer - evil. They are evil.
My computer just did a Windows update, a virus scan, and ate my identity!!! AGGHHH!!! This was me:
Kirsti, sadly, I think it is VERY human. In fact, humans are about the only species that kills for no apparent reason. Animals kill for surival. People kill for many reasons - most of which you and I can understand, i.e. you find your husband/wife in bed with another person. The reason I am fascinated by true crime, is the psychology behind people like Hilton, Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, etc. They have made decisions to kill that I DO NOT understand! Killing is not crucial to their survival - so WHY do they do it? There is only one answer - evil. They are evil.
There is a possibility that he might be linked to the Kyle Fleishmann and also Justin Gaines disappearances.
Kyle from Charlotte, NC and Justin from GA.
I guess another case to toss out there would be Trenton Duckett. Trenton went missing near the Ocala National Forest near Leesburg, FL in August 2006.
Here is the link to the flier that was put out on him when he first disappeared.
http://www3.fdle.state.fl.us/MCI...p?
Case_Id=17643
All signs point to Trenton Duckett's deceased mother in that case...
Does anyone else feel that there is a bit of hysteria going on with GMH?
Let me re-phrase that: Does anyone else feel that there is a bit of hysteria surrounding GMH?
Not sure it is hysteria but the need to know for many who follow these type cases.
Plus it was a case carried on the National media and that always add a highten level of exposure to the case.
Plus I think many feel that he has done this before and they just want to make sure no stones are left unturned at this point and time and he is finally held accountable for any and every crime he may have committed.
Oh, sure I understand it and I'm glad people are reviving unsolved cases so those people are not forgotten. It was just starting to feel a bit like this and was wondering if anyone else felt this way, too.
There are a few interesting comments about GMH on whiteblaze.net (a hiking forum):
on pg 2: "I am sure you have all heard about the hiker who went missing on New Year's Day and the guy who is in custody for kidnapping her. Her body was found today and I am sure they will be charging him with her murder. He is also suspected in several other murders in Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia.
I wanted to tell you all about what happened to me so that you will all be aware of who you talk to and to pay attention to your "something is weird here" radar.
The day before the girl, Meredith Emerson, went missing, I was hiking on the same trail on Blood Mountain. I saw the man who is suspected of killing her and I talked to him for about 10 minutes. He asked me if I was alone and if I had a cell phone. It wasn't particularly odd that he asked me those questions, because he worked them into the conversation. My radar did go off because he is very strange. I didn't feel like I was in danger because I was with a group that I was hiking ahead of when I encountered him on the trail. I'd like to think I wouldn't have talked to him if I was alone, but I probably would
have- just to be polite. He was most likely 'shopping' me as a victim. He was walking very quickly ahead of me as we talked and I walked more quickly to be able to hear him and continue the conversation. I kept looking back to make sure I could see or hear my group. When the trail split, he went the other way than we did. My husband noticed that when we got to the bottom of the trail, the suspect, Hilton, was behind us. I don't know if he doubled back to see if I was alone or not."
on pg 3:"OK this just keeps getting closer for me. A guy I went to school with who works for the DNR actually was with the team who found the body. I will not go into details I have heard tonight here. But I will say this, Meredith put up a hell of a fight. This guys is suposedly beat black and blue with several broken ribs and a broken arm."
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/...?t=31559&
page=2
The woman's statement that GMH asked if she had a cell phone strikes me as another possible link to the Bryant case. Reports state that Irene Bryant tried to dial 911 but the call was dropped before it went through. Perhaps, the reason she was killed on the spot was because he was trying to prevent her from completing her call to 911. After having such a close call, maybe GMH was trying to "prequalify" his victims by making sure they did not have a cell phone??
Thank you Bruja Juera | 01.10.08 - 6:19 am | for that posting that!!!! I knew Meredith MUST have put up a good fight because why else would he have left his trusty baton on the ground?
Thank you!
sandra
savera | 01.09.08 - 11:25 pm | #
thank you for posting this story of yours. I will remember it and tell my friends.
Bruja Juera | 01.10.08 - 6:19 am |
I don't see a cast on Hilton?
A said:
More than ever, I believe GMH should also be explored as a suspect in the Alicia Showalter Reynolds and Winans/Williams cases from 1996 in VA
I could NOT agree with you any more...
I posted this at Websleuths too, but it's worth repeating...
This is appropos of nothing, but I feel compelled to toss it into the mix:
Gary Michael Hilton -- November 22, 1946
Theodore Robert Bundy -- November 24, 1946
There was a time when such a thing would have freaked me out. I used to pay a lot of attention to astrology, but I've grown more skeptical as I've aged.
Still, the above is pretty weird.
Steve Huff | Homepage | 01.09.08 - 11:19 pm | #
Wow...
Gary Michael Hilton and me share a Birthday..... :/
Luke its ok..... I am sure there is plenty of normal sane people with those b-days....
but Ummmmm...where did you say you lived again?
Sandra, your post really hit home. Thank you for it.
I too am a savvy, friendly, outgoing woman who has been the victim of stranger violence....twice. In both cases, almost 25 years apart, I intuited the perp was "not right," but my "logical mind" told me to be quiet and stop being so "paranoid."
Women; trust your hinkymeter and act on your GUT fears, which have been honed over millions of years of human evolution.I will NEVER doubt my deep-seated instincts again.
Sandra,
There really isn't much one can say when someone opens their heart and shares a story such as your own... I just hope that you are as well as you possibly can be after such an ordeal and that you have received the justice you so deserve.
About 11 years ago, in Colonial Williamsburg, VA, My wife and I found ourselves in a dangerous situation, with a person who by his own admission had killed dozens (and carried around a few polaroids and other souvenirs that he was quite proud of.)
I have always considered myself VERY street smart and I also had a decade of martial arts training, but I never even saw this guy coming. There was no gut feeling or if there was, I was too distracted by other things to listen to it. He went from complete Southern gentleman to madman in the blink of an eye.
Luckily, we escaped relatively unharmed, but the incident certainly changed our lives....
Luke its ok..... I am sure there is plenty of normal sane people with those b-days....
but Ummmmm...where did you say you lived again?
ellenott | 01.10.08 - 10:32 am | #
No one has ever accused me of being normal or sane...
Incidentally, the 22nd was also JFK's assassination date.
I'm back, once more! Ahh.
MLS, early on, I felt the "hysteria" of trying to connect this 'man' in custody to all of these unsolved murders and disappearances, though I did think he was more than guilty of hurting Meredith.
That all changed for me (I think it was Saturday evening?) when LE found the clothing in the Dumpster. My heart sank, and I had an awful feeling of the outcome of the search.
Tuesday's news solidified, in my mind, that Hilton is most definitely a serial killer. He's done this before, and since he's in his early 60s... there are MANY years to be accounted for. He's proven, even at this age (yes, I know he's not old, but he's not young either), to be extremely mobile. Like Steve explained before, sometimes these monsters have a specific "qualification" for their victims, and sometimes they don't. I don't think it's hysterical to start seriously looking at previous cases for connections. I think it will be extremely difficult to track this guy for the last 30-35 years? It's a good start that hikers are giving their accounts of meeting him or seeing him. If he was in Pennsylvania a few months ago, then he drove through many states to get there. And as we've feared, he was in the Florida panhandle just DAYS ago. His mobility is frightening.
That said, I doubt he's connected to Trenton Duckett. I do think he's connected to the Bryants and to Levi Frady. I also think he's connected to Walsh... and I don't know why I feel that. Obviously in more recent years he's been in rural areas. South Florida, even in the late 70s/early 80s, was not rural at all. But he did live in Miami at some point. So he hasn't always been the monster "in the woods".
This may be way off, but after reading here and a few other message boards where people say they noticed Hilton in a park somewhere near West Chester, PA and seemed certain it was him around Aug. or Sept. of 2007.
It prompted me to search missing persons, etc. in that area and when doing the search, I found this article about a decapitated burning body found in Chester, PA in Aug. of 2007.
Sounded a lot like the La Grange case to me (if that one is also related to Hilton). Please take a look and tell me what you think.
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/
...esome_find.html
@ Steve about the astrology dates:
I, too am "in to" astrology, and opposite of you...the older I get the LESS skeptical I become, but that is also because I have studied it for over 20 years and in great depth.
Problem with those two dates is that November 22 is in the last decan of Scorpio and November 24th is in the first decan of Sagittarius. they would both have completely difrfeernt astrological make ups according to where their planetary placements are, too..being a couple days apart.
So, GMH is a Scorpio sun sign and TRB is a Sagittarius.
Also adding: If GMH had a broken arm, at this point being in custody, he would have a sling or a cast. That doesn't mean that he wasn't bruised, though...although it does lead me to believe that the report about his "beating" might be exaggerated.
Also adding that I hope these people coming out of the woodwork that have had an experience with this guy are calling LE and letting someone know about it. I imagine that LE and the legal team developing a case against him would want to know all of this...as well as those who have had experiences with him throughout the years. It might help to place him in areas where there are other unsolved crimes that he could be responsible for.
First, I am really enjoying all of your inputs here. Now, I have to share a few of my own. I came across the site when Hilton was still a POI. I grew up hiking that trail so this really hits home for me. I just wanted to point out that his known addresses are NOT typically rural. As for the accounts of him being noticed in a rural setting, well, wouldn't you? The truth is most folks probably wouldn't give him the time of day in a more populated area. All of the accounts so far have been when folks are isolated. If you live out in the country somewhere and you see a van driving in and out of the woods, you would notice it. If you lived near Candler Park and you see the van, you probably wouldn't give one thought of it (unless there were a strange encounter).
For the Bryant case, and those who have seen the entire Deputy's dashboard cam video, do you hear GMH mention he was coming from the Cohutta area? That is REALLY close to the Ducktown area where the couple's ATM card was used.
"Let me re-phrase that: Does anyone else feel that there is a bit of hysteria surrounding GMH?"
Yes, I do, and it's tiring to track all the suggested possibilities and point out the ridiculous ones.
Logically, I wouldn't suspect Gary Hilton in the Fleischmann or Gaines disappearances at all, unless Hilton had a gun, and so far it looks like he didn't. Justin Gaines, unless he was severely under the influence, could have truly snapped an older man with nothing but a baton in two. At the very least, he could have hurt a Gary Hilton badly. Kyle Fleischmann is too far out of what seemed to be Hilton's orbit in recent months.
I see no logical reason to suspect anyone but Melinda Duckett in Trenton's disappearance. Period.
Please, if you have a suggestion for a crime you think Hilton might be good for, check out the known particulars of that crime or possible crime online first before you make that suggestion.
I haven't had a chance to read the comments, so forgive me if this has already been asked. Is there any word on whether or not this man is being looked at in the disappearance of Tara Grinstead of Ocilla, GA?
Scout, posters here and at other message boards have suggested Tara. Personally, I think it's a logical question, one worth asking. There is a nice campground a stone's throw from where Tara disappeared, plenty of wooded areas, too. I definitely think Hilton should be investigated just to eliminate him as a suspect in that case.
The West Chester case sounds just like the unidentified female remains that were dismembered and burnded in LaGrange Georgia
Yeah JP, I felt so too. I contacted a newspaper in Atlanta and one in PA in the hopes they would compare the cases. They may not think to investigate as far as PA. I'm hoping it will help, in case these are in fact related. However, I've gotten no response from PA and just a standard "we received your email" type of thing from the Atlanta paper.
I'm still confused about why he would be calling his ex boss? as reports are stating that he made a phone call from the huddle house - that is a little fishy to me....
Thanks, Steve. I wasn't aware of the campground near Tara's home. It's been a while since I've done any reading on that case. The campground does increase the odds a little.
This guy is 61 years old, transient and a survival expert. There is no telling how wide spread this could be and I don't think that is being hysterical to say so... Most SK's are confined to small familiar comfort zones. This guy looks to be comfortable with the wilderness and has a knack for navigating his way around the back woods and using maps, if he indeed was a paratrooper he has been trained to navigate when dropped into unfamiliar territory. I live in the Tallahassee area and the Apalachicola forest can be accessed from just about every community on the West side of US 319. This monster could have abducted Ms. Dunlap and disposed of her remains without ever leaving the National forest.
I have been going back to the Tara Grinstead case and trying to link Hilton. I know Tara also had a dog that she loved and I thought maybe that was his approach - something to do with her dog. I know her dog stayed in the yard until she would come home and then he would be let in. Not sure if the dog made it inside the night she went missing but the dog was found in the yard after she was reported missing. Still, Hilton could have targeted her because of the dog, perhaps when she walked her dog (that is, if she even ever walked her dog, i'm not sure).
jennyjwv | 01.10.08 - 1:04 pm | #
--Here ya go, additionally, his "boss" told police about the call ( when he realized he was a suspect), thus police showed up at restrauant a fews hours later.
http://tinyurl.com/2bd82v
It kills me to know that," Peacock told the Journal-Constitution. "If we knew what he looked like before that, we could've saved her."
Peacock says Hilton left the restaurant about 5:05 p.m. and thanked her for the use of the phone on his way out. She says he told her "I just got my job back. That phone call helped me out a lot."
I am familiar with the area of pennsylvania mentioned in previous posters comments. West Chester and Chester are 2 very different areas. West Chester is a college town about 45-50 minutes west of philadelphia with very low crime especially of the more violent nature such as murder. The area of Chester is a different story all together. Its right outside the city to the south along the 95 corridor and is notorius for drug and other more violent crimes. Hinton was spotted in a park near west Chester.. in East Bradford.. its more of a rural setting. But I dont think that the murder in Chester is pertinent , anything is possible but I am more likely to beleive that its due to drug related activity or other reasons.. i dont think its relavent to GBH. Also the victim was male.. so far the rest of his victims or suspected victims are female and none were left in urban areas nor set on fire.
I read in an article yesterday, and "no," I do not have the link to it, (sorry) but it stated in the article GMH called an ex-girlfriend from the restaurant's phone. He asked her to borrow money, and she refused telling him she didn't want anything to do with him. It was also reported in that article that she informed GMH all law officers in the state were searching for him. The ex-girlfriend then called the authorities after their phone conversation and gave the authorities the number she retrieved from caller id. I want to say the article I read was in an Atlanta newspaper or one of those surrounding areas.
opme - I agree it may not be relevant. However, I disagree with the statement you made about no male suspected victims. The 2 elderly hikers (the Bryants) involved a male and law enforcement has even said they are looking at Hilton as a suspect now. From the pictures of the suspect wanted in the killing of Levi Frady, that appears to be Hilton also and that was a male CHILD. I am not so sure Hilton cares who he kills - there aren't many serial killers who don't have a "standard victim type," but it does happen. JMO
I would have initially dismissed any gun-related killings as ones that might be linked to this murder also. I still tend to do so, but must note something posted a little while on that Zimbio site. I'm posting part of it here, and hoping my first-time use of tinyurl works:
http://tinyurl.com/27k92r
"I have lived terrified of this man possibly coming back to my home to get revenge on me for complaining about his work. I remember he carried some kind of weapon on him. He bragged with other workers about being a convicted felon for drugs and possibly for shooting his wife or ex-wife. "
Whether Hilton uses a gun or was just playing bragging "tough guy", I certainly don't know. But at least one person claims to have witnessed him making a statement that he's shot someone before.
@JaxFlaGal,
Can you ask that poster on the Zimbio site what time frame he/she is talking about? As I posted a day or so ago, Hilton's ex-wife Ursula Taylor died on Dec. 19, 2001 (per SSDI website) - it doesn't list COD. Your post about him bragging of shooting his wife or ex-wife has really caught my attention... TIA!!
JaxFlaGal
Very intereseting at that site. the guy who says they should talk to his boss, also seems to indicate that maybe his boss knows more than he is saying.
Just found this Blog while searching "Gary Michael Hilton".
The content looks great and it's seems like there are some pretty bright folks here.
I've been checking the Dept. of Corrections public access inmate records in the surrounding GA, NC, TN, AL and FL. agencies for any records on him. I find it hard to believe that he's 61 YOA, a Serial Killer and doesn't have an arrest record (at least under public access). I'd like to find out more information about him but that may not happen until all the investigations conclude. I don't envy the investigators that will be digging through unsolved homicide and missing persons files to see if he's connected.
Copper
-- welcome he has an arrest record. Keep looking on this thread, we have posted.
most imporantly, when cops stopped Hilton in Oct, he did have an outstanding warrant, which expired in Nov... so they should have nailed him then and there.
Opme and T ....in reference to Him killing men. we another murder of a male, on hwy 98 in frankin county, which is next to wakulla county. a friend of my son's who is a Florida highway Patrol, told him the man's throat was slit and he was stabbed in the chest. now the Nation forest runs right along this hwy 98...it's basically through the forest from where Cheryl dunlap was found.
Lg - Is that James Beale you are referring to? I heard about that back when his body was discovered in the RV (I'm from the area too) but I STILL haven't seen an autopsy report on that. But from all the "hearsay" going around about the condition of his body, I had a feeling it was not the way law enforcement portrayed it (no foul play suspected). Do you know of any official confirmation of that - other than what you've been told? Thanks!
Anyone know where the full version of the dashboard cam video can be found? I've only seen the few seconds they played in a news report. TIA.
I am brand new to this site and what a site it is!
I guess you could add Arkansas to the growing list of states. This is a case that has haunted me for years and I am hoping it might finally be over.
Anybody know anything about any possible ties that GMH might have to Arkansas?
Thank you in advance.
ooops... didn't get the link in the body of the text.
http://www.kfsm.com/global/story...y.asp?
s=7603348
John, I've been trying to find the entire 20 min dashcam video with no luck. I'll post it here if I come across it.
Just wanted to say "thanks" to everyone for all of this info. I am close to the case because I live 2 miles from where Meredith and Levi were found (Dawson Forest), 3 miles from where Patrice Endres was abducted and 6 miles from the QT where Meredith's belongings were found and the Kroger where Ella was found. It's really weird that in this wonderful little area,so many crimes have happened. My prayers go out to all and hope that through the posters here, other cases will be solved. Keep it up.
I was sitting on the couch with my beloved cat Tennessee last night and had what I thought was a revelation. I was telling Tenny that I hoped he and I would never be in the circumstances that Meredith and Ella had been through, when I started wondering why Hilton would let Ella go and then kill Meredith. Several people on the news said he had threatened their dogs, so Hilton was no dog lover. I think that Meredith spent 3 days defying Hilton in letting him have her pin number and he threatened to kill Ella. Meredith probably knew she was going to be dead and bargained with Hilton to let Ella go in exchange for the pin number. Meredith knew that Ella had a ID chip and knew she was far away from where she was abducted. If anyone found Ella, the searchers would at least know that she wasn't lost in the woods. No one would have look in that dumpster that had the blood evidence unless Ella had be found close by. Hilton's such a Chatty Cathy that I'm sure he told Meredith all about his other killings (he is an official prime suspect in the Dunlop murder police have confirmed he was in the area, actually the same forest, and have proof of this.) I think she knew she would not live, but she knew Ella might be able to help catch Hilton. This might sound a little crazy, but it makes me feel better to think Meredith didn't die for nothing. That she helped in bringing justice to all Hilton's victims.
That's a reasonable theory barb. I was wondering about why he let the dog go too. I was thinking maybe he let Ella go there on purpose to throw the police off about the body's whereabouts since that was some miles from where they located it. To give him some more time. Just another thought.
They found the blood evidence in a dumpster across the street from the Kroger parking lot where Ella was found.
This is REALLY nice.
http://tinyurl.com/2yrxgl
Bailey said Emerson’s parents were overwhelmed by the news of the donations.
“Susan said, ‘I think that she would be honored,’” Bailey said. “It was very very heartfelt.”
To donate go to http://www.firstgiving.com/
mered...meredithemerson.
I wonder if Hilton ever made it as far as NY. This case struck me as quite similar. The teen was not only decapitated, but he was kept alive for a couple of days first - sounds just like Emerson and Dunlap to me.
"The medical examiner believes Rashawn was kept alive for two days before he was killed, dismembered and disposed of in the trash bags. The autopsy report shows cuts and stab wounds to the side of Rashawn's torso indicating there may have been some kind of a struggle."
http://www.amw.com/fugitives/cas...se.cfm?
id=32526
I sure hope some of these other unsolved cases are linked to Hilton because if they aren't, we have way too many sickos out there!
T, the only thing i can tell you is that the FHP, told my son, when they were working out at the Gym. that his throat was cut and he was stabbed in the chest. it makes you wonder if MGH is responsible for this murder too..and i wonder about they guy at the Jefferson county line ? if you have noticed, the LCSO is saying nothing about those two.
lg - Yeah, I have definitely noticed they haven't said anything more about those cases. From everything I have been hearing, Beale did not kill himself and foul play definitely seems to be the case. Maybe we will hear the official autopsy results soon. Thanks for the info
OT if anyone here is following the Meredith kercher case, some big DNA developments just happened, indicated Amanda Know boyfreind.
Being discussed on steves Kercher thread
http://tinyurl.com/2ykcxa
He killed Meredith, drove to exit 17 on GA 400 to the QT because he was getting rid of her clothes at the dumpster there. Ella was found across the street at Kroger. I believe he was going to keep Ella, but she escaped out of the van while he was at the QT. I don't think it was intentional.
When you thing about it, his dog companion gave him a cover similar to Bundy's fake injuries - both allowed the victims a false sense of security. Another use of a dog in a different way - the three missing women in Springfield, Mo. One theory was that the unknown suspect had removed the dog from the back yard, then rang the doorbell on the pretense that he was returning the animal.
chris - Thank you for posting the link to Meredith's memorial/donation page at the Longmont Humane Society. It gives me a small measure of peace to be able to make a donation in her name.
SuziQ - thanks for responding about the dashcam video - I know if anyone can find it, you can!
An update in a WSBtv article. So he's been married twice in GA.
"According to state records, Hilton was married -- and divorced --
twice between 1977 and 1979."
Few have commented on GMH's possible military background. Isn't there some way to publicly check whether or not he is a vet? [BTW, his first wife, Ursula, has a German name. Could he have married a German citizen while serving overseas?] Have people noticed there are three times duct tape has come up: the jacket in Ducktown; the nose tape at the ATM; the Dollar Store purchase in Georgia. I wonder what else the LE found in the van...and what location he lifted the NC license plates from. Do you think LE has questioned him about the Bryants?
I have the marriage and divorce records. Not sure whether I should post the women's names. The first marriage was in Dekalb County on 8/24/1977; divorce on 05/16/1978. Second marriage also in Dekalb County on 03/19/1979; divorce on 10/24/1979.
M234, Thanks. I was wondering in what county. Could you see the actual certificate? I'm curious as to what county he was born in.
No, I didn't find the actual certificates. Just the public records in a search engine I have access to via school. I believe he was born in Florida, or at least that's where his SS# was issued.
Holly, I'm sure LE would love to talk to him about the Bryant's and Cheryl. Whether we will or not?
Some had talked about his felonies/misdemeanors in GA, but I haven't seen anyone mention this yet. It's a felony for stealing in Miami back in 1972. I haven't found anything else on him from when he lived there. Yet, anyway. Just in case anyone is interested.
http://www.miami-dadeclerk.com/
c...632C4718F3D8252
That was reported back on the previous blog entry, T.
He never went to court on that charge either. Dade county oddly, did some housekeeping in their files back in Nov and closed the case due to age.
"Hilton had an outstanding arrest warrant from Miami on a 1972 charge of dealing in stolen property, but it was dismissed Nov. 9, possibly as part of a routine administrative cleanup of old files."
Wonder why GA LE never picked up on this warrant when he was arrested in the past.
Oh, sorry about that. I must have missed it. Thanks for the info diane
Yeah, I wonder why he wasn't picked up before myself. Man, this guy sure got off lucky with all of his charges.
Here's a civil case I'm not sure if anyone has posted yet. Sure hope Gonzalez is still alive after crossing Hilton.
http://www.miami-dadeclerk.com/c...sult.asp?
page=1
Yes, we discussed that too I pointed out that it was a U Drive It company involved in the suit.
Two things:
First, Patrice Endres remains were found at a church cemetery on the 2700 block of Kelly Bridge Road in Dawson County. One way to get there is by Hwy 53 to Yellow Creek Rd. to Kelly Bridge Rd. The Huddle House where GMH was making his phone call is very near where Hwy 53 and Yellow Creek Rd connect. In other words, Endres remains were found in close proximity to that particular Huddle House...maybe around 5-7 miles or less.
Secondly, a few years ago, a decapitaed head (only) of a male was found at the edge of a cemetery at Hopewell Church near the Forsyth/Dawson county line (on the Forsyth side). This area is very close to the Dawson Forest area. I can't seem to find a link about this with my limited computer skills, but I remember it.
Endres, Emerson, Frady, and the decapitated head all are within approximately a 10-15 mile range (on foot through the Dawson forest...not by road, probably)
Just some things running through my mind...I also live in the area close to all of this.
Transplanted Texan, for some reason I can't post on the Zimbo site right now - throwing a useless error. I'll try again later. From the other timing described in that poster's comments, I think the time of this monster being in the poter's home and the poster hearing the comment was 2004 or 2003. I do want to see if I can confirm that with the poster or find corroborating info through any public court records.
i don't understand what the woman who purchased this baton for this maniac was thinking. Or what she is thinking now. From what I read, she purchased it for him on-line. She should be slapped upside the head.
What about the owner of the siding company? He obviously knew the guy was off kilter.
"To some hikers and joggers who he met in parks, he was talkative, lively and even rather engaging, if strange. To others, he was a loner who seemed to have a dangerous dark side.
His former boss, John Tabor, says "It just depended on what day it was."
I agree, there is not a lot of mention about the employer or this lady Betty who knew him. They are probably lucky he never went off on them with a crime of opportunity.
Another one for the creepy astrological game, not to mention another GMH.
Gary Michael Heidnik- November 22, 1943
Swell, now I share a birthday with 2 sick SOBs.
I think that this drifter was roaming the woods far too long and undetected. He has to be responsible for some of the crimes listed above. He was way too advanced in this poor child's killing for it to be his first time doing this. I pray for Merideth's soul that she is resting peacefully.
Here is a much better quality, and longer, version of the dashcam Hilton encounter.
http://tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.../VIDEO/
80109054
@ Chris: Late in responding but I also want to thank you for the link to the donation site for the Longmont Humane Society. It is such a fitting memorial and I was happy to make a donation in her memory.
Hilton's ex-boss speaks out.
http://tinyurl.com/2prlss
Here is an AJC article that will answer all the dog questions
http://tinyurl.com/2kq4mp
Below is a link to an article which includes the video of the Cherokee deputy who stopped him.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/150056...616/
detail.html
I hate to be "dogged" about it, but I still want to know where and when GMH got Dandy. The article doesn't mention this.
Pinecone | 01.10.08 - 7:46 pm | THANK YOU!!! Wow, put that in the memory bank! He certainly knows how to talk to people..... and get away with things....
Luke, you didn't say you lived in Maine, right?
A poster "VFolwer" from 11Alive.com said,"In 1978, a family friend named Charles Norman McLeod (Chuck) died while hiking alone in Georgia's Cloudland Canyon State Park. His headless body was found at the base of a 125 foot cliff. His death was ruled accidental. He was 23 years old. The similarities are striking. Was Gary Hilton in the area in 1978?"
(sorry to be a comment hog) I'd like to see this "ex-boss" of GMH on video, or atleast a picture. I'm not soooo convinced that he doesn't hold a deeper connection... somehow...
Troup County
Hilton may be linked to burned body case.
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/myfox/
joanie....
I totally forgot about the Hopewell Cemetery case. I have been searching and can't find anything online. I am going to do some more investigating. I live in Silver City and am close, like you, to all of this.
Theodore Robert "Ted" Bundy (November 24, 1946
Charles Starkweather (November 24, 1938
http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/
case_d...8560411,00.html
http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/
case_d...9911035,00.html
http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/
case_d...9910097,00.html
http://gbi.georgia.gov/00/
case_d...9647252,00.html
These are links to some unsolved murders in Georgia. And some are unidentified person cases.
Just so the astrologically-minded among you know, I, your host, am a triple scorpio, born on November 3. I share a ton of astrological characteristics with some of these kinds of killers.
I also share those same astrological characteristics with past presidents, and am neither a serial killer nor a president. Hence my skepticism about astrology after age 25 or so (I was really into it from about age 18 through 24).
Steve
Interesting article on Serial Killer.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/17.../serial.killer/
November 10 b'day here! Maybe we Scorps are either serial killers, presidents (I'm neither), or crime blog aficionados?
I'm with you, Steve, I haven't been big on horoscopes, etc. since my high school/college days, but all these November-born serial killers are a little creepy-coincidental.
Transplanted Texan,
The posting on Zimbo on Hilton's statements concerning killing his wife/ex-wife matches the person interviewed for this article in today's Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
http://tinyurl.com/2cckwl
That poster's experience happened in 2004, according to that article.
I'm still in search of the complete 20 minute dashcam video. The longest video released is about 5 minutes long. The coversation cuts off as a dark vehicle comes down the road. Where is the remaining 15 minute footage?
Some people kill for no reason. They just like to kill. Nothing in it for them but the "thrill".
Who are the, and what are their "dreams?"
Where do they come from?
@JaxFlaGal - thank you! Must have been a baseless brag by GMH or else one of his later ex/wives (per m234 + firstdiane's posts above).
@m234 - We can't assume GMH was born in FL just b/c his SS# was assigned there. I'm his same age, was born in NY but my SS# assigned in Texas (hence my screen alias) Point is, back then you didn't get a SS# until you started working, typically around age 18 or older - not at birth, the way SS#s are assigned now.
I also want to thank whoever posted the URL for donations to Longmont HS in Meredith's name - it feels good to be able to do something positive!
Like thousands of people who never met Meredith, I feel rage and loss. This is the first day that I have been able to gather some of my thoughts. I’ve been reading your posts for a week, and although this is technically off topic, I would like to share an audio file link with you:
http://www.allthehitsq100.com/
AS...nsBoyfriend.asx
It is a recording of Meredith’s boyfriend, Steve Segars, calling in to an Atlanta radio program that Meredith and he enjoyed listening to on a daily basis. Steve poured his heart out for thirty minutes with little interruption by the program hosts. He talks a little about his experiences this past week but mostly he talked about Meredith and what they shared together. So personal, and so heart-wrenching.
In one of the early news articles that I read about Meredith I was so deeply touched to learn that she was planning for Ella to be a therapy dog. Clearly this world has lost an exceptionally loving and compassionate soul.
In regard to the astrology comments: Wow, Steve, that is intense...Sun, Moon and Rising sign all in Scorpio? You must have a stellium in your chart somewhere. Now I am COMPLETELY curious!
You guys do know, however, that you can be born the same day, same year as someone...yet 3 minutes apart, and your astrological make up can be completely different. A person's actual chart is almost as unique as a fingerprint.
Very generically, though, Scorpios are interested in death, manner of death, the afterworld, crime etc...and have a penchant for doing something related to crime for a livelihood, as it is almost always an interest. It is when this interest becomes an aberration or it is "afflicted" that could cause them to go awry. This is just a general thought about the Sun sign of Scorpio.
@Chris: THANKS for the article about the dogs. I hope that they both end up in the best set of circumstances following this terrible crime. I hope Dandy eventually finds a good home.
GMH is a d-bag of the very highest order. I wonder if I can find THAT in his horoscope.
A followup bout the Hopewell Cemetery case..
I spoke with a friend in law enforcement and he told me that there were two burned bodies found at Hopewell and it was drug related. There was a conviction in the case. The couple was from Roswell.
Another commenter wondered about the extent of Tabor's involvement, since he had been putting up with GMH on and off for a decade. I have personally worked for similar small home improvement companies (though on the other side of the country from Georgia), and it seems to be part of the culture in that field to put up with psychos if they are otherwise reliable. "He may be a sociopath, but he's OUR sociopath," seems to be the attitude. If you get used to putting up with something, it's amazing how normal it can seem.
Special accommodation is also typically made for military veterans who have come back from one war or another with obvious emotional aftereffects. It's understandable why an employer might sympathize with that situation, even if it made the person seem a little scary.
Regarding Cherokee County Deputy Ballard’s encounter with Hilton on October 26, Cherokee County Sheriff Garrison stated that when the Deputy encountered Hilton trespassing (on the private hunting property), he searched the GCIC and NCIC data bases and found nothing.
(I am totally new to LE terminology; I had to listen to the video a few times to catch what the Sheriff was saying and then to look it up to make certain I had heard correctly. These are national data bases, right?)
So I wonder why the outstanding warrant (for receiving stolen property) in Florida did not show up in the deputy’s search (Oct. 26) because the case did not get administratively dropped until November 2, 2007. Maybe Florida is not included in the data base system? And if Florida is part of the system, I wonder if possibly there was clerical negligence. Gosh, I hope not.
Newspaper article source for the Florida warrant:
“Georgia hiker murder suspect was wanted in Miami”
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/...ory/
373921.html
From WebSleuth site I found these stories.
Yes, police should have caught Hilton when Meredith was alive!!! Hilton boss to police about Hilton as soon as he heard about Meredith missing
http://tinyurl.com/2ykcxa
ANother Bungle by police. The glasses just found in the park belong to Cayle Bywater , whom they didn't bother looking for
http://tinyurl.com/yw79b7
DHD:
Thanks for the info on the Hopewell cemetery case. I am glad to hear that it was solved.
It is unsettling to live in such close proximity to the location of all of these murders.
I believe in my heart that this Emerson case is only the tip of the iceburg with Gary Hilton.
I see that the story about Hilton boss was posted already thefirstdiane | 01.10.08 - 8:29 pm | Also, Diane is the one who posted about the dog, not me
Luke, you didn't say you lived in Maine, right?
ellenott | 01.10.08 - 10:01 pm | #
You are safe.... for now ;p
(BTW, I live in Northern, Virginia, for future reference.)
Someone please explain this astrology thing to me. Being born on the 22nd of November, I have always been told I am either a Scorpio, Sagittarius, or on the cusp, depending on the source.
Regarding Cherokee County Deputy Ballard’s encounter with Hilton on October 26, Cherokee County Sheriff Garrison stated that when the Deputy encountered Hilton trespassing (on the private hunting property), he searched the GCIC and NCIC data bases and found nothing.
Maris | 01.11.08 - 10:37 am |
States don't enter minor warrants into NCIC. It wouldn't be worth the cost of extradition. Hilton has been arrested several times in Georgia while the Florida warrant was active. If they wanted him they could have driven up to Georgia and got him at that time.
News article links GMH to body found in garbage bag in LaGrange with use of Chamblee Dominoes Pizza coupon.
http://www.ajc.com/sports/
conten...erson_0109.html
I hate to get off the subject and onto astrology so I will make this brief. Luke, most generically your birthdate says that you are a Scorpio. Technically, you are on the cusp because the 23 is when, generally speaking, the sun sign drifts into Saggitarius. However, if you know the exact time (to the minute, year and place of your birth you (or someone who knows how to read and/or determine one's astrological chart) can determine exactly what the position of the sun was at the very moment of your birth. A person born on the 23 could very likely be one or the other. You are more than likely a Scorpio, but if you really wanted to know the exact date time and place of your birth can determine it without any doubt.
...and I meant to thank diane for that article. Ooops.
The whole Cayle Bywater thing makes me mad. My ex husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, however he was pretty much as normal as the next person. Even without medication, he could be moody...but he was far from wandering around lost in stupor or incensed enough to throw his glasses into a park, abandon our pets and leave the door hanging open and disappear without a trace. I think labeling victims and putting them into "boxes" is really stupid on the part of LE. Don't these people have any gut instincts? I'm just some dumb lump sitting behind a computer screen and I wouldn't have thought that this woman just took off like that. Or are they just so busy that they only feel justified looking for the "right kind" of people?
Hope I don't ever end up missing...because I took Prozac once back in 1996. Sheesh.
@Joanie -- I think (not sure) that one bit of evidence tying to Hilton to Cheryl Dunlap's murder is also a receipt from a business in Chamblee.
Why do I find such a small linking detail so extra creepy?
Ana said: Hope I don't ever end up missing...because I took Prozac once back in 1996. Sheesh.
******
Isn't that the truth! And add, hope you don't have an argument with a family member or friend or just lost your job or something. I am so sick and tired of hearing the new catch all phraise for missing people...Bi-polar. As if that makes them less of a target for crime.
Regarding Cayle Bywater: I just mapquested the route from Tallahasse to Blairsville, GA. The direct route goes mostly up I-75, through the center of Atlanta and up GA-400. However, if you throw in an intermediate stop in Athens, it's almost a perfect straight line from Tallahassee to Blairsville; kind of eerie to look at it on the map. It's also completely on back roads, which seem like they might be preferable to interstates for a professional roamer like Hilton. The apparent last confirmed sighting of Hilton in Florida was on December 28th, and Mapquest puts the travel time from Tallahassee to Athens at an easy 5 hours, 7 minutes. Wonder where Hilton was between the time he left Florida sometime December 28th/29th and December 31st/January 1st when he showed up at Blood Mountain?
Now that Bywater's glasses have been found in the park, I hope the Athens police/GBI have jumped into high gear on this one...
I'm putting this in bold because it is perhaps an important question -- or a silly one: Has it occurred to anyone else that this guy could have stolen the Gary Hilton identity ages ago?
I ask because, for one thing, it was very easy to do that still, in the 60s and 70s. For another, so much of the man's past seems so nebulous. The idea popped into my head, though, when I did a search in a database for the full name (Gary Michael Hilton) and came up with a a GMH who died, in Georgia, in the early 80s. That's been bothering me now, for days. It's too 'out there' to put in a blog entry, but it's a question worth tossing out for others to chew on.
AJC.com is reporting that Florida is officially charging Hilton with the Dunlap murder.
I also find it really sad that LE dismissed the idea of searching for Cayle Bywater because she's bipolar. People with bipolar disorder do not walk around in an incoherent stupor. Manic episodes don't last this long. Surely, she would have returned for the start of Spring Semeter this week at UGA. You don't just work that hard in school only to abruptly leave it all behind.
Also, it seems that items have been left behind in several of these cases. Cayle's glasses, Meredith's dog leash and water bottles, Dominoes coupons, receipts, etc... Is this a result of a struggle or did the kidnapper/murderer let some evidence remain at the scene to entice LE. I may be mistaken but haven't serial killers done this in the past? Just a thought.
Bipolar people sometimes commit suicide without telling anyone, though -- but that's kinda rare.
Speaking as the brother of someone who was bipolar, who disappeared several times, though, I can say I think many in law enforcement get a missing persons report, hear 'mental illness,' and -- perhaps unconsciously -- write the case off as the vanished person somehow being responsible for disappearing. They just don't throw a lot at such a case. My brother would disappear and eventually he'd bring himself to the attention of police through behaving in a delusional, even scary manner. Still, I know if cops heard that he was bipolar, they sometimes just assumed he'd show up on his own.
That said, I don't like to heap a lot of criticism on LE in general. They're doing a monumental job, one that involves life & death. A certain amount of psychological fatigue, cynicism, and mental laziness might just come with the territory, sometimes.
Steve, I had the same thought. In fact, from what I have seen and learned of Hilton, it would be very much in line with his paranoid, "The world is out to get me" view of life to adopt a fake name so that the "government" couldn't track him. As I have posted over at WebSleuth's, I think this is going to be a difficult case for LE to get a handle on because this guy lived off the grid. There are not going to be any electric bills to review and see where he was living. There is no credit card trail to document his movements. He has lived as a ghost. The postings that sleuthers here and at WebSleuths have dug up from various hiking forums are going to be very helpful, IMHO, because they will at least allow LE to make an educated guess about where he was, and when he was there.
M234 do ou have a link to where they are oficially cahrging Hilton with the Dulap murder- for some reason when I go to the website out right I can not pull it up.Thanks!
nevermind- I was able to pull it up. I believe they will also be able to charge him with the murder of the couple in N.C. Jeez! Just how many murders was this man responsible for- and over how many years, why does it seem they have happened here so much recently? What do you all think- which murders are you speculating he is responsible for?
Hilton seems quite fond of camping and hanging out in the State and National Parks. I know the parks service requires, or at the very least strongly encourages, campers/hikers/visitors to register with the rangers. And I know that rangers, and game wardens for that matter, do make the rounds to make contact with every person possible.
I know it's a slim chance, but do you suppose it might be possible to check those records (hiker sign-in sheets/day-use fee stubs, ranger reports) to see if Hilton had been in the area around the time the bodies were discovered?
He may have been living "off the grid" for a long time, but he certainly has been living in the clear wide open, too.
Just some thoughts.
They have enough evidence to charge GMH with murder in the Dunlap case!
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/150305...560/
detail.html
Not surprised the Athens police have dragged their heels on Cayle's disappearance. She is a University of Georgia student in a college town. Thoughts of a serial killer or just a plain old killer is extremely bad publicity for UGA. Parents and students in a panic, there goes their income. Athens police are "homeys" that do what ever is best for the university. I grew up as a homey and I know how these things go. Blame it on Cayle if you can, make it her fault. Unfortunately for them Meredith has blown it all out in the open. GBI are looking for Cayle now. Hopefully justice for her now.
This whole thing is heartbreaking.
The silver lining in all of this is that Meredith's death and Hilton's ultimate capture may help LE to solve many previous unsolved cases and bring justice and a little peace to their families too.
Why do I find such a small linking detail so extra creepy?
Steve Huff | Homepage | 01.11.08 - 12:07 pm | #
--I think that what makes that creepy is how cavalier it is that he didn't even bother with the receipts. He got so use to killing and So arrogant, having gotten away with murdering for so long. Not sloppy, just aware that he had it all so well orchastrated that receipts didn't even matter.
which WAS true.
L | 01.11.08 - 3:07 pm | #
--And that he can't kill anymore.
I think it is absolutely a given that Meredith's death saved the lives of many, many, more. He is off the streets and out of the woods now. He will never hear the wind blowing through the boughs of Southern pine trees again. Instead, he will hear the clink and clang of steel bars slamming shut.
I have been wondering where the hunting preserev area is in Cherokee County where the deputy was on tape talking to GMH? Does anyone know what area in Cherokee County it was?
Maybe this is where he was between 1980 - 2000. Fort Myers is right off of I-75, NW of Miami.
http://www.haloscan.com/
comments...200100622#70652
Ok, I didn't add the URL...let's try again
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/
01...ref=mpstoryview
Timeline of recent events:
October 21, 2007 Bryant
’s went missing Pisgah National Forest, N C
November 9, 2007 Irene’s body found
John Bryant still missing
December 1, 2007 Cheryl Dunlap missing Apalachicola National Forest Fla
December 15, 2007 Dunlap’s body found
December 6, 2007 Dismembered unidentified body found in burning trash bags
On Dec. 6, a passing motorist discovered the body of a woman -- still unidentified -- missing hands, feet and head. The mutilated body was in five black plastic garbage bags along Stitcher Road in LaGrange, which is west of Macon near the Alabama line.
Although an attempt was made to burn the bags, some evidence was recovered, including a Domino's Pizza coupon from Chamblee. The address on Hilton's arrest warrant for Emerson's kidnapping is on Clairmont Road in Chamblee. Nixon said investigators believe the woman was killed in metro Atlanta.
December 29, 2007 Cayle Bywater went missing Athens, GA
STILL MISSING
January 1, 2008 Meredith Emerson missing Vogel State Park, GA
Emerson’s body found Dawson Forest, GA
I haven't researched this case at all except for this one site, but in just reading this part: "In late May of 1996 two hikers, 24-year-old Julianne Williams and 26-year-old Lollie Winans, were found brutally murdered at their camp near Skyland in Shenandoah National Park (near Madison County)," it makes me wonder if he may be the Route 29 stalker too. The article says no one has been caught for all those killings.
Steve, I didn't copy Hilton's SS# off the last SW, but did you or anyone else here run it the SS Death Index to see if it showed up?
Here's something else interesting on that case:
"The search had been on for nearly two days, and it was almost dark when the rangers, moving down a wooded slope, glimpsed a yellow tent through the trees. The scene they saw as they stepped into a small clearing looked like the campers had been unpacking their gear and setting up camp. THERE WAS A DOG LEASH TIED AROUND A TREE, BUT THE COLLAR AT THE END WAS EMPTY."
I STILL wonder where Hilton got "Dandy."
T - the dog you speak of was "Taj" and they did find him nearby unharmed.
thefirstdiane, I'll e-mail it to you. I did do some searching on the SSN, and came up with nothing significant. I'd very much like to know how old he was when he got the number. If he was over 21, it might make me more suspicious about his real identity.
So Hilton wasn't looking for sex, he was conning people out of $$$.
"Gary Michael Hilton, the prime suspect in Cheryl Dunlap's death, was charged with 21 counts of fraudulently soliciting charitable contributions for veterans in Georgia in 1995."
The DUI fits with the date the Dade County auto accident lawsuit was filed.
"Also, a few new details emerged Thursday about Hilton. He had a Florida chauffeur's license from 1970 to 1972, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. He was convicted of a DUI in Miami-Dade County on Jan. 24, 1973. His Florida license was revoked for a year, and he never took steps to reinstate it."
I bet he headed back up to Georgia after his FL license was revoked. Got himself a GA license (or already had one) and stayed in the Atlanta area. The above news quotes are from the Tallahasse Democrat and they also report that Hilton was born in GA.
So why did he end up in FL? Serial killer requirement? All murdering pervs should spend time in the sunshine state?
T--
"...it makes me wonder if he may be the Route 29 stalker too."
Most likely, based on victim testimony, the Route 29 stalker is Darnell David Rice. However, I am not convinced Rice is the murderer of Alicia Showalter Reynolds and Winans/Williams, despite the fact their deaths occurred in the same general time period. Rice could be guilty, but the MO seems different in those cases. In fact, there was enough doubt that the case against Rice (for killing Winans/Williams) was dropped in 2004.
The van: it has to be a crucial part of the investigation. Can you imagine how many blood and hair samples might be found in there? If they find Mr. Bryan's DNA in there, wouldn't they have enough to charge him with the North Carolina murders? I am still puzzled that GMH was able to overtake Mr. Bryan even with a knife, and we now know he carried a knife since he had a favorite habit of severing people's heads. Mrs. Bryan may have been attacked by surprise from behind with the baton--hence, perhaps, no screaming. The husband, I presume, came down the trail next and somehow GMH overtook him. With a knive?
If the LE had been on the case earlier perhaps blood would have been found at the scene. By the time the son located their SUV, blood evidence would have disappeared. Comments?
If Mr Bryant saw his wife lying on the ground,not realizing what had happened to her, he would have gone immediately to her and bent over her. At that point, GMH could have hit him over the head. of course, this is just pure speculation, but the point is that it wouldn't have been that hard for him to do.
I think Hilton is stronger than your average 61 year old. He's a predator too so he has the element of surprise on his side. And he's an evil crazy. I don't think he would have any problem over powering an 81 year old man.
Good point, DHD. Bryant probably also was hit in the head somehow. I also think the possible false identity of "Gary Michael Hilton, age 61" is also interesting. Why do I think this man looks older than that? If any of the ex-wives are alive they could be used to check his identity. What was the possible time line for an identity change? There was an Atlanta TV station that interviewed DeKalb County residents who had encounters with GMH in the park. A young boy said GMH used to watch the school kids from his van. Interesting. Some of the missing person cases mentioned above related to young boys...
I think his latest killing spree was more money motivated or started that way with the Bryants. The phone calls to his boss and ex-GF wanting money. He used all 4 victims ATM cards. His past his convictions are swindling and thieving.
Modern day blood thirsty pirate.
Kathryn | Homepage | 01.11.08 - 3:47 pm
You said "Fort Myers is right off of I-75"
Today I was doing some research about paratroopers (which he claims he used to be) and Ft. Myers turned up as one of the only 2 places of training for paratroopers!!!
And that same thought came to me when I was trying to do a background search on GMH as well; that he might have stolen an identity as well as soooo many other things is completely wihtin reason. How did the the other GMH die i wonder????
Thanks, ana! (I was born at 7:11 PM, if that narrows it down more...lol)
Long running joke in my family; born at 7-eleven.
Back to the topic at hand..
This man reeks evil... A few pictures of him have almost given me chills and I don't creep out easily...
Has anyone noticed that Hilton's "siding business" used the name, John Tabor, on the Dandy flyer?
Also, this guy could be one prolific SK if he was a limo driver, of all things...
It looks like they have found Cayle Bywater.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/150328...851/
detail.html
Using the ATM cards seems like a convenient by-product of what he did, not a motivator. He is, first and foremost, a sociopath and likely a serial killer.
Being a relatively new "Atlantan" I'm really SHOCKED at how many bodies this horrific story is bringing to light... it's scary to me, and I'm from the seedy state of Florida.
I just hate this "man" so very much. I hate him. He is everything nightmares are made of. His mobility is so frightening. I just think about him just driving around in that van. The area that Cheryl Dunlap was found is SO scary as is.
Luke, would you clarify this? What flyer? John Tabor is Hilton's old boss.
"Has anyone noticed that Hilton's "siding business" used the name, John Tabor, on the Dandy flyer?"
opps.... my bad, it is actually Ft. Benning not Ft. Myers... crap....
"Paratroopers of all services of the United States Military begin training at the U.S. Army Airborne School located in Ft. Benning, Georgia."
On a more journalistic note, I'm actually giving kudos to the AJC for their coverage of Meredith's story. Usually they suck
M, I agree with you about Hilton, but I think his motivation for the Bryants was money.
He got their cash and then on to FL and when the cash ran out, looked for another victim. Used her card 3 times. Then he was on a frenzy.
After Meredith, he knew he couldn't keep killing and using the victim's ATM cards or he would be caught.
Anyway, that's my thoughts about his last 4 victims. I don't think he's been murdering people monthly for the last 40 years.
Gary Michael Hilton was at a Gainesville ATM trying to use a bank card belonging to Meredith Emerson the night she was abducted, officials said.
Hilton is believed to have spent about 20 minutes at a Bank of America ATM in Gainesville around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton said this week, citing information provided to him by agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Other local law enforcement officials have confirmed that Hilton is believed to have used the ATM located on E.E. Butler Parkway near the Brenau University campus.
As authorities trace the path taken by Hilton, Gainesville was apparently the first stop on a circuitous route taken by the suspect after he was seen talking with Emerson at the Byron Herbert Reese Memorial Trail in Union County on New Year’s Day.
Pic of walk up ATM and more at:
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/...s/article/2593/
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006...6358/
index.html
Duluth Police Encounter Hilton
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006...6358/
index.html
Gwinnett Couple Encounter Hilton
Who is this second victim mentioned below? First victim referred to is C. Dunlap.
"Finally investigators are also looking at a second murder in Florida for a connection."
"This victim was a 27-year old man who was beheaded and then dumped in a state park."
New Cases and Charges Against Gary Michael Hilton
Submitted by WDEF on January 11, 2008 - 7:16pm.
http://wdef.com/news/new_cases_a..._hilton/01/
2008
"Jerry Slate, an avid fisherman who frequents Tomoka State Park, certainly hopes someone talks to Ormond Beach police regarding the murder of 27-year-old Michael Scot Louis. Last seen Nov. 21
On the morning of Dec. 6, Slate was cleaning up around the Tomoka River Bridge -- something he enjoys doing because he fishes there so often -- when he noticed a few buzzards picking at something in a marshy area near the structure.
What he saw next is embedded in his memory.
"There was a black plastic garbage bag with red ties on it," the 44-year-old said. "I walked over to it and jimmied it with a stick and a human foot popped out of the bag. There was a leg inside, too."
Horrified, Slate noticed three other black plastic bags about two feet away in the same marshy spot.
"I wasn't about to look in the other bags," Slate said. "I can't get that image out of my head. Nobody deserves to die that way."
Ormond Beach Sgt. Doug Diamond is working feverishly to find Louis' killer. This week he said the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has uncovered "some forensic evidence" in the case that could lead police to a suspect.
Diamond said he believes Louis knew his attacker. The baffling thing is, most of Louis' friends said he had no enemies and was not someone who would go out of his way to make anyone angry."
Thanks, joanie!
another link to Michael Scot Louis' case.....http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/pages/
Home/Detail;
jsessionid=BD2B5B9EEC9963A7485271181BC68E28?
contentId=5198274&version=3&locale=EN-US&
layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
Beheaded? That's putting it mildly, the guy was totally dismembered.
Dismemberment happens more than people know and Hilton isn't responsible for all of them.
The male head found in Forysth. I read the news story about that murder. After this druggie, cut him up in the bathtub, he put the victim's head in a vise to dig out the bullet. Eeeew!
Pinecone- I think the man in Fla is John (?) Beale- I remember his last name b/c it is similar to mine.
This case has really freaked me out as I am from T'Hassee,my friend worked with Dunlop, I moved to Atlanta (lived near GMH in Mtta, and then moved to the same town in WNC where the elderly couple lived close by. Yikes! Hendersonville has next to no crime, yet the same time the Bryants went missing, my next door neighbor's mother & brother were murdered in their home 2 blocks from me.
Anybody need a roommate?!
I thought Beale was found dead in his RV. I've followed Cheryl's death from the beginning and I thought that's what the posters at the Tallahassee board said. Throat cut and he was stabbed. He had a drug record.
Diane- you may be right- I have followed so many links to so many possible victims that I have gotten them confused- I just remembered that name b/c it was close to mine, and - crap- there seem to be a plethora of dismembered corpses coming out of the woodwork right now that I may have confused him w/one of those! Sorry!
http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/
cont...hilton0111.html
Man described as scary
"He made a modest living generating leads for the siding company, owned by Duluth attorney John Tabor, said Adam Kurzeja, who formerly subcontracted for Insulated. The company solicited the McKinneys, who said they were impressed with the presentation by Tabor.
But he never showed up to supervise the project, and instead sent Hilton to work on repairs to the couple's back deck, McKinney said. She has since filed a lawsuit against Tabor alleging fraud and breach of contract."
I find it odd that they state Tabor is an attorney. When searching the Georgia Bar database, he is not listed.
Tammy - I read somewhere that his wife is an attorney. Maybe they got it mixed up.
I think both hubby & wife are attys
"More details about Hilton emerged Friday. In 1995, he pleaded guilty to 21 counts of unlawful charitable solicitation. Cobb County courts records show that, between December 1989 and November 1993, Hilton got people to give him money for the Georgia Veterans Journal. He had to pay $424 in restitution and was sentenced to five years of probation on June 20, 1995. Court records show he was indigent at the time, divorced and living with a friend in Marietta, Ga." www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20080111/BREAKINGNEWS/801110336/1010
Luke, would you clarify this? What flyer? John Tabor is Hilton's old boss.
"Has anyone noticed that Hilton's "siding business" used the name, John Tabor, on the Dandy flyer?"
thefirstdiane | 01.11.08 - 8:26 pm | #
OOOPS...
another instance of me and my selective reading/memory skills...
All of the recent comments are not coming through on the right-hand side. What'[s the problem?
Well if he is an attorney he is not listed in the database and to my knowledge all attorneys licensed to practice in the state are in that database. Yes, I did see a listing for Jana Tabor of Duluth but nothing under his name at all.
Seems like they would be careful reporting that type information.
Go to the link
http://www.haloscan.com/comments...789725/?
a=44283
and you can see them. Not sure what the problem is.
"Hilton got people to give him money for the Georgia Veterans Journal. "
Bet he is a veteran, anyone have any luck finding his military records.
Tammy, one media outlet reported that Hilton got prison time for a Clayton county charge. No record in GA DOC of his serving time.
M said:
"Using the ATM cards seems like a convenient by-product of what he did, not a motivator. He is, first and foremost, a sociopath and likely a serial killer."
The way I see it, the killing could have very well been a by-product of the theft. Some sociopaths don't even know they have it in them to kill until they do it for the first time. Each time after becomes easier than the next. In this scenario, it isn't completely impossible that Hilton is fairly new to killing. Perhaps it was just recently awoken inside of him? Profilers will always look at the degree of violence in a crime and make the blanketed textbook analysis that, "There's no way this guy is an inexperienced killer, especially given his advanced age."
One thing that becomes more apparent to me with each of these nut jobs that pop out of the woodwork is that those who we trust to know everything about these guys know less than we (or they) think they do.
It's a harrowing thought though, this guy riding around in his very own version of the "Murder Mack", looking for unsuspecting vulnerable victims...
I wonder what his Army experience was like.... I don't know if Hilton screams out PTSD, but I do know that paratroopers are quite handy with a knife.
Reminds me of something that Aurthur Shawcross once said in an interview:
"The military teaches you how to kill, but it doesn't tech you how to stop."
Myself being a former service member, I am not making a blanketed statement, but rather pointing out that this very well could be the case for certain types of individuals. Often the screening process is quite flawed, especially in the past.
IDK... maybe just some food for thought....
Meant to say, "each time after becomes easier than the last."
Or he could have been scamming and never went to Vietnam. He did say in court he had two years of college.
He is the right age to have been drafted back then though.
As for the military teaching you how to kill, a true statement at face value but I think in most cases it teaches you how to live and not be killed by the enemy.
Not to say that some with minds that cannot distinguish the difference might not live out the rest of their lives in a manner such as this.
Who knows whether or not he is telling the truth about this aspect of his life.
That is why I ask if anyone had found any records to verify this claim.
Wouldn't be the first psycho/sociopath to lie... :p
You know, the more I think about it, the more he comes across as a disorganized killer. He just left way too much evidence in his own vehicle. Who kills a person in their vehicle or transports a body in their vehicle without taking some precautions; wrapping the body in sheets or a tarp, for example?
Also, again... why the decapitation?
(and whether the head was ever found is a very pertinent question, that I have yet to see directly answered by LE.)
The military comment just came to me upon recalling something I read over the summer, as well as an interview of Shawcross.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/
...ogKILLITARY.htm
Bryants, he had a couple to deal with and not one person. He had to work fast. Also there were other cars parked in that area (pics shown by LE), so I assume he didn't know when someone else might pop up.
All of Meredith was found, FL LE is tighted lipped about Cheryl. Mrs. Bryant was found in tact.
Decapitation, IMO, he believes it hampers IDing the victim. Could be a thrill too. Who knows with these nuts. Burial in two spots, speaks delay of ID to me.
I agree this murder comes across as sloppy. But maybe he got spooked or better yet the LE got on his trail quicker than he expected. (especially if he had done this before and never got caught)
The decapitation according to some is a sign of anger towards the victim. Or his trying to hide evidence of being able to identify the body. ( One reason killer remove the head and hands) No dental records, no finger prints.
I would think they have found the head since her cause of death was ruled as blunt force trauma to the head.
So someone did say that the head was found, but buried separate from the body? (wait, was she buried?)
I was under the impression it was more of a dumping...
Luke, Meredith's body was buried off one road and her head off a different one.
I read somewhere in the Dunlap case both her head and hands were removed.
From me here, Tammy. That was the scuttle back in Dec when Cheryl's remains were found. I made sure to post here that it came from the Tallahasse board and it was rumor.
LE still hasn't denied or confirmed it.
It's my understanding that she was buried and the head buried at a different location.
I don't understand why he waited until he got close to his "home"not far from Chamblee before he cleaned out his van. That seems sloppy to me.
Thanks, diane. If that's the case, then what you said makes a lot of sense. It also paints Hilton as a cunning psycho/sociopath who clearly knows right from wrong. It is quite possible that he becomes "frenzied" during the killing its self, but quickly gathers himself enough to know to dispose of evidence and make the body more difficult to identify.
Did he not remove her hands or did he simply not anticipate the body being found before the prints were of no use?
*That kind of confidence tells me that he has at least a few "perfect crimes" under his belt.
Luke, I think he was in a hurry and pissed off. No money. Trying to clean his crimes up quickly and get back to the urban life he knew.
Blend back in is probably a better phrase.
He told the Huddle House waitress that he got his job back. Maybe he thought he was going back to work on houses again....which is blending back. It makes you wonder how many times he would work a "normal" job and then take off for Florida or the N. Ga. Mountains for a period of time.
I'm sure we're going to learn more about this idiot. My apologies to all the idiots out there.
New AJC article out on his capture.
While all of GA was after him, he chose a well-lit and occupied gas station to dispose of bags and bags of evidence. Brazen.
http://tinyurl.com/yr4n84
either brazen or highly disorganized (perhaps a bit of both.)
Brazen, indeed. And sloppy. And maybe cocky. Perhaps he had gotten away with this enough times to think he could continue?
So what do you guys think: is Hilton going to want to take credit for his other kills, and therefore confess? Or will LE have to forensic evidence that links him to the ones he is currently suspected of?
[Luke, FWIW, I wouldn't say that paratroopers in general are "quite handy with a knife." My dad was a paratrooper - trained at Ft. Benning - and career army officer. Though he was/is skilled in many ways, I don't think decapitation was one of them.]
Bet it was Cheryl's purse he dumped.
Maybe I'm equating his age and BTK, but I feel like he was silent for awhile and this firing of his job started it up again.
I can't believe he had an ex girlfriend he thought would give him money! Rotted or no teeth kisses, ICK.
That old saying a lid for every pot must be true.
I used to have this "aquitance" back in the college days; she was a pathological liar and a theif too. One of her antics was to go into a grocery store, put everything she wanted into a cart, put a large bag of dog food (or whatever) on top, and walk right out of the store with it, put it in her car and drive off. She just acted as if she was just like everyone else, not guilty.... She did this for years (and I bet she still does it.)
We, as a society, are sort-of trained to NOT watch what is going on right besides us, too wrapped-up in the tabloids I guess. My point is this: GMH acted the same way as she did; like he wasn't guilty of anything. He didn't really mastermind anything, he's just been playing people and society for what it sort-of is; nonobservant! (except for us of course!!)
earthchick | Homepage | 01.11.08 - 11:24 pm |
"So what do you guys think: is Hilton going to want to take credit for his other kills, and therefore confess? Or will LE have to forensic evidence that links him to the ones he is currently suspected of? "
I think that he's definitely a talker!!! We've seen him in action. If they get the "right" cop in there to ask him the "right" questions!!!
"First of all, he's not a person with a mental illness," observed forensic psychiatrist Dr. Dave Davis. "He doesn't have any problem with his speech being able to understand what's going on in the interview. He's actually glib."
www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?
storyid=109315
Luke, FWIW, I wouldn't say that paratroopers in general are "quite handy with a knife." My dad was a paratrooper - trained at Ft. Benning - and career army officer. Though he was/is skilled in many ways, I don't think decapitation was one of them.]
earthchick | Homepage | 01.11.08 - 11:24 pm | #
That's true, not decapitation, necessarily, but it is helpful to be able to use a knife when you are landing in hostile areas; particularly in water, where your rifle could become compromised.
I know it's part of SEAL training....
As for Hilton talking, it depends... what does he have left now that he's been caught?
I'm willing to bet he keeps a few for himself, especially if any happened to be children.
I am not convinced that he has done anything with children. He certainly hasn't done anything to the dogs he has had in his possesion.
I really think that he is mostly only linked to women and that the Bryant man was a mistake he HAD to make and we will find his body NOT in the woods, but in a swamp next to a road somewhere...with or without his head, quick dump-off.
I also have a hard time thinking that he is the killer in the Michael Scot Louis' case. IDK just thinking out loud...
Bundy wasn't into children either, but that didn't save Kimberly Leach.
I get what you are saying though.... It just depends on what type of killer he is, which is something we do not know at this point in time.
As of now, he's not really fitting the preferential mold, if he is a serial killer at all. That seems to make him more of an opportunist. Opportunists are likely to strike out at just about anyone, within a certain criteria.
If Hilton is responsible for the Bryant murders:
I would initially think that the husband was eliminated to get to the wife. However, due to the husband's age,he doesn't pose as much of an obstacle. We also know that the husband's body was never found, suggesting a separate burial, and perhaps secondary burial.
I would go as far as to say that Hilton made the husband watch as his wife was murdered and that MAY have even been part of the allure, in this particular instance.
I know killers tend to follow patterns, but just because I always buy peanut butter ice cream doesn't mean that I don't crave something else from time to time... I personally believe serial killers can be the same way and that this is overlooked, in favor of the usual textbook analysis.
I feel that Hilton is a sadist, as shown by the obvious 3 days of torment he put Meredith through, so for me, this fits with the sadistic act of forcing a victim to watch a loved one be murdered. I really can't think of many things more sadistic than that (except for maybe driving a victim around for three days, offering maybe the slightest glimmer of hope....)
Luke, I do think you are right about the husband watching as he killed her for some reason. I really had thought about that a few days ago and that is the scene that past through my mind as well.
But for some reason, I think his body is just in some swamp or something, next to a road, he didn't take the time to do too "much" with his body, maybe because of age. But it probably IS in a different state (like Florida) for sure.
Ellen,
I hate to even think of such things, but it unfortunately comes easy to me...
Do you really think he transported a body that far?
Did these 2 murders occur when Hilton was having relationship problems?
Has LE mentioned any signs of sexual assault/postmortem abuse?
Luke,
Check this out.."The caller also said that Hilton had emptied bags onto the ground, and was taking them in loads to a Dumpster near the gas station's car wash. As he carried the items, Hilton held them at arm's length, the man noted."
Maybe those bags had something or someone in them?
www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/
2008/01/11/911calls0112.html#
"A man who spotted accused killer Gary Michael Hilton at a DeKalb County gas station last week watched as Hilton threw away SEVERAL backpacks, a sleeping bag and a purse into a trash bin, according to 911 calls obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution." Very interesting, no?
An earlier poster stated Irene Bryant walked ahead of her husband John because John had to pee
Her body was found 20 yards from their SUV. Other SUVs were nearby. There were lots of trees. She called 911 but the call didn't go thru.
The witness who saw GMH at the dumpster said he was holding the items at arm lengths away from him as tho they repelled him. I thought that was an interesting observation.
Emily, I think that the poster was speculating on the peeing idea. Who knows yet anyway? I was just speculating on the husband having to watch.
But yeah, that IS an interseting observation about being repelled... or was he just making sure nothing would leak out onto him?
He could have been simply trying to keep the blood off of his clothes.... :/
I kinda doubt he was disgusted by what he's done. In fact, I'll bet his only sorrow is for getting caught.
Very interesting, Ellen.
I guess "several" backpacks could belong to one person or several people. One or more could even be his.
I wonder if one (backpack or purse) wasn't somehow connected to Dunlap?
This guy seems to be pure unadulterated evil...
Maybe he thought that he had gone undetected, as before. So he didn't bother to pick up a paper, turn on the radio or find a tv to watch.
He just went about his routine of horror, oblivious that the GBI was looking for him; cleaning out his van was sequential.
IMO
Someone mentioned belongings being left behind. CD's purse was left under her driver's seat. It was in one of the earlier article's or perhaps just a rumour on the bigbend site.
SKs are indeed creepy, and (imo) the creepy things about receipts for everyday things they purchase are two-fold; receipts symoblize our commonality & remind us of our close proximity.
too true....
One man's bleach for whitening shirts is another man's bleach for cleaning up forensic evidence...
Cayle Bywater was found dead this afternoon at a lake in Athens. Cause or manner of death has not been established. (She disappeared Dec. 29, from a park where she was walking her dog, Oliver, who was later found running loose.) LE had not considered GMH a suspect because he "had not been seen in the area." Honest to God, "hadn't been seen in the area!" That's a reasonable alibi? I don't know, the coincidences are awfully tidy.
I'm particularly disturbed that Cayle Bywater had been categorized as "bi-polar," as if that somehow makes her less a victim, or her murder less tragic. Hot on the heels of all this is Maria Lauterbach's gruesome and heart-wrenching death. Her own mother (step, adoptive, whatever) suggested that she was mentally ill and that she was a compulsive liar. Gee, thanks Mom, for that vote of confidence. I hope that woman's words ring in her ears for a long, long time.
Three lovely girls, all lost. How many more?
Luke | 01.12.08 - 1:42 am | Very nice, eloquently stated!
I hate generalizations, but they seem to rule the media's perception of "what a story is," as well as LE's on "what case takes precedence.
Without trivializing anyone's death, there are so many other young people who have died horrible deaths this week that we will never even hear about. Sure, many of them were engaged in high-risk lifestyles, but that doesn't really make them any less of a victim... More likely, perhaps, but not less of one.
I wish they would find the body of John Bryant. His son deserves closure.
Mrs. Bryant wasn't decapitated but that doesn't mean Mr. Bryant was left in tact. I don't think GMH planned his murders. He's too messy, not calculating enough to be a sociopath. I think he's a raving psychopath motivated by money, rage and power.
His MO sounds pretty simple: kidnap, atm, death.
Maria Lauterbach's mom spoke out of turn, but the truth is, we do not know the young lady. While it's not likely that she took her own life, it isn't completely impossible that this guy didn't decide to bury her, knowing the implications it would have for him, based on her previous charges.
How do we know that the two didn't have an extra-marital affair and she was upset when he broke it off?
I may rag on law enforcement at times, but I know that for the most part, they are proficient at doing their jobs; just as the American judicial system is pretty good at doing theirs (for the most part.)
Ah yes, Cayle Bywater and Maria Lauterbach. Two young women whose names were being dragged through the mud by LE while their bodies were lying in cold, dark graves. Very sad.
Mrs. Bryant wasn't decapitated but that doesn't mean Mr. Bryant was left in tact. I don't think GMH planned his murders. He's too messy, not calculating enough to be a sociopath. I think he's a raving psychopath motivated by money, rage and power.
His MO sounds pretty simple: kidnap, atm, death.
MLS | 01.12.08 - 1:56 am | #
Too early to say, but Gary Michael Hilton certainly shows a conscience where it concerns and benefits Gary Michael Hilton. He's far from a raving psychotic, in my estimation.
I also see plenty of calculation. Look no further than his "lure." Much like a pedophile uses a puppy to lure little children, Hilton seems to have used his dog for similar purposes. Hell, he even used the dog to lure customers for his boss's siding business.
He knows what works. People go all "Awwwwww" when they see an animal. Couple that with a seemingly frail middle age man and you have the perfect tandem. Distracts you enough not to see the blow coming from the collapsible baton.... ( or jolt from the hard plaster cast, if you prefer Bundy's method.)
Most people who crossed paths on a casual basis with Hilton probably saw little more than a frail looking eccentric old man and his dog. Hardly threatening, unless you stuck around and got a feel for the whole package. That's when the creepdar goes off.
That's probably what Meredith noticed, as she tried to make an excuse to distance herself from the initially "harmless" old man and his cute little friendly dog... The rejection/abandonment is what, in my opinion, set him off. That fear was also the likely reason for why it wasn't so well thought out this time, why he made the mistakes that ultimately led to his capture.
I had a run-in with my own personal Gary Michael Hilton. It was Hell NOT rejecting him, but I have a feeling that's why I lived to type this.
The sexual component of this crime must be the main motive, not robbery. A thief who is purely looking to cash in would not prey on college-aged hikers.
Almost all serial killers have a record of military service. It is an uncomfortable truth that military experiences are probably formative for certain men who go on to kill for the fun of it.
Hilton is the right age to have served in Vietnam and seen combat. Since then, it seems he has mostly lived in the forest just as American soldiers did in Vietnam. His likely military experience is a huge component of this case but, as is typical, it will likely go unexamined. It's a terrifying thought that Hilton may not have been the only veteran to "readjust" to society in this way; there are probably several more killers like him living in campgrounds and forests in the United States.
He probably decapitates only to dehumanize his victims, not to mask their identities. It doesn't implicate him if they identify his victims' bodies because he chooses them at random. It is only a show of power or the lead up to some sexual act or personal ritual.
He does not prey on "college-aged" hikers. The Bryants were elderly, Dunlap was 46 years old and Emerson was 24. He clearly killed people who were available to him at that moment.
There has been no sexual component mentioned yet. As a clinician on skid row here in LA, I have worked with many homeless vets living with mental illness but not sure about the correlation between serial killer and veteran. I would bet that combat related-PTSD does not create or drive a serial killer. Of course, there's always a first.
He probably decapitates only to dehumanize his victims, not to mask their identities. It doesn't implicate him if they identify his victims' bodies because he chooses them at random. It is only a show of power or the lead up to some sexual act or personal ritual.
Gen | 01.12.08 - 2:33 am | #
If he never found the off button to the kill switch, decapitation may have been something he witnessed/became acquainted with in country. I know that a lot of people think stories of the atrocities that went down in Nam are propaganda BS, but my own father (who has 2 purple hearts and a handful of other medals) has told me some of the stuff that he saw during his two tours.
MLS,
PTSD doesn't create a serial killer, but it can make a person who is already dealing with family/financial insecurities and health problems/mental illnesses) more prone to act out in an aggressive manor.
I've witnessed this with my father and have dealt with it from my own time in the service.
Gen,
ellenott mentioned that Meredith's head was buried separately from her body. If Hilton was dehumanizing his victims by means of decapitation, it seems he would just as soon leave the bodies and heads strewn about like the trash they are to him... much better for the "shock factor" that many of these types get off on too...
Burial of the head implies that he was hiding it, out of fear of detection, mainly. Though to the same extent, we can't be sure the act doesn't bare some symbolic significance to Hilton.
Another way to look at it:
Decapitation could have simply been a matter of disguising the cause of death.
That's all for me tonight. Too much of this stuff running through your head at @ 4 AM is not a good thing, ever...
Night all....
Absolutely Luke and combat related-PTSD is very common in rampage killers. In those cases, I would agree that the experience may have triggered the resulting acts of violence.
GMH may have been drafted and may have had an unremarkable, short stint in the armed services but I'll bet he's got a history of disturbing behavior from childhood.
But maybe not.
(my dad is a vietnam vet, too. no signs of PTSD unless you count his fervent dislike of Jane Fonda!)
Luke- again I agree with your decapitation theory. Great point.
Luke-let me clarify one thing- GMH may have some sort of PTSD from childhood trauma that triggered his current personality disorder. Not ruling that out.
joanie:
Regarding the location of Hilton’s Cherokee County camping site:
The site is on a tract of land that was once part of the Allatoona Wildlife Management Area, in an unincorporated community called Sutallee, north of Lake Allatoona, near the boundary of western Cherokee County and eastern Bartow County.
In the Fox5News video Hilton says that he was looking for Lower Sweetwater Road, so I am assuming that he was probably in an area south of Route 20, midway between Hway 75 and Hway 575. I do not see Lower Sweetwater ROAD here, but there is a Lower Sweetwater LANE, which is accessed from Upper Sweetwater Trail, off of Route 20.
It was reported in an AJC article that the site was “eight miles off of I-75 and two miles inside a remote heavily forested area.” Using regular maps and Google Earth it looks like that Upper Sweetwater Trail is approximately eight miles east of I-75. This is just my guess work, not precise calculations, but I hope this helps you..
Fox5News video which identifies the camp site:
http://tinyurl.com/2u8esh
AJC article.
See subhead: “The wanderer” near the end of the article:
http://tinyurl.com/27u5ad
Pinecone,
Thanks for the clarification about minor warrants not going into the NCIC system.
I hope in the future those restrictions will be changed so that a mile-long list of "minor" warrants will become a red flag for LE.
We need to start a grass-roots campaign to change the system!
And it could be done in tribute, in memoriam, to Meredith Emerson and all the other dear souls who were murdered by slick s-o-bs who have evaded the system.
Maris,
Thanks for the Cherokee campground information. I know where the Sutallee area is...it's off od highway 20 between Canton and Cartersville.
If he were coming from the Cohutta wilderness area (like someone earlier stated that he said on the the dashcam video) he would've either come down 575 from Ellijay or old highway 5 through Jasper.
I think it all points to his being in Ducktown (near Blue Ridge) at the ATM then moving on down to Sutallee by either of these two routes. There is no telling where John Bryant's body was "dumped" by this guy.
"police confirmed they met with GBI officials on Thursday and are investigating Hilton in the gruesome killing of Michael Scot Louis, 27. His decapitated body was found spread among three trash bags on Dec. 6 near Tomoka State Park. Sgt. Doug Diamond said Ormond Beach police are processing DNA evidence from the body to see if it matches Hilton, a Florida native."
Ok you guys, this is what I really didn't really want to bring up but when a man is interested in exerting power over someone else, it really isn't "normal" sex he wants. Why do you think that "DNA evidence from the body" is going for a match of Hilton's. That is why I have been hesitant to talk about "girlfriends" per say. Maybe ANYONE who rejects him. The older couple was for money, the younger ones maybe for sex? There was a cellophane and duct tape reference. Cellophane is better than rope to tie someone up and easier to get rid of. Duct tape is for the mouth. (I too was close to death once myself and that is what he did to me.)(maybe that is why I am so interested in this man, I think I have met my own GMH before as well)(and yes there are many sickos out there, it is better to be informed)
I can't help notice how he was standing (on video) with the cop at the Oct. incident; he is sort-of thrusting his mid-section at him. If you want to make somebody uncomfortable unconciously, use body language like that.
The cellophane and duct tape reference was from an earlier newspaper clipping of a hardware store purchase. I can find it if anyone wants it, though it may take a while. (Pats party tonight)
And Luke, I can do your astrological chart if you want, let me know.
Nov. 21...27-year-old Michael Scot Louis. Tomoka State Park, Florida disappears.
Dec. 28: A U.S. forestry agent runs Hilton's van tag in Osceola National Forest in Columbia County, Fla.
Tomoka State Park is just north of Daytona...not all that far from Osceola National Forest. Same general area.
A little "cooling-off" period in between?
From Merediths memorial
http://tinyurl.com/2xjnpu
“I don’t think Meredith would want any of us to be permanently embittered by what happened,” cousin Jason Emerson said. “I think she would want us to see the light in the darkness.”
He tried to read a note from Emerson’s parents but broke down in tears before he could finish. That’s when Sue Emerson solemnly walked to the podium and, fighting tears, read it aloud herself.
“We see Meredith’s light reflected in all of you,” she told the mourners, many wearing green in honor of her daughter’s favorite color. “And we know it far outweighs all the darkness that’s invaded our lives.”
As the service came to a close, snapshots of Emerson’s life flashed across a screen, images of celebrations and ceremonies, road trips and reunions, hikes and holidays. And at the end of the slideshow, all that remained on the screen were words taken from the cover of one of Emerson’s journals.
“On being me: My highs are high, my lows are low. But all in all, it’s a pretty sweet gig.”
Ellenot,
I totally agree with your opinion of Hilton and the way he was communicating with the police officer. It seemed like he was aggressive / assertive in a passive aggressive way. The way he stood and the way he kept talking over the cop gave me the creeps. This was probably the personality that he "put on" when people referred to him as friendly. I have kept up with all the blogging on this web site and I just wanted to say thanks to all who have shared their personal stories. (Luke and Ellenot are the ones that currently come to mind). I have always been fascinated by 'True Crime' and it is nice to be able to view so many others ideas and opinions. May God bless us all and may he help us heal from the trauma that monsters like Hilton inflict upon so many in this world.
Hello...I have been following this case and an older case keeps sticking in my mind. I dont know if it could be connected to GMH. It was suggested that somebody here might remember this case:
I have been searching for a case and I cant find it at all. I was hoping maybe you could find it or give me an idea where to post to get others help finding it.
I am looking for a case of a missing girl (cant remember what state or when) she worked night shift in a convenience type store. She had called I think her boyfriend to say she saw a creepy white van in the parking lot and asked her boyfriend to come over. ( if i remember correctly) When the boyfriend was driving there he passed a van and heard her yell from it. Thanks for listening.
...When the boyfriend was driving to the store he passed a van and heard her yell from it.
(sorry didnt realize the whole post wouldnt go through..or my pc is viewing it funny and it did post.
I don't think that GMH was sexually motivated. It might play a very small element, but that's it. That is my gut feeling. The DNA left behind could actually come in many forms, not necessarily semen. Maybe the guy could have fought back, perhaps there is material under his nails...or hairs left behind or blood that might not be the victims.
His victims were varied and his main motivation seems to be simply to illicit money and...well...to kill. I think he has somewhat of a hatred towards people and holds humans in general responsible for his lot in life. Which is homeless, jobless, partner-less drifting. It doesn't matter WHICH human it is, just people in general. He tells the story to the cop in the dashcam about him being reported as a "man walking in circles"...which he felt was ridiculous. You know, like.."Jeez, I can't even walk in a circle without someone reporting me." this kind of attitude and thought pattern can be obsessed about in all that time alone, driving around and hiking and all of that. He had lots of alone time, this guy. I don't think rejection has anything to do with it. Rejection by society as a whole, SURE. Rejection because he wants some old couple or some woman or some young guy to ride around with him in his van forever as a partner? Nope. For sex? I don't think do.
Also, @ Gen, if GMH wanted to "dehumanize" his victim, he wouldn't ride around with them alive in his van for days. I don't think he gave one singular, solitary sh*t about his victims: for sex or for their humanity or for their lack thereof if he chose to do something about that. He wanted their money, he wanted to kill them to assuage his frustrations at being a perpetual loser by society standards and he didn't want to get caught. End of story.
That doesn't make him any less evil, or any less of a serial killer. I just think the sexual element is off base and isn't so prominent a motive in regards to these murders. Just my gut feel.
Jipc~
I believe the story you are referring to happened in Missouri. If my memory is correct, I think it was Nevada, Missouri. This is a town near Joplin, MO. I remember this case because I was in college near there when this case was reported. I have always wondered if they solved the crime. The time line would have been in the 1990's. I believe they featured this case Americas Most Wanted. If you find anything out about this case would you please post it here so that I can read about it.
Good Luck with your inquiries.
A few thoughts about the dogs. Young dog and puppy owners are encouraged by vets and trainers to socialize their dogs in any way possible. Walking in parks is a perfect way to introduce the dog to different dogs and people and is suggested frequently. I think Meredith was following this suggestion.
Hilton was never reported being seen with a puppy, so who was training his dog(s)? Also, he was questioned in the cam video by the ranger and no dog was visible. During hunting season, esp the beginning, a caring dog owner would not allow the dog to roam the woods and be shot.
http://doenetwork.org/cases/1299...s/
1299dfmo.html
Lori | 01.12.08 - 12:24 pm | wrote:
If you find anything out about this case would you please post it here so that I can read about it.
Thank you for your help!
Jipc~
Thanks for the lead. I am going out of town for awhile. I won't have access to a computer. When I return, I will look into it further.
Lori | 01.12.08 - 11:36 am | Thank you!!!
Jipc~
Here is info.on other females abducted around the time of Angie Marie Hammond. This is where I remember the Nevada, Mo information.
Trudy Darby, a convenience store worker in Macks Creek, Missouri, was abducted from her workplace on January 19, 1991, six weeks prior to Hammond's disappearance. The store was found robbed of $220 afterwards. Darby's nude body was found in the Little Niangua River two days later; she had been shot twice in the head with a shotgun. Her murder remains unsolved. Cheryl Ann Kenney, another convenience store worker, disappeared after locking up her store in Nevada, Missouri on February 27, 1991. Kenney's skeleton was found in a local field in 2000; her murder is also unsolved. There are similiarities between Darby and Kenny's murders and Hammond's disappearance, but there is no hard evidence to link the cases.
Two young, engaging, spirited women named Meredith gone by murder in these past two months, and posted about here by Steve H. Alas, I'm now expecting a third post with the next few months. How could I not?
Apropo of weirdness (noting the November birthdates discussion above), there are two young women with the same first name and same last name, & same spellings, incarcerated for life for murder, one in Tennessee, the other in Georgia. (IIRCly!)
ellenott that reading of body language was very acute. Those senses involved in such "sight" undoubtedly helped you in your crisis. (Have you translated that into work on jury selections? Semi-joke.) Do you also work with the I-Ching?
@ana -- GMH was an opportunistic killer, from the looks of things, but I would not rule out a sexual motivation in the murders of Meredith Emerson or Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, or any other female he may have killed. It may not have been the primary motivator, no, but I can almost guarantee you it was there. That's not a gut feel thing on my part, it's based on studying pretty much every other well-known serial killer case as well as literature on the breed -- both the FBI's studies and other studies done by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists.
Joseph Edward Duncan III killed mostly children, and he was motivated by sexual sadism. But he had no trouble with murdering adults and a teen older than his target range of age, and from what I know about the murders of Brenda & Slade Groene and Mark McKenzie, Duncan "got into" what he was doing. He wasn't just executing witnesses, he was enjoying the kill.
If he's done as much as we think he has, Gary Michael Hilton enjoyed "the kill." He enjoyed it more with attractive women. It was sexual, because very early in his life, Hilton's primal drives towards violence and procreation were probably fused. This fundamental fusing marks out true serial killers, no matter how they actually express their drive. The Zodiac Killer didn't rape any of his confirmed kills. But there's no way to ignore the fact that he focused his rage on the females -- why else did more men survive Zodiac attacks? Zodiac was sexually-motivated, too, it just wasn't as obvious with a killer like him as it was with Ted Bundy, Bobby Joe Long, or Jeffrey Dahmer.
GMH was probably every bit as monstrous as our worst imaginings and then some. You have to understand what a leap the dismemberment of a victim is up from just murder.
The dismembering of victims is what makes me believe that Hilton's been silently cutting a swath of death across the Southeastern U.S. for 3 decades. We may never know the true toll.
The Lake City Reporter has an article about the forestry agent that encountered Hilton in the Osceola National Forest.
"Columbia County Sheriff Bill Gootee, whose agency has assisted in the investigation since it was brought to his attention last week, said that U.S. Forestry officer Jim Ellis was checking an area off Gum Swamp Road north of Lake City on Dec. 28 when he noticed Hilton’s vehicle off the paved road."
“(Hilton) was in a van and Ellis asked him what he was doing there,” Gootee said. “He told Ellis that he’d gotten lost and Jim wrote him a warning about camping in the forest. Ellis came back a few hours later and the guy was gone.”
"Ellis and CCSO detective Lt. Ed Seifert went to the area off Gum Swamp Road where Ellis had encountered Hilton to search the area. There, they found a few items that they deemed suspicious, collected them and sent them to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as potential evidence, Gootee said."
http://tinyurl.com/35aopw
From AMW.com's page on Michael Scot Louis. I added the bold emphasis:
Police say the time of death had been determined as 2-7 days before Michael's remains were found. That means there is a period of time where Michael may have been alive but unaccounted for.
Sound familiar? No wonder police want to question GMH.
The Tallahassee Democrat has referred to Hilton as a Fulton County native. They have dug up a lot of details in Hilton's past that I haven't seen reported in other papers.
Anyone have access to Fulton County birth records?
AMW has the best info I have found on Michael Scot. It is a very sinister case.
Is anyone as disturbed as I am about the backpacks that GMH was throwing away. Plural backpacks?
Luke-let me clarify one thing- GMH may have some sort of PTSD from childhood trauma that triggered his current personality disorder. Not ruling that out.
MLS | 01.12.08 - 4:08 am | #
I should have specified that my particular PTSD isn't as much service related as it is childhood trauma.. My father's PTSD is pretty much responsible for one phase of it, but not entirely...
No doubt that Gary Michael Hilton has some strong indicators in his past that could have at least partially dictated the monster he would become. He must have either flown under the radar of his own family or more likely, his family played a part...
The cellophane and duct tape reference was from an earlier newspaper clipping of a hardware store purchase. I can find it if anyone wants it, though it may take a while. (Pats party tonight)
And Luke, I can do your astrological chart if you want, let me know.
ellenott | 01.12.08 - 10:26 am | #
I would like that very much, Elle! I have always been fascinated in such things, but as I get older, I definitely believe there is more to astrology than meets the eye. Perhaps that's just a product of my faith in other areas diminishing, IDK.
But thank you, I would be most appreciative!
Robert M., you make an interesting point about the November birth dates and things happening in threes.
BTW, I share a birthday with Gary Michael Hilton and Gary Michael Heidnik...and I'm two days away from Charles Starkweather and Ted Bundy....
@thefirstdiane - The AJC has referred to him in several articles as a Florida native. Interesting...I wonder which is correct.
Ack, the right side of the comments are cut off for me. Way back when someone posted a solution for that. Does anyone know what it is?
Steve Huff 01.12.08 - 2:42 pm | #
Why 3 decades, he is in his sixties, would think more, unfortunately.
SuziQ
go to this comment
Go to the link
http://www.haloscan.com/comments...ments...789725/
? a=44283
and you can see them. Not sure what the problem is.
Tammy | 01.11.08 - 10:06 pm | #
nevermind SuziQ--just tried, didn't work. just scroll up to find original post
The dismembering of victims is what makes me believe that Hilton's been silently cutting a swath of death across the Southeastern U.S. for 3 decades. We may never know the true toll.
Steve Huff | Homepage | 01.12.08 - 2:42 pm | #
I couldn't agree with your assessment of Gary Michael Hilton anymore, Steve.
I do feel very strongly about Hilton's ability to kill indiscriminately and for various reasons. Some, 9X out of 10, did have elements of a sexual component. Just the use of a knife suggests this in most knife based crimes on a person of the opposite sex. He may have never even touched the women in a sexual manner, but he wouldn't have to. (Neither did Berkowitz or Zodiac. Dennis Rader was sexually motivated, but how many actual assaults did he commit?)
One name that really leaps out at me from the annals of serial killer past is Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins. A man that would kill anything that moved and for any host of reasons.
Like Pee Wee Gaskins', Gary Michael Hilton's tru body count will most likely be taken to his grave...
Chris, I only got part of what you were saying. But I pieced together what you were trying to tell me. It worked, thanks!
http://www.ajc.com/metro/
content...tabor_0112.html
"Ex-employer: Hilton threatened to kill me."
Chris spluttered: "Why 3 decades, he is in his sixties, would think more, unfortunately."
Assuming he killed in the 70s, you have 3 FULL decades -- 1970s, 1980s, 1990s. Hilton could have begun as early as age 15, for all we know (though there's no evidence he did). He would have been 15 for most of 1962, turning 16 in Nov. of that year. Not a full decade. Right now, it's only 2008. Not a full decade.
A decade is defined by Webster's as "a period of 10 years."
Three full decades, Chris.
http://www.ajc.com/2008/content/...?
cxntlid=inform
Clint Van Zandt's take on Hilton. (Sorry if this is a repost.)
http://www.ajc.com/gwinnett/
cont...ction_0110.html
*
According to conservancy spokesman Brian King, the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail system receives about 3.3 million visitors a year, or 109 million since 1974, when the first homicide associated with the trail occurred, at a shelter in Georgia. There have been six more homicides between Maine and Georgia since then, the most recent in 1990.
I found this inormation posted at paratrooper.net on 1/8....
I could only find one Gary (NMI) Hilton, the rest had initials and none were middle initial M for Army service for his age group. Service showed 1972-1974 in 2/55 ADA separation at the rank of E-4 so I am not sure if this is him or not, could not find if he was Papa qualified or not and could not confirm if this was him. I am sure more details will follow in the days ahead.
While LE would be foolish not to look at "incidents" from the time he was 15, the first divorce might very well have been a trigger, but then so could one of the latter ones. Really, GMH's life needs to be mapped out as if writing a genealogical bio with footnotes so as to establish a detailed timeline since 1962 and then link it to cold cases. Just to ELIMINATE possibilites. And the marriages could have been attempts at coverage, the kind that BTK so fully lived out. This one will roll on.
Interview with John Tabor. Raw video in three parts too.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109460
'During most of the ten years that Hilton worked as a telemarketer for John Tabor's DeKalb County business Tabor said the word "monster" never came to mind.
But Tabor says a year ago Hilton started to change, claiming he was ill and taking a variety of medication. "I know at one point he told me he really needed the medication, that when he stopped taking them, the demons came back,” Tabor said.
Tabor said Hilton's behavior grew increasingly odd, then threatening. Tabor said over a decade, he'd advanced Hilton as much as $10,000. Last September Hilton demanded more. "He told me he wanted $10,000. He said ‘I don't care how you get it, but you better give it to me or else,’" Tabor said. "He said it would be the easy thing to do, or I'd pay the price."
Tabor called police and told them Hilton was a danger. "I had to get family members out of the house and I armed myself and I remained armed 24-7 from that day forward until he was captured,” he said.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109460
Ana said: "
Also, @ Gen, if GMH wanted to "dehumanize" his victim, he wouldn't ride around with them alive in his van for days. I don't think he gave one singular, solitary sh*t about his victims: for sex or for their humanity or for their lack thereof if he chose to do something about that. He wanted their money, he wanted to kill them to assuage his frustrations at being a perpetual loser by society standards and he didn't want to get caught. End of story.
That doesn't make him any less evil, or any less of a serial killer. I just think the sexual element is off base and isn't so prominent a motive in regards to these murders. Just my gut feel."
Hi Ana,
I wrote "dehumanizing" because the postmortem dismemberment is a show of utter disrespect. By his actions, Hilton is saying that the victim is worthless and deserves to be butchered like an animal.
Some killers do dismember so that their victims' bodies will be hard to identify. But the identity of Hilton's victims had little connection to him; the payoff of that kind of "coverup" is not worth getting one's hands dirty unless one also happens to enjoy the process. (Besides, Hilton was fairly terrible at otherwise covering his tracks in the other cases we know about.)
We do not fully understand the connection between serial murder and sexuality. But as Steve pointed out above, the sexual component is almost always present in some way. Meredith Emerson was an unusually attractive woman and, as I mentioned in my previous post, not a great mark if Hilton's intention were only to rob.
This may be a dumb question, but is there a reason that you guys think that there seem to be several serial killers that are scorpios- I know that several are...but what do you think the reason is? I too am a scorpio- birthday Nov. 20, 1973. Although, I am a female.....why is it that you always hear of male serial killers? Are there cases of female serial killers? You will have to please excuse me, I have never read so much regarding murderers- this one just intrigues me for some reason. Also, I had a dream- this is kind of interesting to me, but I had a dream prior to them arresting Hilton, and before I knew anything about Cayle Bywater. I know that they do not suspect Hilton in her death, but thought this was odd....I dreamt that something involving Meredtih Emerson's body or Hilton (after reading of her disappearance) that there was some kind of connection to something by water and I dreamt it 2 times in one night, waking and having a sense that I should remember "by water"- I did not think after reading what I had about Emerson that she was near water...but something told me to remember it??? Strange to me in a sense- could be purely coincidental, especially since they do not think Hilton is involved in her death. I thought it was very interesting when I had the dream 2x in one day. I have had issues of clairvoyance on numerous occassions. I have no control over it, but things that I am suppose to remeber I usually stick in my head until it makes since. Although, everything that I have "foreseen" has eventually happened in the near future, but only in very close friends and family memebers...just thought it was odd. Probably just a coincidence that Bywater ends up being on the news as well....just kind of odd for me personally knowing my past with dreams or "visions". Any thoughts???
from http://tinyurl.com/3y6jy5:
Not everyone found Hilton so intimidating. Kurzeja recalled him as being "pretty nice." "I was really shocked to hear about this hiker," the Atlanta subcontractor said. "I don't know what happened to him. He used to tell people he was in Vietnam."
Most serial killers kills are seperate, often escalating over a period of time, sometimes years, and will continue until the killer is taken into custody, or dies. Killing tends to be one on one. Although there have been instances where a serial killer has killed more than one at a time. There is no usually (or very little) connection between the perpetrator and the victim. Although there may be a "pattern" or "victim trait", individual murders with in a series rarely display a clearly defined or rational motive.
I found the information below which puts them into different categories and their motives:
Motives of a Serial Killer.
Visionaries: Acts in resposce to voices and is instructed by these voices to perform the act of murder. These killers are usually schitzophrenic and psycotic.
Missionaries: They think it is their responsibility to rid society of unwanted elements.
Hedontist: Kill because murder causes them pleasure.
Lust Killers: Kills for sexual gratification with acts that are usually sadistic.
Thrill Killers: Kill for a desire for a thrill or experience.
Gain Killers: Kills for personal gain. The killer premeditates the act to require financial gain or materialistic goods.
Power Seekers: Kills for the desire to have control over the life and death of others.
I was wondering if anybody thought what would happen if law enforcement simply asked Hilton who else he has killed?
He finally fessed up to abducting and killing Meredith and even led law enforcement to her body...my question is has Hilton been sat down and asked, point blank, if he would be willing to start talking??
I don't mean to sound naive, and it sounds simple, but since he was forthcoming in Meredith's case, maybe he would be forthcoming in other cases.
I have been reading up on this story since Meredith went missing and after Hilton was apprehended and led authorities to her body, there has been much speculation as to his (obvious) involvement in these other murders, and I'm just sitting here thinking "Well, cripes. ASK him, for heaven's sakes."
Again, don't mean to sound naive, but, in all seriousness, does anybody know if Hilton has been interrogated or even asked about these other murders? What if he confessed and gave details? I think that it's worth a try...
Darby,
I am sure they have asked and for all we know he may have given them information that we will not learn about until a later point and time.
Many serial killers have confessed to their other killings once they have been caught.
The questions have to be posed to them in a way that upon them releasing it to LE it is going to make them feel important, powerful..give them a chance to be the center of attention and in their twisted minds make them some kind of hero.
Tammy - good, that makes sense.
I truly was wondering if Hilton wasn't being left alone in his jail cell, with his three blankets that he was given to make him more comfortable, without being asked about any other situations.
I was very shocked to hear that he not only confessed to Meredith's murder, but led LE to her body...and I can't help but think that maybe he'd do that in the case of the elderly Bryant couple, where the older man is still missing.
LE had him in Meredith's case all they had to do was get him to talk and let them know where the body was.
Like i said before he may very well talk about his other killings if he thinks he has something to gain from releasing the information.
Interesting video. According to Tabor, Hilton's had the dog since he started working for him, he claims to have no family and is a loner. His behavior while always odd, started to become troubling a year ago (when he started taking scripts) and accelerated to threatening this summer.
Oh, Hilton made it clear when he interviewed for the telemarketing position, that he would only work if he could bring the dog on the job. The dog was his family.
I know this has been posted somewhere, but does anyone know how long Hilton had been working for Tabor? I am still determined to find out how Hilton got that dog!
Darby, I believe the reason Hilton led them to Meredith's body was because he knew he had been caught red-handed, and he thought they would take the death penalty off of the table if he showed them where the body was located. I personally believe that same kind of manipulative thinking will cause him to now refuse to say a word. He will gamble on holding out information so that he can barter with his treasured knowledge for whatever is coming down the road. He is not going to volunteer anything. I do, think it would be beneficial to starve him, keep him up all night with no sleep, in bright lights, and possibly with movies of Golden Retriever dogs being tortured displayed on the wall of his cell. (Of course the movies would all be photo-shopped! One of the main reasons I personally can think of for beheading and gutting someone is catching them in the act of torturing an animal..... I HATE people who are cruel to ANYTHING!!!) Unfortunately, I doubt the GBI has the leeway to practice sleep depravation laced with tortured dog movies on Hilton. Dang it.
The article said he had been working for Tabor for ten years.
I am sure that some of the LE officers would like to be able to use "by whatever means necessary" to get the monster to talk. But we all know that in our politically correct society those actions are not allowed.
They would be viewed as cruel and unusual punishment.
I have a question regarding the death penalty in this case. While the DA states he was not involved in the discussion of the death penalty does the fact the LE took it off the table still apply in this case. LE is part of the process so if they provided him something in writing stating they would it off the table would it be legally binding.
If the DA seeks the death penalty and gets it would it be overturned upon appeal due to the fact LE took it off the table during their negotiations with Hilton.
Reannan - good point! My thoughts are that he is probably being tortured by being confined in a small area, inside, where he can no longer walk around freely with his dog and his baton, looking for another victim.
You are correct with what might make him talk - he clearly loves animals and has no regard for people, which is why I feel that he did not hurt Ella. He valued Ella, and did not value Meredith.
Hopefully, being in a small cell is hell on earth for him right now. And hopefully, whatever tactics that worked in getting Hilton to lead authorities to Meredith's body will be used to compel him to lead authorities to the elderly missing Bryant man's body.
Maybe the detention officer will take away TWO of Hilton's THREE blankets that he claimed he was given upon his incarceration in jail. I can't help but hope that Meredith was warm during her days in Hilton's captivity. My guess is probably not, and I wonder why Hilton is being treated so well.
Tammy is most likely correct, though, in that he won't talk unless it's approached to him a certain way. I was concerned that NO efforts were being made to just ask him if he'll start making a list of all of his victims...
Starvation, sleep deprivation and psychological torture? Isn't that what he most likely did to his victims? It's not "politically incorrect" to use "whatever means necessary"- it's just wrong and NOT crossing that line is what separates most of us from someone like GMH.
I wonder why any criminals are treated so well but that is what our system has come to with all the laws that are now on the books. I have long since come to the conclusion that victims are not protected but the criminals themselves are the ones who have all the "rights".
The protections of the criminals rights have long since outweighed the rights of the victims and their families.
Just ask yourself why should it take so long to bring a person to trial on a case like this.
When an inmate can sue because he does not like the kind or peanut butter he is being served then that should tell you what is wrong with our society.
Hilton may give up a few of his murders, if he is indeed a serial killer, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for a full disclosure.
Sure if it benefits HIM he is more likely to reveal more, but that being said, what does he really have left other than his memories....
3 hots and a cot will be more than sufficient, unless he really fears the death penalty.
This is a guy who we can clearly overhear on video asking a cop if they, "Got a good jail?"
Categorizing a serial killer can be helpful, but far too frequently profilers want the killers to fit inside their neat little preconceived "boxes."
I have a great deal or respect and admiration for professional profilers, but there is a VAST difference between getting into the mind of the killer and having a mind that reflects that killer's.
I guess it's kind of like expecting a substance abuse counselor who is not a recovering addict to truly understand what motivates an addict under their care to be Hell bent on self and familial destruction.
Sorry, MLS - got to disagree with you there. I have never so much as harmed a flea on the hair of any of the animals I have owned. I have never shop lifted a piece of candy from a store. In fact, I am so horribly honest, that some would deem me to be "unsuccessful" in life. I could never, ever, in a million trillion years go out and "hunt a victim". With all of that said - if someone I loved were harmed like Meredith, I could EASILY pay their bail, get them out, and do things that I can not speak of publicly, but probably worse than anything you have ever read about - to find my loved one, or to seek revenge on my loved one. Is that wrong? Is that right? Who can judge???? I FIRMLY believe there is a HUGE difference in rightous anger directed against evil, and EVIL anger, directed against rightousness. The evil perpetrated by the dark cesspool soul of Hilton against the mountain-air and sunshine-laced soul of someone like Meredith is a vivid reminder of the battle between good and evil in this world. Everyone needs to be careful and remember where we are......in the midst of a battle.
There had to have been a DA involved in taking the death penalty off the table. It couldn't have been LE only. I think it was the DA of Union County (where Meredith disappeared from). Since the murder evidently took place in Dawson County, I think the DA there is basically saying "hey, I didn't make the deal".
Of course, the evidence against him in the Cheryl Dunlap case is mounting in Florida. They've charged him, and if he is found guilty, I'm pretty sure the state of Florida seeks the death penalty. The two states could reach a deal and he'd serve out his sentence (on death row hopefully) in Florida. Maybe we could take Ol' Sparky out for one more go-round for Hilton.
Battle? Good Evil vs. Bad Evil? I am a clinical psychologist so perhaps I see things from a more secular position.
That said, I think I will now bid this board adieu.
More on the dogs....( I have been lurking here for many months, following some other crimes ( Vaughn family, Petit women)
but this crime has really hit me hard...I was living in Miami when Hilton was there, also in Marietta when he was charged with solicitation there...am now in the Chicago area...
I have been a dog owner for years, and have been through training....I think that he used Dandy in trapping Meredith...and I do not think he "loves" dogs. They are tools to him, and I am willing to bet he disposed of many before Dandy. The hardest thing to train a dog in is "recall" , coming instantly when off leash. He had this with Dandy, while Ella was still too young/not far enough along in training to do this reliably at all times...I am betting treats were used in training her, but not Dandy...I am guessing that he gave Dandy a command to run, Ella followed, and then Meredith had no choice but to follow him...then when the parking lot was clear, he got Dandy to come to him, Ella followed and they headed to their cars...at some point he attacked, but the dogs were crucial to buy him time until the parking area was clear....
some dog owners use violent means in training...fear...
I no longer go to dog parks, as I have had some bad experiences...with owners and dogs...
I just really feel that he really used his dog in this murder, perhaps others...but he did not care anything about it...
I truly fail to see how someone does not view what happened to Meredith, and possibly other victims, as evil. I do NOT intend to start a religious argument, and I will certainly NOT hijack this thread - but I truly cannot understand how you cannot view this as evil.
I certainly view his actions as the very worst kind of evil...what he has done is just unimaginable to me...as a parent, I cannot imagine having these things happen to any of my children. Evil? Yes,without a doubt...I cannot even stand to look at his pictures....
Reannan,
I agree with you evil cannot be destroyed with good will or kindness but has to dealt with in a manner that is only fitting for those who perpetrate these unspeakable acts against their victims who cannot defend themselves.
People like Hilton do not deserve to breath the same air or live within the comforts of a jail cell until at which time society determines "what made him do this" or "why he did it"
At this point does it really matter rid the world of a monster and be done with it. period!
"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." Albert Einstein
Well said, Tammy....and Albert! And now, for some good news - Mars is going to escape the asteroid hit!!!
Thanks for the good news Reannan.! (smiling)
I do not see how someone can use loaded words like "righteous" or saying we are in a "Battle of good v. evil" and not expect someone to see it as Sunday morning sermon speak.
Geraldo-Tabor is on the show. Hilton couldn't stay in spot for very long. He would take off for 2-3 weeks at a time and head to the GA & NC mtns.
Tabor must be livid, Geraldo also had the woman bad mouthing him in the AJC on.
Catherine, you brought up a point I had been meaning to address. I would bet you money that Hilton's control of Dandy was based on evil. If there is any winner in this horrible saga, it would have to be Dandy. She has escaped a world that is more vile, and horrible, than most beings on this planet will ever have to witness. I shudder to think how he "trained" is dog to be so obedient. I hate him. I asbolutely, positvely, with no holds barred, hate him.
Diane,
I read an article earlier that stated the woman who had the "siding" done had been sued by Tabors company for nonpayment and Hilton did not do the job.
we went to a trainer that used hitting/cuffing to control the dogs...and it was just awful...now I know better...and I can assure you that Hilton has nothing but contempt for the average kind dog owner, with an imperfectly trained dog. Note how the dog stayed right by him as he unloaded his van in Atlanta, just before he was caught!
Yes, Tabor in that raw video footage denied Hilton worked at her home. She repeated those claims again tonight on Geraldo though. Tabor didn't get a chance to rebut as the show was out of time.
Luke, I am SO over worrying about my beliefs insulting anyone. I would fight to the death YOUR belief, or MLS's or anyone else's to be a pagan, or whatever the heck else you want to be. I was a practicing witch myself for years. But on the other hand - I can freaking say what I believe! I am tired of not being able to voice my opinion as a Christian, and being put down as some idiotic, crusading zealot. I AM NOT THAT!!! I will not make that argument here however, ....sorry Steve - now back to this discussion. Where is Becky anyway? She could help us a lot with Hilton's past military experience. Off to email her.
UPDATE:
We want to update a story we ran last night at 6pm on 11Alive News.
In that story, we interviewed a Snellville woman who claimed Gary Michael Hilton worked at her home, building a deck several years ago.
She told us that she filed suit against the company that Hilton worked for, Insulated Wall Systems because she believes the work done by Hilton was shoddy.
Saturday, Insulated Wall Systems owner John Tabor disputed her claims.
Tabor told 11Alive News he has testified in a sworn deposition that Hilton never worked at the house. His company has a pending lawsuit against the woman's husband, alleging that he failed to pay for the work.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109460
I am an animal lover and dog owner, but it is true that force and intimidation can motivate an animal just as much as "evil" (a better word would be cruelty) does.
I don't know why it is so hard for some to understand that this man is completely capable of loving his dog, regardless of how "evil" he is.
In fact, he probably holds dogs in MUCH higher esteem than he does humans.
Maybe he never received any type of perceived rejection from the dog..as pets are very loyal to their owners.
Luke, I am SO over worrying about my beliefs insulting anyone. I would fight to the death YOUR belief, or MLS's or anyone else's to be a pagan, or whatever the heck else you want to be. I was a practicing witch myself for years. But on the other hand - I can freaking say what I believe! I am tired of not being able to voice my opinion as a Christian, and being put down as some idiotic, crusading zealot. I AM NOT THAT!!! I will not make that argument here however, ....sorry Steve - now back to this discussion. Where is Becky anyway? She could help us a lot with Hilton's past military experience. Off to email her.
reannan | 01.12.08 - 9:12 pm | #
It's good that you are so reasonable..... such strong language, I'm sorry if I touched a nerve.
Maybe he never received any type of perceived rejection from the dog..as pets are very loyal to their owners.
Tammy | 01.12.08 - 9:18 pm | #
A dog's loyalty is like no others. It only has the most basic of needs and gives back more than it ever receives.
Dogs do not have agendas, do not cast judgment, do not talk down to people, etc...
I personally like animals a lot more than I will ever like people and daily I am reminded as to why this is...
(((Luke)))) You didn't touch a nerve; at least one that wasn't rubbed raw already. I LOVE Steve's site, and I LOVE the fact that posters here can have intelligent conversations without bashing each other's brains out. Posters are generally courteous and considerate of the opinions of others. I guess that is the part that rubs me raw. We are dealing with someone who kidnapped a beatiful girl who wanted to celebrate the New Year by hiking in a beautiful, peacful place with her beloved dog. But instead, ended up kidnapped and held hostage for three days before being bludgeoned to death and decapitated. The words that I used - "evil", and "rightous" anger, seem to me to be dimmed on the wattage meter of what we are discussing.
Something is up with Tabor. I read an article where he was boasting about being the "key" that helped LE catch Hilton. His opinion about Hilton seems to go back and forth. I just get a weird feeling about him.
L - I totally agree with your weird feeling. In most "normal" cases - the employer of this guy would have been on the news the second he was identified. I originally attributed it to his wife being a lawer, perhaps she had kept the profile very low key. That doesn't feel right somehow... the relationship between Tabor and Hilton seems strange.
MUST READ. Lots of new info.
AJC
http://tinyurl.com/2jzxfd
I don't understand why you would continue to employ a man that you think is that odd AND advance money to him on more than one occasion. It just seems to weird to me.
Serial Killer on Ritalin.
Nice image
"He would put food down in front of the dog and the dog wouldn't eat until he told him to do it," Johnson recalled. "He would go to the store and come back and the dog still wouldn't eat until he told it to."
ThefirstDiane; you hit paydirt with that article!
http://tinyurl.com/2jzxfd
This is what I was speaking of when I referenced what kind of horrible training methods Hilton would have used on poor Dandy. I wish I could take Dandy in and give her a big pillow with non-ending treats. Bastard.
From the article thefirstdiane linked above:
"Jana Tabor said Hilton's behavior had become erratic, and she attributed it to his medication. He had self-diagnosed himself as having M.S., and he was going to this quack doctor and he was taking an incredible amount of Ritalin," Jana Tabor said. "He already had one of those upbeat energetic personalities, and that just make it warp speed, made him crazy."
I wonder what kind of medication he was taking? Rotten and missing teeth - paranoia - methamphetamines???
Also, from the same article, it validates that Hilton has in the past, been in posession of a gun. I seriously think the investigation into Hilton and Levi Frady's murder needs to be pursued.
Self diagnosis, pulling his own teeth, subjecting himself to hardships, and even the training of his dog paint him as a control freak, with a host of other psychological issues.
An anti-social misogynistic control freak with a bad temper and a gun... nice.
Wonder how long ago he ditched that gun and whether it followed the commission of another crime.
Like I said before, Gary Michael Hilton strikes me as a completely indiscriminate killer, capable of killing anyone, for any reason, with any weapon or object...
Hilton's birthday was at the top of the first draft lottery.
The following news article appeared in newspapers the
day after the 1969 draft lottery; December 2, 1969
-snip-
For those with birthdays drawn in the upper portion of the lottery list -- April 24, Dec. 30, Feb. 14, Oct. 18, Sept. 6, Oct. 26, Sept. 7, Nov. 22 and Dec. 6 round out the top 10 -- the uncertainty over their draft status has ended.
http://www.landscaper.net/draft.htm
I am really curious to find the answers to these two questions:
1. Where did Hilton get Dandy?
2. Where did the camoflage colored truck on the ATM tape from the Dunlap tape come from? You have all seen the truck by now, so I won't post a link - but here is one that sort of looks like it:
http://www.camoextreme.com/
image...me_dodge_lg.jpg
Where would Hilton have obtained this truck? I am convinced he killed Dunlap, and it is him in the ATM video; so where does this truck come from?
Where would Hilton have obtained this truck? I am convinced he killed Dunlap, and it is him in the ATM video; so where does this truck come from?
reannan | 01.12.08 - 10:39 pm
Maybe it belongs to another victim who's not been found yet, or maybe it was someone who parked there while they were eating at a restaurant next door.
Amazing info that the AJC has come up with, and none of it surprising to me...as for his alleged prescriptions, I bet those were stolen...I cannot imagine this wacko going to even a quack doctor...he seemed very intent at flying under the radar.
Steve mentioned several days ago that he was not sure that Hilton was his last name...I have done lots of genealogy work, and checked on some of the message boards for possible links... Hilton is originally an English name, and this POS does not appear to have any other apparent ethnic characteristic.. such as Hispanic, Native American etc. I am betting that this is his real name...and aren't most serial killers WASP males ( with some exceptions, I know....Wayne Williams, David Berkowitz)...? So I think that this is his correct identity....and I bet he did serve some time in Vietnam, as well, and I am sure was warped well before that time. Not that this means anything, but I bet his family goes way back in the US, and I also bet that few relatives will step forward to claim him....
As for his dog, I will say again that he did not love her ( in my opinion) Who feeds a pet in that manner? That is all about control, NOT companionship....
the ability to let a dog off leash, in a public place, with no fencing, requires an enormous amount of control. It is risky for the typical owner, because your dog can run off, or ( as I have seen happen), it can injure other humans or animals. Hilton had total control over that dog, and I am sure that she had been his unwitting pawn before ( with Levi Frady, with the Bryants)
We know he had connections in Florida. Why did he decide to go down there after he "lost" his job in Georgia? I seriously doubt he went down there to just live in the woods. I am beginning to think maybe this guy had a signifcant drug habit with connections in his old haunting grounds in Flordia. He could have borrwed that como-colored truck from soemone passed out in a tent, and they would never even remember it!!! This guy was too social, to be so anti-social. He might have liked to "live in the woods", but he had a huge urban habit.
I think he liked to go "hunting" in the country, whether it was Florida, Georgia, or NC....I personally think that drugs were perhaps peripheral, nothing more...
also, I was just watching the 911 video, and the caller said that Hilton had 'reddish eyebrows"...might he have had red hair as a young man? A further identifying characteristic of this mysterious monster? Good night all, I really learn so much from this site, as many of you have really good insights....
I'll be surprised if Hilton ever served in the military. He probably had a criminal record before his number was picked. If he were a veteran from the Vietnam era, combat or not, he'd be eligible for a VA pension if he's really unable to work, and if his discharge was not dishonorable. The pension is based upon need, not service connected disabilities. There are all sorts of programs in place to help homeless veterans, but the applicant has to be a genuine veteran.
Tabor told 11Alive News he has testified in a sworn deposition that Hilton never worked at the house. His company has a pending lawsuit against the woman's husband, alleging that he failed to pay for the work.
***
IIRC, this lawsuit has been ongoing since 2005. The allegations that Hilton did the work was alleged from the beginning of that case. Now consider that Tabor, a lawyer himself, has already testified under oath that Hilton never did actual construction work for him. Well Mr Tabor isn't about to admit now or ever that Hilton did construction work for him. That would get Mr Tabor into a bit of trouble. Sanctions from the State Law Board, a perjury charge and maybe a loss of his contractors license if he didn't have the right kind that allowed unlicensed people to work under him.
Haven't had a chance to read all of the info that is here, FYI my husband and I live about two miles from the station at that they captured GMH. And what is so strange we had an encounter with him I belive late last summer or early fall at that very shopping center. We were going to eat the Mexican restaurant at Cambrige Sq. Several people are always at the Starbucks outside tables with their dogs. Well there is one bench in front of the restaurant, and this evening GMH was on it with Dandy laying in front of him. I love dogs and made a coment about how pretty his dog was. He gave me a very scary GTH look, and made no response. It was had to forget because most people respond, if they love their dog! I'll told my husband how spooky he was. This shopping center is close to the two parks that the law has said they had problems with him.
My questions are where is he from?
Or where did he grow up?
Does he have brothers or sisters?
Has he ever been married?
Does he have children?
I heard he had two years of college,
where?
So many reports of several run ins with Chamblee and DeKalb police, as well as with Fla. Are there more and in how many states?
Here's a link to some information about the lawsuit.
http://journals.aol.com/rmckin21...uction-lawsuit/
Hilton's birthday was at the top of the first draft lottery.
thefirstdiane | 01.12.08 - 10:28 pm | #
Interview with John Tabor. Raw video in three parts too.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...? storyid=109460
thefirstdiane | 01.12.08 - 6:55 pm | #
------------------------
Ok, so it’s possible that Hilton served in Vietnam and might have suffered post traumatic stress syndrome. I hope to God that his defense lawyers don’t use that as a “reason” for the actions of this devious, vicious monster. And now, the talk of Hilton’s behavior changing because he was taking large doses of Ritalin and other drugs to stop the “demons” in his head. This probably will be something else that the lawyers can use in their arsenal of twisted defense facts.
Dunno about John Tabor. He comes across sooo squeaky clean in the video. But I am bothered by him taking credit for Hilton’s capture in Dunwoody. It wasn’t a sting operation that got Hilton caught. At least two citizens that happened to be near the Chevron station placed 911 calls and the local police responded to these reports. Tabor says that he identified Hilton’s van and licence number for the FBI (making it sound like he was the first to do so); but it is my understanding that a number of hikers came forward with a description of the man seen with Meredith, and then staffers in the Vogel State Park welcome center (not sure of the exact name of the building) recognized his description and matched it to some sort of registration record they had on file for him. And then there is another report of a former (or maybe retired) LE person being suspicious of Hilton and had written down his plate number.
Amazing info, though, that Tabor’s report of Hilton threatening his life went ignored by Fulton County LE, and that Tabor was not able to file for a restraining order. (Tabor was given the option of being able to file a complaint for harassing telephone calls but chose not to do that.)
Its not unheard of for one person to sue and the other to counter sue. Tabor and the lady could both have a lawsuit against each other and thus is neither lying.
Joanie,
I listened to the Fox5News tape again: Hilton tells the Cherokee County deputy that he was on his way TO Cahoutta. (Of course, who knows if he was telling the truth about his destination.)
One of the hunters(?), Jeff Smith, on the private hunting club property, placed a 911 call to report Hilton because he was suspicious of Hilton’s behavior and thought that he was hiding something. (So it should have been more than simple trespassing that was being investigated.) Smith said that “trash was strewn on the ground, several sleeping bags were in the mud and a stash of plastic storage containers was stacked head-high and covered with plastic.” Hilton also told Jeff Smith that he was headed TO Cahoutta.
I looked again at the Sutallee area south of Route 20 using Google Earth. Zooming in shows a bunch of finger-like and snake-like extensions of Lake Allatoona, and small bodies of water – perhaps they are ponds. Sad to say, it would be easier to leave a body in water, than to bury it.... I wonder if the local hunters have been recruited to help guide/advise in a search for the remains of John Bryant.
Oh, dear God. This just came through on Gretawire....
Comment by amy
January 12th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
they just reported today that Hilton placed and displayed her head on a stump for someone to find
"Well Mr Tabor isn't about to admit now or ever that Hilton did construction work for him. That would get Mr Tabor into a bit of trouble"
SuziQ | 01.13.08 - 12:31 am | #
Exactly SuziQ! Tabor's only speaking now to cover his own ass! Why would this woman fabricate claims that were made back in 2005 that Hilton worked on her deck, if in fact, he did not!? ‘IF’ Tabor did not receive payment for this job it was most likely because of this woman/clients complaints of shoddy and/or incomplete work on her deck and because of Hiltons threatening behavior on the job and Tabors refusal to deal with it!
I cant believe Tabor has the audacity now to brag about how he was apparently responsible for bringing Hilton in - ESPECIALLY when he let the one opportunity to save Meredith’s life pass by with that call from Hilton 24 hours before he murdered her!!
I really get the feeling that when he realized that he was ID'd, he went back to her body to create an insanity defense for himself in case he got caught.
oh no. there arent any words
On the trail of a killer...
A good timeline of the events before his arrest.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/...s/article/2610/
http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/
co...age_tab_newstab
The 911 tape...
Plus other videos at the same site.
http://www.kfsm.com/global/story...y.asp?
s=7603348
Police looking at another murder in Florida in 1994.
Tammy, IIRC, Fort Smith is in Arkansas.
Thank you for the timeline!
A couple of questions concerning the timeline.
January 1 9:30 PM He tried to use her ATM card? Was he able to get money at that time? She had not been reported missing at that time so her access to he bank accounts would not have been shut down. If she was alive she would have been able to have given him the PIN number to use the card. Or was she knocked out and unable to tell him the code.
January 2 She was reported missing.
He tried to use her ATM card again at a bank in Canton at 8:30PM. By this time the back could have shut down access to her card , so that would explain if he was unable to use the card this time.
Jauary 3 He was seen at the Waffle House at 4:3PM. He used the phone to call Tabor at that point and time. According to reports Tabor had already alerted LE that this was the person they should be looking for and when he called him he (Tabor) called the GBI to let them know about the phone call from the Waffle House. From the time he left the Waffle House until they arrived (GBI) it was about 5 hours so at that time he was long gone. Understanding it does take time to trace a call but certainly not that long. After he left the Waffle House he later (not sure of the time) at a Quick Trip on Forsyth Count and made phone call to an ex girlfriend asking for money. She told him no that every LE in the state was looking for him.
AT what time did he call the girlfriend and was that call traced and could he have been located at that point and time?
Speculation is that he did not know he was being looked for until that point and time and that he killed Meredith the next day. Was Meredith with him at the time or is it possible he had her hid out somewhere in the forest and went back and killed her or did he take her back to the location and commit the crimes?
Just wondering ..
If Meredith was in the van during his movements he was awful brazen to make all these stops not worrying about whether or not she might be spotted.
Corrections to my questions the phone call to the girlfriend must have been made on January 4 not January 3 because that is when he got rid of the shirts, belongings and cut out the seatbelt. once he learned he was being looked for by LE.
So Meredith had already been killed at this point and time but still him stopping at the Waffle House if she was in the van would have been a risk one would think.
Did he wear a mask or try to conceal his identity while trying to use Emerson's atm card?
Cleveland Hiker (or anyone else), would investigators be able to tell if the dismemberment occurred sooner rather than later? Thank you.
Maybe we will never know what truly happened, or "why". Sometimes there is no "why". I do know it was never about money. People, this is not one of Pablo Escobar's henchmen (ever read what they did do people over money?) And it was never about making identification more difficult.
Cleveland hiker, I don't think he had enough time to go back to Dawson Co. on that Friday. I doubt it was an after-the-fact thought.
Taking that "step up" to what this guy did to Meredith (and Cheryl Dunlap, and whoever else) is unfathomable. It's repulsive, disgusting, and a prime example of why the death penalty should be sought. He didn't just murder, he mutilated. The sadness I feel for Meredith's parents/family/friends on having to hear that news from the medical examiner is just too much.
Tammy, sadly, I'm guessing both Meredith and Ella were with him during the 3 days. The blood on the cut-out seatbelt makes me wonder too...
I think Meredith was the last in a series. There's no doubt in my mind that he's a serial killer. I'm not even going to say "prolific serial killer" because the word prolific has somewhat of a positive connotation to it. There's nothing positive here. Who knows how many deaths and missing persons can be linked to this pathetic excuse for a human-being. Just think, we're almost certain he killed Cheryl Dunlap. Cheryl was last seen on December 1st, 2007. Meredith went missing a month later, to the day. So in the span of a mere MONTH, we're almost certain he kidnapped, killed, and mutilated two women, in two separate states. And he's been off the radar, wandering... for how many years now?
Why does it seem like the U.S. produces so many monsters? Does this happen (as often as it seems to happen in the U.S.) in other developed countries? Like in Western Europe? Or is it because of the U.S.'s size and population that we hear more gruesome stories like this? What is the problem here. I read that a hiker from Finland, who's living in Georgia was so appalled by this case, and basically said "you'd never hear about this in my country." People from outside the U.S., chime in for me.
I have a feelin that the more we learn about Hilton the more sadistic that crazy. He knew exactly what he was doing.
The bank in Gainesville wasn't mentioned in the original AW. The AW only charged that Hilton was identified as the person who attempted to use the ATM at the second bank. The AW didn't charge him with actually withdrawing money. I think that LE has a lot of information that they are holding close because this may be information that will tie Hilton to other cases. He did get money from the Bryant's account and reportedly from Cheryl's account. It seems that Meredith didn't give him the pin # or she wasn't able to. Money was his motivation for calling Tabor on Friday. He probably wouldn't have been desperate enough to call Tabor or the ex-girlfriend if he had money from Meredith's account. Where was he getting the money to drive all over GA, NC, and FL for months? Gas is expensive. Does he possibly receive SSI or disability benefits of some type? Does anyone know if he did anything to Meredith's hands? Displaying her head on a stump was an arrogant act directed at LE and the search teams. He really is a monster.
Sure he knew what he was doing. I never for a minute think he woke up at 61 one years old and decided to commit this heinous crime against Meredith.
She was just the latest in probably a long list of victims.
The "why" escapes me as my thought process can not fathom how any human being could do something like this to another. But in reality I would be extremely worried if I could think along those lines.
Correct he is a pathetic excuse for a human being. One that has no soul.
Not sure how to respond to the question of serial killers in the US verses other countries but there is a link that list them below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Lis...lers_by_country
@this comment:
"He would put food down in front of the dog and the dog wouldn't eat until he told him to do it," Johnson recalled. "He would go to the store and come back and the dog still wouldn't eat until he told it to."
This is what I was speaking of when I referenced what kind of horrible training methods Hilton would have used on poor Dandy. I wish I could take Dandy in and give her a big pillow with non-ending treats. Bastard.
I don't know...I am really not in agreement with this at all, or with Catherines statements.
I have 3 dogs, I have no children and never will, but I have my girls. My oldest is 12, my youngest, 4. Completely VOLUNTARILY, my dogs will not eat without my permission. I can set a sandwich on a plate down in the living room where all 3 of them are, leave the room to go to the bathroom, and come back and none will have touched my plate. they will not take a treat from someone, unless I say it's ok...especially from a child. I have never trained them in this way, but if I put a hotdog on the floor in front of them, they won't eat it unless I say it's ok.
I never specifically trained them to do this, they just respect me and love me completely...and have every trust in me. This is the pack mentality and it is what a natural relationship with a dog IS. Go rent a video about wolves and watch it. the fact that the others won't eat without the alpha's permission has nothing to do with fear, it has to do with respect.
I greatly and deeply resent that there are at least two people on this board who would think that I beat, cuff, hit and scream at my dogs..are CRUEL to them, because they won't eat food off of my plate or until I give them permission. They also ALWAYS come when called off leash. ALWAYS. All three of them would sit in one place and wait for me if that is what I needed them to do...if we were on the side of the road, in Petco, at the vet, off leash...whatever.
If anyone ever raised a hand to my girls I would probably go medieval on their *ss. I can't believe, because my dogs are well behaved that someone would think that I beat them. Or use cruel ways to train them. I hardly have to train them at all. This is just what they DO for me. Outrageous and a very VERY poor assumption to make.
That being said, I agree with Luke. I have no idea why it is so hard to believe that GMH thinks differently about dogs than humans. I, myself feel like Luke and prefer them over humans many times. I think they are smarter and more well adjusted than humans are.
Also, for those asking about Dandy, in the article previously posted here in regards to them it states that Dandy is an eleven year old Irish Setter. It also insinuates that Hilton has had Dandy for Dandy's entire life. It certainly doesn't appear that he has had a revolving door of dogs to abuse.
If he did view dogs differently than humans (which is understandable having nothing and no one except Dandy as family and constant companion)that doesn't mean he's a stellar person with a heart of gold. I think we want him to be a monster, so we just want to think he was an animal beater, too...and a cold cruel bastard to his dog. Problem is, there is good evidence to support that that just isn't true and is purely conjecture.
I've not seen or heard any mention of Hilton posing Meredith's head on a stump. Has anyone else?
There is a lot of misinformation in the comments at Gretawire. Last night Geraldo, repeated over and over "Meredith was in the trunk". We all know that's not true.
Reannan, as far as that camo truck, my impression is that LE is backtracking now. They now believe it may be someone who was witness and not a POI. FL LE is taking some heat from the public for not following through on the hunter's tip and various other issues.
@M: Why does it seem like the U.S. produces so many monsters? Does this happen (as often as it seems to happen in the U.S.) in other developed countries? Like in Western Europe? Or is it because of the U.S.'s size and population that we hear more gruesome stories like this? What is the problem here. I read that a hiker from Finland, who's living in Georgia was so appalled by this case, and basically said "you'd never hear about this in my country." People from outside the U.S., chime in for me.
M, I'm from the US, but I work for a company in the Netherlands, so all of my co-workers are Dutch. I've traveled there and I can honestly say that nothing like this happens with the kind of frequency that ti does here. My theory is that people are just HAPPIER there than they are here.
People;s lives are less stressful because, if you are out of work for any reason, you still are given enough money to live decently on and you always have a roof over your head. There aren't any homeless in the Netherlands. You don't have to worry about losing your job there or getting sick and losing everything you own in the process. Most countries have midwives that come in and work with a family or woman for a whole year when they give birth...not like here in the US where young, single mothers with no idea how to raise a baby are left to fend for themselves...getting frustrated and feeling hopeless and go mad. There aren't babies dumped in dumpsters there, there are few cases of family violence.
Their employment laws are more conducive to a focus on your family over work, too. Mandatory paid vacation time for all workers, job security in that, if you leave to find work elsewhere, you will still receive the pay that you were receiving while you are out of work and looking for another job. People are just less stressed out and there isn't such a struggle for survival and a huge distance between the "haves" and "have nots". This is similar to many countries in Europe, the UK being more similar to the US, but still not quite like our system.
I think this, coupled with our society being more lenient on violence in media than natural states, like nudity...it lends to a completely different effect on the people who live within it.
I somehow feel that Hilton has been receiving some kind of disability (psych???)and probably for years. He has a record as a con-man and I have no doubt that he would play the system and go for any money that he could get. He had to pay for the two vans with something. Reportedly he's been married three times - divorced from Sue in 1969 in DeKalb County, married 8/24/77 and divorced 5/16/78 in DeKalb County, and married 3/19/79 and divorced 10/24/79 in DeKalb County. It didn't take these wives very long to figure him out or perhaps this was a scam for permanent resident cards. These marriages were unusually close together. Where are these women now? Was Tabor paying him on his payroll or was he "off the books"? How was he initially connected to Tabor and why was Tabor so generous to him for ten years? Is he a relative? Who would want a toothless bum advertising your business? Tabor admitted that he had advanced Hilton money over the years and he admitted that Hilton was difficult. Most employers don't keep people like Hilton around. Has LE revealed where Hilton obtained the stolen NC plates that he was using?
Authorites were called to Hiltons favorite dog park for beating a dog in 2004. Whether that was Dandy or not, I don't know. I hope to god it wasn't. And it's one of the areas of this horrible case I don't let my mind wander into. Animal abuse is a very sensitive topic for me.
Re the comments about Tabor's interview and the "funny feelings," I totally agree. When I read his comment about being the "key" to breaking open the investigation, I thought wow - he really wants to play the hero now doesn't he. It's just a way he can make himself feel better. In one article his wife says they were totally shocked that Hilton could ever do this - yet in the interview Tabor says that they knew he could have been involved when they first heard about Meredith. Just another example of "things not adding up" with Tabor, his business, the relationship with Hilton, etc. He really tried to distance himself from Hilton, and yet he was his landlord as well as his boss?
As far as the lawsuit and his claim that "Mack" never worked on that siding/deck job, let's think about this.
Does it make sense that someone would hire a company and then not pay them, for no reason? That this person would hire another company to tear it all down and rebuild everything, for fun, and then pay the second company instead of the original company? How many of us have hired, and subsequently been swindled or at least mistreated by, a contractor? How many of us would willingly place ourselves in a mess like this?
I dare say 99.9% if not more people who hire a company to side and build a deck, want to hire the best company they can, and want a smooth experience. You look at the pictures of what IWS did to their house (you can go to the zimbio site and see the latest posts by "StrangeThingsHappen" for a link) and tell me - who would ever put themselves through that kind of hassle willingly?
Who has the motivation to lie about this - Ron and Robin, or John Tabor? I think the answer is pretty obvious.
Whose plates were on the car/ That would tell us where they were stolen from?
And were those the same plates that were on the van when he was spotted in Florida and by Cherokee authorities.
Possibly recently stolen?
The last I heard about the NC plates is that the person they belonged to is safe and well and LE had no plans on revealing their identity. When they were stolen is a good question. I'm thinking the plates must not have been on the van when he was stopped in Fl or Georgia the info would not have matched Hiltons ID.
I would ask this questions about Tabor and the phone call that came to him from Mr. Hilton.
What would you do if the phone call came to you and you knew this man was wanted by LE. Sure call the authorities but most of us in this day and age have caller id. Would you not write down the number and call the number back to see where he was calling from. This would have given the location of Mr. Hilton to the LE very quickly. Even if he did not have caller id in most cases (provided another call does not come in between calls) you can dial *69 and get the last phone number that called your number.
What are the chances that someone who is a buisness man does not have caller id or if it is his cell phone the number is right there on your phone. So why would it have taken so long to trace the call...if Tabor alerted LE right away with the number.
All that had to done was call the number back and find out whose number it was.
Well if they were on the car in Florida they would not have matched the registration on the van. They would have come back registered to whoever and what ever car they were should have been on at the time.
I wonder if Hilton had a collection of stolen plates. This would allow him to move from state to state and remain under the radar after a recent murder.
Waffle House was mentioned. It was the Huddle House in Marble Hill.
The Georgia plates must have been on the car on Jan. 1st, because they were reported to LE by a hiker who was suspicious of Hilton and wrote down his plate #. Two days later, it was reported that the van had NC plates while he was driving around in the southern Dawson area.
The tips called in that Hilton's van was in the Dawson forest said it had NC plates. The 911 caller said the van had NC plates at the time of the arrest. So he switched them at some point.
I wonder if the story that someone wrote his license plate down was fabricated. That it was Tabor who provided that info when he called LE. Tabor was concerned for his safety and LE fed that to the media just in case Hilton was listening to broadcasts.
Could LE be sitting on the various plates information because it could be a way to trace Hilton's movements over a period of time. If they recovered the stolen plates from inside the van or while he was at the dumpster, the plates themselves would be a way to verify that Hilton had been at specific locations when they were stolen.
I was wondering about the intial reports about someone taking down his plates and saying he suspicious. If that is correct under what circumstances did that happen and when. Why did the person take down his plate number what was he doing to make the indv take down the plates.
Waffle House was mentioned. It was the Huddle House in Marble Hill.
DHD | 01.13.08 - 2:01 pm | #
Sorry about that an earlier report on the local news had stated Waffle House.
The article does state Huddle House.
I can't recall the exact news sources, but it was repeatedly mentioned in the earlier days of the kidnapping that a retired police officer was hiking in the same area and spotted Hilton in the parking lot. For some reason he was concerned about Hilton's behavior and wrote down his plate number. This was supposedly the source of information for LE originally identifying Hilton and looking for him as a person of interest.
Tabor said in his interview that he heard the description of the POI and called LE with Hilton's name & vehicle info. Reading back on the old articles, they first released a description of a man 50-60 with a dog named Danny.
We've read from just about everyone in this horrible crime but the person writing the license plate info down and whoever found the baton, leash and water bottles.
I wonder if the person (retired police officer) notified police at that time or later when he (Hilton) was indicated as a person of interest. I assume the tags at the time were Georgia tags?
I wonder if the former LE person who wrote down the plate # was also the same person who reported seeing the dogs run up the hill together with Hilton and Meredith following. I doubt if Tabor was the first person who identified Hilton to LE. I wonder if LE actually contacted Tabor once they had Hilton's name and address. Tabor owns the property that Hilton was using as an address to register his plates and I'm sure that LE went in search of Tabor.
Then Tabor lied to all the media outlets. Seems like he'd know that would be a lie he could caught in fairly easy.
Oh, dear God. This just came through on Gretawire....
Comment by amy
January 12th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
they just reported today that Hilton placed and displayed her head on a stump for someone to find
Anonymous | 01.13.08 - 10:20 am | #
This is exactly why I started asking the unsettling question about what was done with the head...
If this IS true, it shows Hilton to be as "evil" as I initially suspected.
He posed that head knowing the shocking effect it would have on all of those who came across it. He did so knowing that he was victimizing more than just his victim and that the sight/thought of a decapitated head propped up on a stump would permanently be burned into their minds; an image that not even time will shake.
This was Hilton's big "FU" to whom ever it may concern and he takes extreme pleasure in knowing the legacy that lasting impression will leave. It's gonna be more than enough for him to get by on, as he spends the rest of his days in confinement.
That son of a bitch is gonna relive those memories over and over again and he's gonna die with a smile on his face. If he ever shows remorse or sorrow, it will only be directed towards himself, for getting caught.
He may start singing and give up a few more of his victims...
He'll do so if it is to his benefit, as well as to relive and take credit for other stomach turning atrocities, but he WILL take his actual body count to the grave.
The retired police officer probably notified LE as soon as reports of a missing woman were released on the news and by posters. I recall that a number of people came forward and reported seeing Meredith with Hilton at the hiking site. Meredith's boyfriend, Steve Segars, found her car early on Jan. 2nd because she had left a note identifying her destination on Jan. 1st. I think that the missing person information started very quickly on the 2nd because she didn't show up for work and Steve found her car in the parking lot with Meredith or Ella. Initially they thought that something had happened to her on the trail, but soon Hilton's driver's license picture and a description of his van started to emerge.
I couldn't cut and copy the URL.
Man Sought in Meredith Emerson Disappearance
Atlanta, GA 1/03/2008 06:13 PM GMT (FINDITT)
Police initially thought Meredith Emerson got lost while hiking in North Georgia Mountains with her black Labrador retriever, but now officials say they are looking for a “person of interest” in her disappearance. The 24-year-old Colorado woman was last seen New Years Day hiking on the Freeman Trial on Blood Mountain.
Emerson was reported missing on Wednesday. Witnesses say a “weathered” looking man with “bad dental” talked to the 24-year-old several times. Investigator Kimberly Verdone said the man, between 50 and 60 years, was wearing a sheath on his leg but it is unclear what was in it.
According to an eyewitness, the man “looked as if he had been hiking for some time” as he was wearing a large backpack. He also had a “dark reddish retriever” with him whose name was Danny.
“We want to find out who he was and kind of talk to him and see what happened and what they conversation was throughout the day,” says Verdone.
Police and volunteers are searching for the blonde woman, who is described as “familiar with hiking.” A water bottle and leash belonging to Emerson was found in the area as well as her car.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
Where is the report coming from regarding the find of the head on the stump. Seems like there is one comment on Greta Wire which may not be able to be confirmed.
Then Tabor lied to all the media outlets. Seems like he'd know that would be a lie he could caught in fairly easy.
thefirstdiane | 01.13.08 - 3:04 pm | #
Diane,
See this link below seems like the poster "About StrangeThingsHappen" is the woman whose home was worked on by Hilton and was and has been talked to by the media (see profile) media outlets are trying to contact.
She has many post and responses to questions regarding Hilton and Tabor and the information being reported.
http://www.zimbio.com/
Gary+Micha...Hilton+Meredith
Anyone with information is being asked to call the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
Sue | 01.13.08 - 3:26 pm | #
At this point is when the person may have contacted police..my only questions if he (retired police officer) wrote the tag down WHY? What was he doing that caused him to do that and would you not contact police at that time. What would be gained by keeping the number?
I would say that Tabor probably also contacted LE at this time or LE called him once they knew who Hilton was.
On Janury 3rd, it was reported that Hilton was seen driving the white van. It looks like LE got the plate # from the van, not from Tabor.
‘Person of interest’ sought in case of missing woman
By GEORGE CHIDI
Cox News Service
ATLANTA | Police are seeking a 60-year-old man as a “person of interest” in the disappearance of 24-year-old Buford hiker Meredith Hope Emerson, missing since New Year’s Day in the North Georgia mountains.
Gary Michael Hilton was seen walking with Emerson before she disappeared, said Kimberly Verdone, a spokeswoman for the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Police say he is about 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds.
Police said he was last seen driving a white Chevy Astro van. Hilton has a 1996 white van with license plate number 76APZ and a 2001 white van with plate number AFQ1310, both DeKalb County registered, police said.
Police have yet to say whether they believe foul play is involved — only that they have no evidence to support that conclusion.
Emerson went missing Tuesday with her black mixed-breed dog, Ella, on a mountain trail at Vogel State Park.
Tammy, I was referring to Tabor's claims that he contacted LE with Hilton's name when he heard the description of the POI.
I don't know what's up with that lawsuit or who is telling the truth. It appears to be an ongoing battle between the homeowner and Tabor. IMO, the homeowner is taking advantage of this horrific murder to grind her axe.
As far as the comment at the Gretawire hysteria fest, sounds like bunk. There's a lot of that over there and why I quit reading her *blog* . I'll believe it when I see it reported by a media source.
'You ask the question, why does this person know so much about this person Gary Michael Hilton and his relationship with the Tabor's?
Answer: Because I am one of the customers whose home John Tabor sent this man Gary Michael Hilton into to do work! I am also the person who told the Union County Sheriff, where to look for Hilton in Dekalb. I took the photograph of Hilton's van showing the license plate at the house where Insulated Wall Systems runs its business out of. I sat in a chair across from the desk of Barbara S. at Bob Woods Real Estate Office where she told me the story of the crazy man who lived next door and whom I should be careful of. I have lived terrified of this man possibly coming back to my home to get revenge on me for complaining about his work. I remember he carried some kind of weapon on him. He bragged with other workers about being a convicted felon for drugs and possibly for shooting his wife or ex-wife. I complained to Mr. Tabor and he refused to take him off my job after I complained loudly to him."
http://www.zimbio.com/
Gary+Micha...Hilton+Meredith
Maybe the intial tip came from this person.
I'm so sorry that I'm not able to copy the URLs for some reason to save space, but here a the report about the retired police officer. Another report also indicated that he had written down the plate number when he saw Hilton.
UNION COUNTY, Ga. - Officials in Georgia have named a person of interest in the search for a missing hiker who is from the Longmont area.
Authorities are looking for 60-year-old Gary Michael Hilton as a person of interest in the disappearance of Meredith Emerson.
According to investigators, Hilton owns two vehicles, both registered in DeKalb County: a white 1996 Chevrolet Astro Van with plate number 76APZ, and a white 2001 Chevrolet Astro Van with license plate number AFQ1310.
Officials say they want to know what Hilton said to Emerson on the Appalachian Trail.
Hilton was described as a silver-haired white man weighing about 160 pounds in a Thursday afternoon news conference. Witnesses said Hilton stands about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with bad or no teeth in his mouth.
The man was seen several times talking with Emerson, who went hiking with her black Labrador on New Year's Day. Emerson was reported missing on Wednesday.
"This man was seen with her on multiple occasions during that day," said Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone.
Authorities say Hilton had a large, reddish-colored dog with him that answered to the name of "Dandy." Emerson and the man's dogs ran up the mountains near Dahlonega together, and the two were seen following their dogs Tuesday, witnesses told authorities. The man in question was spotted again Wednesday morning.
The witnesses said he also had with him a large, yellow backpack that looked like it had enough gear for days. Verdone said witnesses described the man as, "Weathered and no teeth and looked as if he had been hiking for quite from time."
Anyone with information on Hilton is asked to call the Union County Sheriff's Office at 706-439-6038.
With the possibility of foul play, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation joined in the search for Emerson and the man Thursday. Add to that, a team of eight from Gwinnett County search-and-rescue, one fire search-and-rescue team, and a Georgia State Patrol helicopter using an infrared device are taking part in the search.
"At this time we are assembling teams with experience and non-experience," Verdone said at a late morning news conference.
Emerson's father is also reported to be taking part in the search.
Authorities suspended the search for Emerson at dusk on Thursday and planned to resume the search on Friday morning.
Emerson was believed to be hiking the Freeman Trail, which measures six miles in length.
Earlier Thursday, investigator Verdone said five or six people had come forward with information about Emerson. One of them, a former police officer, told a shop owner that after passing Emerson and her dog, he spotted a suspicious man who was carrying a police baton.
"He seemed a bit uneasy but he wasn't completely in an emergency state," said Jennifer Moorse, a store employee.
The ex-cop said that on the way back from his hike, he became more concerned when he found the baton along with some of Emerson's belongings near the trail.
"At that point, he felt really uneasy about the situation," said Moorse.
The ex-cop returned to the scene to help investigators pinpoint the area where he saw Emerson, as well as the suspicious man.
Whether she met with foul play or foul weather, Emerson was prepared for both, friends said. She was an experienced hiker and accomplished martial arts student described by her self-defense instructor as "120 pounds of pure tough."
"I've seen her take down men twice her size," said Ken Blumreich.
After reporting her missing, hundreds of friends and relatives traveled to Blood Mountain in Union County where they found her snow-covered car in a trail parking lot. Authorities have confirmed that a water bottle and leash found on the mountain and turned into a local shop owner belong to Emerson.
A short time after her car was found, three teams started what would be six-mile search in the woods in Union County where Emerson took her dog on a hike. They ended the ground search at 6:30 p.m. as sub-zero degree temperatures moved into the region.
I don't know what's up with that lawsuit or who is telling the truth. It appears to be an ongoing battle between the homeowner and Tabor. IMO, the homeowner is taking advantage of this horrific murder to grind her axe.
As far as the comment at the Gretawire hysteria fest, sounds like bunk. There's a lot of that over there and why I quit reading her *blog* . I'll believe it when I see it reported by a media source.
thefirstdiane | 01.13.08 - 3:43 pm | #
I do not know either other than Tabor said Hilton did not work on that job and the homeowner appears to have evidence to dispute that claim. So why would Tabor lie about that fact.
I do not like the fact anyone would use a story like this for personal gain be it Tabor or the homeowner. That is sad.
Agreed I think the things being reported about the "head" and other things have not be substantiated so should not be put out there.
I don't know how Tabor would have heard a description of Hilton so quickly when he was out of state. It seems like the man of interest and Hilton's name all came together in a short period of time. By Wednesday, LE had Hiltons name, van descriptions, and license plate #s. I understood that Tabor hadn't seen Hilton since he threw him out and was supposedly carrying a pistol 24/7 for protection. How would he even know what van Hilton was driving or where Hilton was? He may have cooperated with LE and provided information when he was contacted by them, but I doubt that he was the person who went to LE on Jan. 2nd or 3rd.
Well Tabor seems to want to take credit for it in his interviews given to the media.
Okay the police officer in the latest article is said to have seen them (Meredith and Hilton) as he was hiking up the trail and was concerned. He became very concerned when he cam back down the trail and found the lesh, baton and some of Merediths belongings. So my question assuming this officer is the same officer that wrote down the tag number when did he do that ..
Tammy, we're getting closer to the original information about the retired policeman.
Emerson's parents are grateful that so many strangers have joined family and friends to find her."Susan and Dave have said that, more than anything else, has been hugely comforting to them and supportive. And it's what keeps it together for them," said Meredith Emerson's godmother, Peggy Bailey. "That means that people are caring and they know that Meredith will be found, with that kind of support -- and that's huge."
Hilton was identified as a person of interest after someone wrote down the license tag of his white van. Investigator Verdone did not know what prompted that person to become suspicious enough to take notes on his van."That is something that we’re checking into," she said. "It’s not that he is a suspect...we just want to know when was the last time he saw her." A GBI official added later Friday, "We have confirmed that he was there."
GBI agents said they now have evidence -- proof -- that the person of interest, Hilton, is definitely the man hikers saw with a dog, talking with Emerson as she hiked the trail with her dog Tuesday. Investigators said they believe it was a chance encounter, and that Emerson did not know Hilton.
Authorities said Hilton had a large, reddish-colored dog with him that answered to the name of "Dandy." Hilton owns two vehicles, both registered in DeKalb County: a white 1996 Chevrolet Astro Van with plate number 76APZ, and a white 2001 Chevrolet Astro Van with license plate number AFQ1310.Hilton was wearing a large yellow backpack. For now, officials said they are holding out hope that Emerson is on the mountain, holed up in a cave where she is staying warm with her dog.
"We are still in search and rescue mode. We are holding that she’s out there and that she’s hidden somewhere where she’s staying warm and that Ella is with her.
"Verdone said the search includes the help of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Natural Resources, the Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office, the Union County Sheriff's Office, the Union County Fire Department, the Union County Emergency Management Agency, along with scours of volunteers and a K-9 search team from North Carolina, and the GSP helicopter.
The search will continue through Friday night, with canines who do their work well in the dark. Anyone with information on Hilton is asked to call the Union County Sheriff's Office at 706-439-6038.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109029
Someone asked earlier why Tabor had not talked with the media earlier. I do not know and that was his decision.
I was sitting here thinking what if I was any of these people's shoes who had information what would I do?
I would talk to the authorities but would decline to speak to the media for the simple most reason your words get skewed and then you are subject to public scrutiny by those who do not have all the information.
While all of us want to know and ask many questions during these circumstances sometimes the media causes hysteria with misinformation and their zealous to want to be the first to report or get a story out there to be read and or seen.
So what are the true motives of Tabor the homeowner and others. I do not know but would have a better feeling about them if they had contacted the LE with information and left the media out of the circus.
Sue ,
Continue your search i am going to take little break ..be back in a bit.
The lawsuit against Talyor has been ongoing since 2005. The allegations that Hilton did the work originated a long long time before recent events occured. IMO, the plaintiffs have been drug through the court system by Tabor and his wife who is representing her husband in court.
I'm not sure that the plaintiffs are using the current info on Hilton to grind the ax. But rather pointing out that Mr. Tabor is not telling the truth about his relationship with Hilton.
Tabor, not Taylor, sorry
Ana- I think it is wonderful that your dogs are so well behaved, and I do not think for one minute that you have abused your dogs...
However, when it comes to a serial killer, sorry, but I have my doubts with what kind of dog owner he was....I doubt that Dandy ever saw a vet, or had vaccinations, and wonder how regularly he was fed ( especially with all the $$$$ Hilton was spending on gas!!!)
I have several friends whose dogs are as well behaved as yours, also with regard to food...and coming when called.
It cannot be denied that the animal shelters in this country are filled with dogs who are usually given up for behavioral reasons, and usually are euthanized. Millions per year.
I have been through several dog training classes, and have spent several years going to the dog park on a daily basis. I have seen owners who could not leave, as they could not get their dogs to come to them....owners whose dogs fought, bit other people, other dogs, etc.
so, you are truly blessed, and may also have an innate gift with animals.
My own dog always comes when called, but I would not test that in an open wilderness area.
As for Dandy being owned for 11 years, that could have been a series of dogs, who looked similar...
I just do not think that Hilton was the type to truly dote on animals, but I think we just have to agree to disagree.
I wonder whose dog he was reported for beating, too???
SuziQ, you missed the Geraldo show last night with the homeowners at the Huddle House. The Mrs. made a point of talking about shoddy work and Geraldo cut her off. So she made her way up to Pickens county to be on TV.
I have no feelings one way or the other about the Tabors or the homeowners. Tabor seems to be on the hot seat for employing Hilton. IIRC, before Hilton was arrested, the retired LE officer motives and involvement were being questioned online too.
The only person guilty of Meredith's murder is Gary Michael Hilton.
IMO, the homeowner is taking advantage of this horrific murder to grind her axe.
***
That's a pretty strong opinion for someone who has no feeling one way or another about the Tabors or the homeowners
And I did not miss the discussion regarding Geraldo. The shoddy work=Tabors testimony regarding who did that work=him not being truthful now. Besides, Geraldo cuts everyone off.
But I will agree with you on this:
The only person guilty of Meredith's murder is Gary Michael Hilton.
thefirstdiane | 01.13.08 - 4:34 pm
And to reiterate, even though I love animals, I am only talking about Dandy, because I feel that without this dog, Hilton could not have done what he did. Really, really sick...and I think that many let their guard down for this man who seemed like such a dog lover.
Certainly it is clear to me that he was able to entice Meredith to let her guard down, at least briefly.
SuziQ, let me clarify I don't know these people and honestly don't give 2 hoots about the lawsuit. I have read and watched enough to form an opinion as to why both sides are giving interviews.
I'm still puzzled as to what this lawsuit has to do with any of the murders. If it's questioning Tabor's honesty, OK, maybe he's not telling the truth and Hilton was at the homeowner's building a deck. Are people suggesting Tabor has some involvement or is responsible for what happened?
Perhaps Tabor had suspicions about Hilton over the years...his trips "into the woods"...but why would have continued to employ him?? It just does not add up at all, and it is not as if Hilton was this amazingly skilled person who could not be replaced...
perhaps Hilton had some sort of hold over Tabor, something he knew about him?? Or,as some have suggested, maybe they were related in some way?
Your last paragraph is why I agreed with your statement that the only person responsible for the murder is GMH. I'm not sure why the lawsuit is being discussed by the media. The only relevant link I see is that the Tabors and his customers can offer insight into Hilton's personality. I only wanted to offer another point of view to the possible motives of Tabors customers.
Diane,
I think in regards to Tabor what is causing some "red flags" to go off is that he is disputing that Hilton was the one to do the work for these people. And the homeowner seems to dispute that fact.
But I do not agree with the homeowner either making this into her crusade about the lawsuit.
That is why I stated in an earlier post that when called upon by the media to tell your part of the story(Tabor , homeowner, whoever) you run the risk of putting yourself out there for public scrutiny and for what purpose.
Was it necessary for either of these people to talk with the media about their parts in this case. Would they both not have been better served to have given their information to LE and that have been it.
I am no way suggesting he is involved but when you talk to the media and people form opinions based on what you say then they are going to ask questions. Or in this case someone else may come forth (homeowner) and question his credibility because she has a lawsuit against him.
Not sure why Tabor would have kept him employed for so many years if he felt he was unstable or "scary".
We recently have had a lot of work done on our home and in finding the right people to do the work I consulted with a friend of ours who is a builder.
When giving us names of people to contact he made the comment to me "you have to understand people in construction are a different breed".
Telemarketing or handing out flyers for a siding company is a crappy job. I doubt it pays enough for the average person to eek by on. Tabor kept him around because he was willing to do the job for X amount of money.
IMO, some siding companies are less than reputable and flimflamish. They might have a decent leadman but some of the helpers they hire are questionable.
I agree Diane, he most likely kept around because he could keep around to do this job.
Siding companies and other construction firms hire workers who are questionable or who do not show up or stay long before move on to the next job.
So ten years doing this kind of work is a long time for this type employment.
SSI benefits were $623 mo (last year).
If Hilton was receiving VA & SSI, his total mo income could've been over $1000.
That's alot of $$ for someone who is not paying rent assuming he had no car pymts.
Plus the VA has free medical care (no dental). There is a co-pay for Rx depending on income & assets.
Thanks Emily, Va huh? That pretty much answers Hiltons military service claim. Good find.
Is SSI not based on prior earnings? Wonder if payments to Hilton from Tabor were above board or cash and not recorded.
This may be why Tabor stated he did not work for him. If he never claimed him as an employee he could be held accountable from a tax perspective.
Has anyone been able to locate any information about parents, siblings, or children that could be connected to Hilton? One son of an ex-girlfriend commented about Hilton hitting his younger brother, but that seems to be Hilton's only connection to a family. Newspapers have referred to him as a Georgia native. He has a FL social security number. Where did this monster come from? Perhaps people are afraid to come forward with information about him. Has anyone verified whether his paratropper claims are bogus? He's had three divorces in DeKalb County and Steve found another possible one from Ursula in Miami, in 1971. Why doesn't anyone have any information about him prior to about ten years ago? If he went to college for two years, were there other people in his classes? He had to grow up somewhere.
Emily,
Are you saying we know he received these benefits or that is what he would have received if he was eligible?
I don't know if Hilton was actually receiving benefits -- someone up above posted about him possibly receiving SSI & VA. If he was, his totally mo income could've been over $1000.
There seems to be information regarding him in the 70's not much so far prior to that point.
Then there is a big gap until possibly the 1990's.
Even though his social security number may have been issued in Florida would not mean he was born there since he would have not need one until he started to work or went into the service.
Now SSN's are issued when a child is born in the state where they are born but that has not always been the case.
If someone has access to his SSN and can run a credit report that would possibly have some information concerning where he has lived and employment through the years.
About his marriages and divorces in Dekalb County - the AJC first reported that he was married and divorced twice between 1977 and 1979, and I confirmed that by looking through public records. An article that came out yesterday talked about his marriage to a woman named Sue that supposedly ended in 1969. I think the 1969 date was a typo, though. I can't find any records for him in Dekalb County in the 60s, but he did divorce a woman with the middle initial S. in 1979...I think this is probably the Sue that was mentioned in the most recent AJC article.
Someone earlier posted that it had been mentioned that he had a divorce in Florida in 1971 in Miami. Perhaps this is Sue?
If the SS verification search I used is accurate, he was issued his SS# in 1962 and no activity since Sept. 2007.
This is what I found as a timeline...
1946 - born somewhere, 11/22
1969 - divorced from Sue in DeKalb
1971 - divorced from Ursula in Miami
1972 - stolen property arrest in Miami
1973 - DUI in Miami
1977 - married 8/24 in DeKalb
1978 - divorced 5/16 in DeKalb
1979 - married 3/19 in DeKalb
1979 - divorced 10/24 in DeKalb
1984 - marijuanna and gun in Clayton
1987 - marijuanna in DeKalb
1995 - fraud in Cobb
1995 - theft in Cobb
1995 - solicitation in Cobb
1997 - began working for John Tabor
2008 - murdered Meredith Emerson
I do think that the two quick marriages in DeKalb are unusually short and close together. They could possibly have been a source of big money for him if they enabled women to get permanent resident cards (green cards). For a 61 year old person, the timeline above doesn't provide very much information.
Sue, add Florida, 1970, that's when he applied for the FL chauffeur’s license.
I think it was Steve Huff who dug up the marriage info to Ursula in Miami. It might have been on Friday. I do some genealogy work and the FL data that I found didn't give birthdates for the couple.
Someone at paratrooper.net also found a Gary Hilton as a US Army Paratrooper from 1972-1974. This probably couldn't be him because he was too busy getting a DUI in Miami in 1973 and receiving stolen goods in 1972.
Has his ssn been posted?
Tammy, it was in the last SW. They might have blacked it out by now.
Not SW, arrest warrant for murder.
Found the arrest warrant but not the warrant for murder.
This is Steve's post about wife Ursula.
To add to what thefirstdiane just posted -- a Gary M. Hilton born in Nov. 1946 also was divorced in Miami-Dade County in 1971 from an Ursula Gros. So he was married at some point. I've tried to track down Ms. Gros (who may now be named Ursula Taylor), but records of her after 1985 are hard to come by.
Steve Huff | Homepage | 01.08.08 - 7:15 pm | #
Thanks all for both the tone and content of these boards. I am a long-time reader but have never posted.
Just wanted to add my opinion that it is extremely odd that Tabor would have someone so worn in appearance representing his company with the public. "Following up on leads" I think was the actual description of what he did. Regardless, it doesn't add up.
The conventional wisdom is that when hoping to attract new customers, or dealing with current ones, you must look like you dont need the money.
This is another post by Steve. It kind of gave me the creeps when I read it. He also mentioned that someone with an Hispanic name was using this same ss# in Las Vegas.
I'm putting this in bold because it is perhaps an important question -- or a silly one: Has it occurred to anyone else that this guy could have stolen the Gary Hilton identity ages ago?
I ask because, for one thing, it was very easy to do that still, in the 60s and 70s. For another, so much of the man's past seems so nebulous. The idea popped into my head, though, when I did a search in a database for the full name (Gary Michael Hilton) and came up with a a GMH who died, in Georgia, in the early 80s. That's been bothering me now, for days. It's too 'out there' to put in a blog entry, but it's a question worth tossing out for others to chew on.
Steve Huff | Homepage | 01.11.08 - 1:19 pm | #
Tammy, I found a copy of it on Atlanta Fox, but the SS is marked out. I don't remember if it was Fox or one of the TV stations that first published it online with the SS visible.
I missed the post about an Hispanic in Vegas using the same SS. First I heard of it.
I'm from Tallahassee and I have seen these comments about law enforcement not releasing info... The reason Leon County is so careful with media releases is because we almost lost Ted Bundy on a technicality because the Sheriff was show boating for the media...
Hold on. I do remember a WS poster (and it wasn't Steve) commenting that someone with the first name Juan was using that SS. Las Vegas still isn't ringing any bells though.
Hey JP, any idea why LE is being tightlipped as to the last place Cheryl was last seen alive?
Wish I had a boss that would advance thousands of dollars at a time... Sounds fishy to me. He sure did witness alot of business transactions for this fellow.
Yea Diane , Thats kinda strange they first reported that her duaghter-in-law saw her at 9am.. Now they say thats incorrect, you got me!
thefirstDiane, I think you are correct about a poster at WS finding someone in Las Vegas using the same SS#. They commented about the irony of Hilton possibly being the victim of identity theft. Can you imagine someone stealing Hilton's identity!!!!
One reason I asked if anyone had been able to pull a credit report(surely the authorities have) is because it will give you information as to whether or not that SSN is associated with more than one name or has been used under multiple names.
It will also give you the information as to when and where it was issued and when. Plus if it issued to a deceased person it will also tell you that information.
There are many cross reference data bases out there (that only can be used fr security purposes) that have a a lot if information regarding SSN and name searches.
I am sure LE has done all that and we will not learn about that until the point he is on trial or after he has been convicted.
LE has to be or should I say should be careful with the information they release because it can effect their ability to prosecute the case.
How many times have we seen them leak information that comes back to bite them in the butt during trial. I for one would not want then to risk that with this monster so they can get a conviction without the risk of it being dismissed on some kind of technicality.
The police are saying there is no connection to Hilton and the woman found in the lake. Could this maniac not have just dragged her in the water and held her down? I think they need to look closer. What, did she just take her glasses off before jumping in for a swim in the water? Are they kidding?? See below:
"Investigators don't see any connection because there's no evidence that Hilton has been in Athens and there's no evidence of violence to her body," Clarke County coroner Bobby Tribble said. "There are no obvious signs of trauma."
Divers from the Hall County's Sheriff's Office found Bywater's submerged body about 5 p.m. Friday in Memorial Park. The water where her body was discovered was so murky, divers felt their way along the bottom of the lake where Bywater's glasses were found Wednesday.
How does the timeline of her death fit with Hilton's whereabouts during this time period.
This is for Tammy
I found this in today's News and Observer. I don't believe that there ever was a sketch of Hilton that was released. They released the picture from his driver's license as a POI and a description of the van. They already knew who he was. How could they only know him periperhally when he had been occupying their business property for ten years?
It was the Tabors who first tipped authorities to Hilton's identity, after they saw an artist's sketch of him on CNN. They spoke about him on Saturday, the first time they've discussed details about the man they knew peripherally for about 10 years.
Sue ,
Do we know when the picture of Hilton was first released?
If it was his DL then you are correct they already knew who he was based on information that had been given to them from an earlier source.
Perhaps upon seeing the picture the Tabrs contacted LE knowing that they would trace him back to them as an employee at some point in time. And they decided to come forward with what information they had regarding their knowledge of him.
I still believe that someone , or whoever provided the tag number lead them (LE) to learn of who is was and then is when they released the information to the public.
So they knew him from a distance? But he worked for them for about ten years and they gave him a place to stay and $10,000. Now what is wrong with this picture?
Did CNN news release a sketch? I can not find anything to confirm or deny that fact , other than articles that reference that information.
This is a very interesting link. It is a deposition by John Tabor. In the deposition he claims that Hilton was not an employee of his, yet he has at other times he referred to him as his telemarketer and his flier delivery person. Tabor advanced Hilton large amounts of money, and he allowed Hilton to live rent free at his business location. Something is not right here.
hometown.aol.com/rmckin2146/index.html
Why is GMHs home called "Fulton County, GA" when the only address I have seen for him is the one in Chamblee, which is in DeKalb County? I have seen this in Florida papers when they are discussing the Dunlap case.
May be a misprint or incorrect information from papers out of state.
To my knowledge, the only artist sketch that has been released was the sketch of the man from the Dawson area that is at the top of Steve's blog, as a comparison to Hilton's driver's license picture. That sketch is not new and it has not been confirmed as being Hilton.
Sue,
That is the sketch of the person wanted in connection with the Levi Frady case.
That is what prompted Steve to start this blog..where Frady was found and the sketch which looks like it could be Hilton ten years ago.
In the deposition, Tabor also states that he has a law degree, but he has never taken the BAR exam in any state. His wife was his attorney at the deposition.
The deposition is from a lawsuit between Tabor and the homeowner who has a suit pending for some work done on their house.
Their (Homeowners) stat Hilton did some of the work while the Tabors contend he did not.
Did anyone look at the Kinney's prior court records? I did...
Sorry, Mckinney's. I found her's interesting.
Yes, i saw that and earlier was wondering why his name could not be located in the Georgia Bar directory and that would be why?
Which there are people that go to school and get a law degree and never become a practicing attorney. Maybe he could not pass the bar exam..who knows.
Maybe he did indicate that Hilton was an employee because he was being paid under the table...and that would have exposed that fact if he stated he was an employee for his company. He stated he had no employees (other than one), which would indicate he subcontracted his work out instead of hiring people direct.
Diane,
Are you talking about her court records concerning the lawsuit?
Having contract employees may be some work around having to provide work benefits. Like paying into workman's comp..
Tammy,
This is the only artist sketch that I have seen since Meredith disappeared and I have covered the news very closely. When the police released the POI information, they released the color photograph from Hilton's license with a description of the van. He has a beard in the photograph. Prior to the photograph (on 1/2) there was just a basic text description of a balding man in a yellow jacket, 50-60 years of age, with a dog named Dandy. I really don't think that there ever was a sketch of Hilton for Tabor to see and call LE from out of state. What is going on here???
That is true Diane. It removes that requirement. Or maybe he had some illegals working for him? just a thought. Not uncommon in todays construction world.
No, other filings.
Diane,
What did you mean when you said you found the court records interesting?
Tammy, use the below link and search it out by name.
http://www.gwinnettcourts.com/#home/
Where did you find Tabor was out of state? I am sure it is out there just not sure where to look for that information.
Maybe Tabor just wants to take credit for this..?
Whose name am i searching?
Tabor was quoted in the raw video footage as being out of state when he heard about Meredith disappearing.
If Hilton has been collecting disability or SSI as we talked about earlier, he wouldn't be able to be earning a salary from any other source. Tabor must have been paying him under the table and not claiming him as an employee. Otherwise, Tabor would have also had to pay into social security wages, etc. This might have been a sweet deal for both of them. From what I have read, Hilton did a lot more than just pass out fliers. I read some reports where people described phone interactions with Hilton when they called the siding company. I also read that Hilton did some kind of followups for the business. Why was Tabor risking his business reputation and his business image for this toothless crazy bum?
http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?ZURL...tion-lawsuit%
2F
Diane,
Did you see this?
Okay if Tabor was out of state, maybe his wife knew who the guy was when the picture was shown on the news and called him to let him know. Or some of Tabors workers could have alerted him.
I believe he found it out on his own or he claimed he did. Turned on CNN and saw the story. Just because he was OOT doesn't mean he didn't watch TV. I'm in another state and I watched all the coverage on TV.
Sue,
You are right that does not make logical sense to us but who knows why he allowed him to continue his work for him. Maybe it was no more complicated than he felt sorry for him at one point and time.
And then his weirdness got really weird and he decided to let him go.
True, Diane ..CNN is a national news outlet and all of them were covering the story so that would make perfect sense.
I wonder was he back in state when Hilton contacted him or was he still out of state and Hilton called him on a cell phone.
Plus if he had internet access he would seen eveything we have seen regarding the story.
Tabor said in the interview Hilton did telemarketing too. He never said Hilton just handed out flyers.
According to Tabor, Hilton was good on the phone with people. Another person in an article expressed surprise at how educated Hilton sounded.
Tabor let him go, when Hilton threatened to kill him.
He was out of town and Hilton called his cell phone.
I am sure that Diane and Tammy are correct that his wife, friends, or workers contacted Tabor when they saw Hilton's picture. By the time the picture was posted, LE knew who Hilton was and where the adress was on his license. I sincerely doubt that Tabor was the first to contact the police and identify Hilton as he has been claiming. The hikers identified Hilton. They also had some registration records at the park office. It sounds to me like Tabor is for some reason trying to be a hero. Why would Verdon and the BGI agents repeatedly attribute Hilton's identification to the helpful information from hikers and the police officer, if they had really learned of Hilton's identity from Tabor? Something just isn't right with this entire Tabor/Hilton connection.
Sue,
Agreed it seems if the information concerning Tabor is correct then maybe is just trying to have his 15 minutes of fame. Or he did contact LE and feels he should receive some type of credit period.
Now with that said I do not feel he is any way involved other than him knowing and being Hilton' former employer. Yet, the article states "he recently gave Hilton a place to stay" what is recently.
His relationship with Hilton seems weird but I think we would feel anyone who had a relationship with Hilton is weird based on what we found out about him in recent days.
I do not think for one minute that Hilton is stupid. Weird but stupid.
If he called him on his cell phone Diane the number would have showed up on the cell phone from where he was calling. Not the name of the place but the phone number.
I asked this question earlier today and wonder what you think.
In one of the articles it stated that it took five hours for the GBI to arrive at the Huddle House after Hilton made the phone call. Once article stated there was some time lapse in tracing a call Hilton made later?
There would have been no need to trace this call since Tabor had the number and simply he or the LE could call the number and find out who it belonged to.
My point being why did it take so long for the GBI to go the Huddle House.
If they took the arcade approach and went to cell phone company to get the information , then yes the time lapse is understandable but that was not necessary.
Just a thought or did Tabor call them right away or wait for some reason?
Tabor said in the video interview after he hung up with Hilton he immediately called the GBI.
For some reason, I've had it my head that the GBI showed up at the Huddle House an hour or so after Hilton left. I'll have to look again.
help me to understand that if you know someone for 10 years as the Tabors knew hilton, that is a long time, and you must know them well. They keep saying they know him peripherly (spelling?). Very strange.
Three GBI agents came into the Huddle House about five hours after Hilton left and showed Peacock a picture of Hilton, she said. She confirmed he had been there.
When she asked what they wanted with him, they replied, "Oh, we just need to talk to him," Peacock recalled.
Tabor alerted the GBI to the call Hilton made from the restaurant. The amount of time that passed before agents arrived at the Huddle House has not been explained, though Paxton has said that attempts to trace a later phone call from Hilton "took some time." The GBI is no longer taking questions about the case.
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/...s/article/2610/
WXIA report
Barkley said one of his servers was just getting off of work at 5 p.m., and she was leaving at the same time Hilton was walking out.
-snip some stuff about the waitress feeling uneasy-
One hour later, authorities released Hilton's name and photo, asking the public's help in finding him. Before Jim Barkley could call the GBI about Hilton having just been in the restaurant, the GBI showed up. Agents took his restaurant's surveillance tape.
But Gary Hilton, with Meredith Emerson, was already long gone.
Diane,
I guess there are some discrepancies in what the time line is concerning their arrival at the Huddle House.
Just wondering if they had contacted local police if someone could have been there quicker.
But I understand that at this point the GBI was probably the agency in charge so they would have felt they need to be present.
They may have known him as employee only.
How well does an employer know abut their employees , some well, some not so well.
Depends...
Someone asked earlier why he was being referred to as a Fulton County resident.
Below it states his last know address as in Atlanta which would make him a Fulton County resident.
His last listed address was a midtown Atlanta apartment building in 1999. Since then, he appears to have drifted from place to place.
I think that he could have waited to call LE and that Hilton probably told Tabor where he was. They had agreed for Hilton to pick up the $800 check on Chamblee Rd. that night or the next day. Someone has also mentioned several times about caller ID and *69. LE didn't have to trace the call. All LE had to do was dial the number as soon as Tabor gave it to them. GBI has helicopters that could have been over the Huddle House in minutes. They could have tracked Hilton from the air. By the time LE arrived at the Huddle House a few hours later, they simply produced a picture and asked if anyone had seen Hilton. Of course they had seen him, Hilton spent 20 minutes on their telephone and told them that he had his old job back. Did Tabor possibly give Hilton time or did LE drop the ball with the phone number?
Once they got organized with the information from Tabor, LE was waiting for Hilton on Chamblee Rd. when the 911 call came in at the Chevron station where Hilton had stopped to clean out the van. Hilton lived at Tabor's business for ten years. I am concerned that Tabor might know information about Hilton. I read somewhere that a customer was frightened of Hilton because while he was working on her house, Hilton was bragging to a subcontractor that he had shot his wife. Was this the first time that Hilton bragged about his activities? After ten years, Tabor was suddenly terrified of Hilton when Hilton threatened to kill him if he didn't hand over another $10,000. Tabor said that he fired Hilton, moved his own family out of the house, and armed himself 24/7 since that threat. Why was Hilton even demanding the $10,000? It is starting to look like Hilton has possibly committed more murders than just Meredith, the Bryants, and Cheryl in just the past three months. Does Tabor have any knowledge of Hilton over the past ten years or is he possibly protecting Hilton for some reason? I feel sorry for people too, and I am extremely generous with certain charities, but I don't pay frightening people under the table for work, I don't advance them $10,000, and I don't let them live on my property. Something isn't right here.
Tabor was quoted in the raw video footage as being out of state when he heard about Meredith disappearing.
thefirstdiane | 01.13.08 - 9:58 pm | #
***
I have a small correction. Tabor says he was out of town last week, when the McKinney article ran in the AJC. He was not out of town Jan. 3, which was the date he turned on the TV and heard POI description and that the
person had a dog named Dandy. He said CNN didn't say "Dandy," but said a similar name. At that point, he says, he looked up the number and called Union County Sheriff's Dept.
Not that any of that matters, but it seems to be of interest to some people.
Sue,
I was the one who wrote about caller id and *69 not knowing that he had called from a cell phone. Like I said , too there was no need to trace the call because all that had to be done was for Tabor to call the number back and find out who it belonged to and relay that information to the LE.
As far as feeling sorry for people I am not saying it makes sense or should just a thought I threw out there for discussion.
Sue, there is a lot not right with this story and we may never know all the answers.
Another thought if Tabor was setting up a sting as he stated in his statement maybe he did wait to phone the GBI so that he would be caught when he came to pick up the check. And he would get total credit.
But what happened he never made it to that destination because he was spotted in Chamblee. The police were not waiting for him but were dispatched to that location once the calls came in from people that spotted him at the gas station. Sure they got there quick because it went out as emergency call on the police radio. They have certain calls which indicate to get to the scene in a hurry. Once the dispatcher gave out the call that Hilton was spotted they were there within minutes.
The customer you referred to is the woman who has the pending lawsuit against Tabor and his company.
With that time for me to go to bed got to work in the am..everyone have a good night.
Okay if he was not out of town...then he was probably one of many who id Hilton to the LE.
Either way they found out who he was and caught him and now it remains to be seen how long we have to wait for his trial and conviction.
I guess that I am so agitated because Mereidth was still alive when Hilton stopped at the Huddle House. I also am bidding everyone a pleasant goodnight.
the police weren't fast reacting-- even after they got the 911 calls. one caller was on for 13 minutes bfore they showed up.
Sue,
I understand your frustration with that aspect of all of this and I too wonder and ask these questions. And we should, to know if something could change the outcome of another case.
Unfortunately for Meredith it will not change the horrific outcome of her death.
We can always discuss these things and maybe it will help in future case, or maybe not but at least we will have asked because we care.
I would like to think that the reason we wonder is because we care and can not fathom such a terrible act against another human being. We as people are better than that , we have a soul and a to me there in lies the difference.
People like Hilton have none.. A soul is not just the engine of life; it also embodies the why of a thing's existence, it's meaning and purpose.
Could this have been prevented we may never know. But we ask the questions , discuss the facts and we will all come up with our own conclusions.
In writing this a quote comes to mind.
You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Gandhi
JC
According to the below 911 tape it took less than 5 minutes.
http://www.ajc.com/multimedia/
co...age_tab_newstab
Tammy - this article (http://snipurl.com/1xczd) states that the call lasted over 12 minutes. The 911 recording you listened to is only excerpts from that call.
It seems odd that the tape played starts when the call is answered by the dispatcher and seems to last until the police get to the scene. Unless they spliced parts of it out on the tape but why would they do that if they were playing the whole tape. I read the article but I know there have been some wrong information printed by the media.
That happens.
When listening to the tape the caller does say they need to hurry but ends the call by saying Thanks for getting them here so quick.
just an observation.
They played the beginning and end, but not the entire call. If you look at the slide show where the call is posted it says that the recording posted is only portions of the call.
I just want to clear up the thing about Tabor and McKinney lawsuit. It is Tabor's company suing MckInney's for breach of contract, not the other way around. Tabor is the plaintiff in this suit and McKinney's are the defendants.
Go to the link someone left above and you will see she has been involved in other similiar suits where she was the defendant...meaning she seems to feel there are aloot of people she just shouldn't have to pay.
This is only my opinion..but I think McKinney is the one lying because she makes it sound like she initiated the suit..not so..her husband is being sued by Tabor's company because he did not pay.
As far as Hilton goes..no other homeowners have come forward with similiar info of him physically working on their proerty.
I tend to beleive Tabor in this..this lady McKinney was looking for a quick way to try to get out of this suit Tabor's company has against her husband. I won't say anymore because she has hijacked enough time from the discussion of the real villian which is Hilton. Hilton is responsible for his own actions..no one else.
This is just my humble opinion.
Brevard – The license plate found on accused killer Gary Hilton’s van was stolen off a broken down vehicle registered in Brevard, Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said Monday.
-snip-
“There was a broken down vehicle that was not on the owner’s residence and until this (Emerson) case, they didn’t even know it was missing,” Mahoney said.
http://tinyurl.com/33hcjd
I am trying to read the comments, but they are cut off on the right side. Anyone know why that is?
I can't read them.
Eyes
Hi EYES-Welcome! see below
SuziQ
go to this comment
Go to the link
http://www.haloscan.com/comments...ments...789725/
? a=44283
and you can see them. Not sure what the problem is.
Tammy | 01.11.08 - 10:06 pm | #
chris | 01.12.08 - 3:14 pm | #
ANd EYES see Susy comment same day 3:31
Does anyone else have my problem?
The link isn't working for me either.
All I wrote to eyes http://eyesforlies.blogspot.com/
and she responded, see below. Can you give her more info?
Hi Chris,
Thanks for contacting me and requesting an opinion. I love story leads so I am always appreciative of opportunities.
I've only watched Tabor speak for a couple of minutes, and I see there are a lot of things discussed. I looked over at the websleuth forum for a little bit and I read a little bit of the deposition posted by the McKinneys, I presume. Was the lawsuit about monies owed to Tabor's company, and hence his company put a lien on the McKinneys for the money owed?
There is tons to analyze here. If you want to ask me more specific questions about things I attempt to answer them as I best as I can. I don't want to speak generically.
Are you wondering if (a) Tabor lied about Hilton being at the work site, if (b) Tabor knows more about Hilton's involvement of the murder? If so, are there key places within the videos I can look? These are long and I don't have an hour to search for key spots.
One thing that I've noted right off the bat is that Tabor can lie, and he really doesn't face any high stakes for it. Essentially, there is no punishment facing him if he is dishonest, which will affect the clues he leaks to deception--so while I can have a gut instinct here, there will likely not be many clues to his deception outside of perhaps stress--- but I am more than willing to look.
When I read Tabor's deposition, however, Tabor is awfully slippery!! He is not someone I would want to do business with...that's for sure!
Eyes
----------------
Dear Eyes for Lies,
At websleuths and at Steve Huffs blog True crime, there is great discussion as to whether John Tabor, who is Hiltons boss, is honest or not. Hilton is now imprison for murdering Meredith Emerson, first kidnapping on New years day, killing her three days later, and then beheading her. There are several other recent cases which are similar which he will most likely be convicted of. Many think this is just the tip of the iceberg and Hilton is a serial killer, who was been killing for decades.
Could you please review the video below of John Tabor and let us know your thoughts? Also below is a video of Hilton from October from a sheriffs dashcam recorder. There is in total about 20 minutes of this dashcam, but I could only find this segment. Thank. Chris
Web sleuths discussion of John Tabor:
http://tinyurl.com/2zshyy
Video of John Tabor.
http://tinyurl.com/2yycwj
Steve Huffs True Crime blog discussion of Hilton
http://tinyurl.com/35qcf6
Link to dashcam video of Hilton.
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15006...6358/
index.html
If anyone is at websleuths, could they post the above, I just joined and am having trouble posting. Thanks
eyes for lies,
Try this link posted by Chris on the other weblog and i think it will work.
It is the one I use to get to this site now so that I can read all the post.
FYI
we are blogging about this case on the most recent thread of Steves concerning this case--It is the main thread at this home page
http://tinyurl.com/28u7so
join us
chris | 01.10.08 - 3:24 pm | #
North Carolina and Florida Investigators to Question Hilton.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/150483...377/
detail.html
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/15048...8521/
index.html
News video concerning the questioning that investigators want to conduct.
Ormond Beach Police to Media Release
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com...ing-poli-
1.html
A DeKalb County police report on a 2004 incident indicates a violent past for Gary Michael Hilton, 61, the man who was arrested in connection with the death of a Georgia hiker and who has been named a prime suspect in the killing of Crawfordville resident Cheryl Dunlap.
An Atlanta man named William Brent told DeKalb County, Ga., police he had witnessed Hilton beating a dog in the park. On Aug. 10, 2004, Brent, 37, said he wrote down Hilton's tag number and then started walking home with his wife and two dogs.
Hilton got into his white Chevrolet Astro van, drove it toward them and abruptly slammed on the brakes. Hilton took Brent's picture and told him he was going to call the police on him. Brent told Hilton to go ahead and call the police.
http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/...140319/-1/
RSS18
http://trailjournals.com/entry.c...y.cfm?
id=214242
This was posted on websleuths site..interesting.
I don't know why I have such a BAD outlook on the human-race (yeah, not everyone) but I can't help that Tabor and Hilton have a connection. And that is usually either sex and/or drugs. Sorry that I am such a sicko, but I have run into some criminals in my life & unfortunately, we are talking about things that decent folk don't even know about. I am not implying anything, but when a case is this bad, it usually means that it will get worse the more you know about it.
I am off to check to see if Hilton and Tabor use the same sorts of facial expressions.... and body language. I will be back!!!
Thank you everyone for keeping me up to date with all these links!!!
and Luke, I somehow DON'T think you were born in 46'
and Robert M. I appreciate the sentiments and "yes" he is incarcerated; but not for long enough....
I guess I am not seeing the connection between Tabor and Hilton that you are talking about.
While I do understand some people feeling that a person of Hilton's nature being involved with this man for 10 years is more than a bit odd at best.
Anyone done any tracing to Tabor's background.
I am sorry, I haven't been Really been paying too much attention to the Tabor detail until right now and he is SOOOOOO guilty about SOMETHING!!!! He knew that Hilton had done something bad to Meredith BEFORE we did and (I am only half-way through the interviews so far) but he keeps messing up the time-line on what he knew as compared to what the general public knew!!!! (I will verify that statement when I can.)
Tammy | 01.14.08 - 9:12 pm | yeah I AM speculating right now. This opinion is just based on MY observance of these "sorts" of people. You are right not to jump to conclusions and that is exactly why I like this blog, so until I have some evidence for which I am speaking....
Just a quick thought, what does Tabor have to gain from lying..what does McKinney? Check out lawsuits Mr and Mrs McKinney have been involved in..then please read the full deposition..no where in there does it ever state that Hilton was at the McKinney's property for whatever reason at anytime..not that I could see. If I am mistaken please provide a link where the McKinney's said he did actual work at the property.
They seem like people who are trying to get by not paying by tying things up in lawsuits as long as they can..in this case McKinney even represented himself.
I don't know either party, don't live in Georgia, but I do know about people who are scam artists and I feel that is what the McKinney's are...the mention of Hilton being physically at their property and doing work was never made until his arrest. Prior to that he was doing the advertizing and answereing phones as a subcontractor..even from their own deposition as well as Tabor's. If Tabor did such shoddy jobs why has he ownly been sued 2x when he has been in business since 1989?
Why are we even jumping on this bandwagon when Hilton is a suspect and according LE, not just Tabor, he has been cooperative all along? I don't get your motive in that respect.
Again, just my humble opinion.
Bosnian Proverb....
Who lies for you will lie against you
William Blake....
A truth that's told with bad intent, Beats all the lies you can invent.
i think people are wondering why Tabor would have kept a person like Hilton around to represent his buisness.
From all accounts Hilton was not a stable guy and I would think some of that character would have come out over a ten year period.
Tabor says he sees a "turn-around" in his behavior after last winter, but also says "he doesn't interact with him, except maybe on a once a month basis..."
that is a lot of insight from a man who "doesn't interact much" with Hilton.
According to some reports he started working for Tabor in 1997 I think.
And according to Tabor he worked for him ten years. So that would he mean until some time in 2007.
In one of the news articles Tabor stated they recently gave him a place to stay....wonder when that was. And then at some point he gave him $10,000.00 was that when he threaten him and why would you pay someone that kind of money? Why not swear out a warrant if someone threaten to kill you..
Accused killer Gary Michael Hilton threatened to kill a Duluth man if he didn't give Hilton $10,000, the man, John Tabor, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.
According to Tabor, Hilton worked as an independent contractor distributing advertising fliers promoting Tabor's business, Insulated Wall Systems. Tabor also said Hilton lived from time to time in a home on Clairmont Road where Tabor used to operate a telemarketing firm that Tabor closed about five years ago.
"I rarely ever saw him in person, only kept in touch on the telephone," said Tabor, who said Hilton's behavior became increasingly aggressive and erratic.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/
content...tabor_0112.html
Hi, I am back again, though briefly. I am still hung up on where Hilton came from, and why, after he has been in the national spotlight for six days, do we know absolutely nothing about him. We found an SS#, some arrests, a convoluted 10 year work history, license plates, and various marriages (two of which I still think were for financial gain). Why is this monster still such a phantom? Where has he been for 61 years?
Tammy, you are good! Thank you!!!!
Hello Sue,
I sure hope and do believe that LE has information that has not yet been shared or released.
I heard something on the news this morning as I was getting ready for work about someone knowing him in the 80's but i missed the story and have been unable to find anything regarding the story on the net. My tv was on WSB Atlanta so if someone else can find a link...to the story.
If there is a SSN out there ..someone should be able to get birth records or a copy of a birth certificate.
It is a real mystery Sue.
I can't seem to shake the comment that Steve made a few days ago....
I'm putting this in bold because it is perhaps an important question -- or a silly one: Has it occurred to anyone else that this guy could have stolen the Gary Hilton identity ages ago?
I ask because, for one thing, it was very easy to do that still, in the 60s and 70s. For another, so much of the man's past seems so nebulous. The idea popped into my head, though, when I did a search in a database for the full name (Gary Michael Hilton) and came up with a a GMH who died, in Georgia, in the early 80s. That's been bothering me now, for days. It's too 'out there' to put in a blog entry, but it's a question worth tossing out for others to chew on.
Steve Huff | Homepage | 01.11.08 - 1:19 pm | #
Tabor said he acted like he hadn't heard anything about Hilton being wanted in the disappearance of Emerson.
"I played it real cool," Tabor said.
4169 Clairmont Road
Was Gary Michael Hilton really a “drifter”?
Interesting article at the bottom of this page see link.
http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/...le-
Bywater.aspx
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headline...s/
13779932.html
Sheriff Speaks about Dunlap Case
Sue i think anything is possible but until we see all the information that may only be available to LE we just do not know.
Folks, I think you're off the trail in looking into Mr. Tabor. Please be careful how you couch your speculations, as a general rule. I don't believe he or his wife are a big part of the story, here. You can't ignore them. If I were doing a book, I'd damn sure want to interview them. But I'm sensing a lot of suspicion of the Tabors in these comments and elsewhere, and I find it to be pretty pointless, close to off-topic.
A certain amount of histrionics always comes with discussing (alleged) serial killers. Hopefully if everyone is aware of this, they can avoid the histrionics and stick to logical deductions, or grounded hunches.
Thanks,
Steve
P.S. -- THE PRECEDING WAS A GENERAL COMMENT. The last person who made a post before one like this from me always seems to think I'm speaking directly to them. I'm not. I'm addressing everyone. Nine times out of ten, a comment in bold from me is intended for all commentators.
I did some searching for the Gary Michael Hilton who Steve mentioned in his identity theft scenerio. This Gary Michael Hilton died on March 16, 1980 in Colquitt County, Georgia. He was 22 years old at the time of his death - only two years older than the monster GMH.
only two years older than the monster GMH.
Sue | 01.14.08 - 10:48 pm
Looks like about 12 years younger to me.
Thanks Pinecone, and I'm an educator!
Thanks Pinecone, and I'm an educator!
Sue | 01.14.08 - 10:55 pm | #
You have a good sense of humor, too!
Tammy that article about Hilton was amazing ( was he a drifter? )
Cleaning out his van on Monday mornings? Taking out the seats??? I just wonder if those who knew him began to suspect foul deeds way before Meredith was killed!
if Hilton was not who he claims to be, that would mean that the arrest warrant would not hold...I do not think that LE is infallible, but I do believe that someone, if not local or state, at least federal, would have discovered this by now?
I think that there is TONS of info that LE has on this guy, and his past, that we are not privy to, because they do not want to jeopardize the many possible cases they have against him.
There are really only two possibilities, in my opinion, for a 61 year old violent murderer:
either he just snapped, and this is the end result of a long process of mental deterioration...
OR.....
he has been killing for years, and just got caught for the first time.....
I believe it is possible that he has lived under the radar for most of his adult life. Working jobs for cash (which are much more common than most people want to believe)and wandering around looking for easy money. Pulling scams and threatening people as needed but managing to avoid serious punishment. He no doubt managed to befriend certain people along the way and use them to his advantage. The people who thought he was more than odd just avoided him. If he wasn't doing anything that he could be arrested for he could continue his strange and odd behavior. As for whether he has killed many times before I would think he didn't just start this behavior on January 1st.
Kayline-
I totally agree, but just threw that out as one of the only other possibilities that I could think of ...I am 100% sure that he has killed before...I think his sloppiness in this case may have been due to age, health perhaps....but I am sure he has done this before...
He may be a mystery to us, but I firmly believe that LE knows a lot more than they are telling us...
and for a good reason...they want an airtight case against this monster!
I just came from websleuths. They are searching traildiary.com for hikers who saw Hilton.
I think Hilton began living in the woods to prey on female hikers.
His relationship with the Tabors was the longest he had with any human. He hated people but he really hated women.
Catherine,
I'm so sorry if you thought I took issue with your post. I intended my post to be just a general comment. That's what I get for commenting late at night!
I agree completely with you that LE has much more than is being reported. Having family members as former LE I've known many instances where the news reports barely hit the surface of actual fact. I would think LE is working to connect GMH to as many cases as possible before releasing additional information.
As for his sloppiness this time I almost believe he was so arrogant in his belief he wouldn't be caught he didn't feel a need to be careful.
I am very interested about his paratrooper claims which might actually be delusional. Nobody has been able to identify him as being in the military and nobody seems to have found his name in service records. He was born in 1946, but we have no idea where. Someone said that his SS# was from 1962 in Florida. The Florida newspapers referred to him as a Fulton County native, but there doesn't seem to be any basis to that claim (and they might just be anxious to pass him off on Georgia). Other than the SS# in Florida, there is absolutely no information about him prior to a Florida chauffer's license in 1970. In court, he stated that he had two years of college. There is nothing prior to 1970 and then suddenly he emerges with a DUI, stolen property, and auto accidents. He seems to vanish again and then surfaces around 1977 in Georgia with two very short marriages,hit/run, and arson. From 1984 on he has lots of interaction with Georgia LE, but there are some pretty big gaps in his past. No family members have laid claim to him. Did he live next door to anyone when he was a kid?
He may be a mystery to us, but I firmly believe that LE knows a lot more than they are telling us...
and for a good reason...they want an airtight case against this monster!
Catherine | 01.14.08 - 11:41 pm | #
I too firmly believe that when all is said and done we will all we need to know about this monster.
LE has to keep some things close the vest in order to preserve the integrity of the case against him.
Other wise where can he get a fair trial? That will already be put on the table due to the national attention paid to this case.
I think Hilton does a lot of fantasizing. A lot of b-s. He puts on a show. A court psychiatrist described him as "glib". Which was being kind, I thought. When I see long unexplained periods of absence, I think penitentiary (I once was a jobs counselor). But, that would show up in public records. Could he have used more than 1 name?
All the postings, new stories, and LE actions regarding GMH are about events in the South (GA, FL, NC). I thought that by now I would have seen something about his activities in other states. I saw GMH in West Chester,PA in Aug or Sept 07. There was another posting about GMH in Brickerville, PA on Aug 17, 2007, but other than that noone seems to have noticed him. I let LE know about my siting and I am surprised it has not generated any news stories or other postings.
In answer to your question about female serial killers, only one comes to mind. I'm probably not spelling the name tight, but there was an Eileen Warnos (at least it sounded like that) in Florida years ago. She was a prostitute who killed several Johns. I'll try to clarify spelling and timeline later.
I checked, and the name was spelled Aileen Wuornos. She killed 7 men.
Thanks for the info...you just never hear about female serial killers. I wondre why that is?
With regard to this lawsuit, I don’t believe Tabors ex-client Robyn McKinney, (aka Stramgethings at Zimbo), is using this tragedy to garner attention for herself- if anything I think shes assisting in the investigation.
She seems to be offering any information she has to assist in further investigations of this case and of Hilton. McKinny has an extensive collection of signed contracts, (which incidentally, document two unique signatures used by Hilton interchangebly over the course of the job), and has volunteered all the documentation she has collected to assist in verifying Hiltons whereabouts over the last few years. She has presented her case and provided evidence to support her claims from which we can draw our own conclusions about Tabor (his dubious business practices and the type of person he really is).
I think McKinny is genuinely suspicious, and rightly so, of Tabors relationship with Hilton and recent events surronding this tradgedy.
For example, over at Zimbo McKinney described her first encounter with Barbara, (the woman who worked in the building next to Tabors buisness and kindly assisted Hilton in purchasing his baton), who immediately warned McKinney to beware of Hilton siting his crazy/erratic behaviour. If you remember earlier reports when Hilton was first ID’d, Barbara was the one who had nothing but good things to say about Hilton she described as a man she felt safe with and who was always very considerate of women! Im not sure of the relationship between the neighbouring businesses, (one is a siding buisness and the other an estate agent), or how McKinney found herself in Barbaras office upon signing off Tabors paper work.
I wonder however, if some relationship was the source of whatever pressure Barbara felt as she painted Hilton the ‘harmless eccentric’. McKinney is wondering who asked Barbara to lie about Hiltons character and why?
If you havent already go check out McKinney/Strangethings here http://snipurl.com/1xhrl (heres a link to the actual lawsuit materials including photos of the botch jobs Hilton apparently did on her property http://snipurl.com/1xhss )
And as Tammy pointed out (way above) why wasn’t Tabor able to retreive the phone number of the Huddle House from which Hilton called him? Any business man would know how to use such basic communications technologies as Caller ID or *69?? And if it didn’t occur to Tabor to retreive the ph.number using these methods surely the damn GBI could have recommended it!! Sure would have beat the phone trace that apparently took several hours to perform! Such a simple thing…would have most likely save Merediths life…
I am doing a search at Trail Journals for "white van," among other things. Has anyone posted this particular one yet? It's from 2003. Though, I guess there could be many crazies with a "white van," but still pretty creepy.
http://www.trailjournals.com/ent...ry.cfm?
id=37163
A couple of comments: if GMH came upon the Bryants as a couple, I don't think they would have been victims. He thought Irene was alone is my theory. Also, she was a retired veterinarian, therefore, the dog would have been an attraction to her. Note to our hiking friends. There truly is greater safety in numbers. Next thought: I am so curious about GMH being a false ID. When the first POI notice came out, I thought LE stated that his nickname was Mack. Mack is not a nickname for Gary or Michael, but it is possibly a nickname for someone of Scot-Irish descent e.g. last name Mac_____. If he had red hair in his youth, this may fit that possibility. Can't LE do a facial morph in reverse? They age the poor abducted children from 2 y.o. to teenage. It would be helpful to see what GMH looked like in the 60s and 70s and see if his face "matches" criminal sketches from that period. Many posts ago someone spoke about him holding backpacks that he was tossing from his van "at a distance." Hello, everyone. Just because he is a SK (in my opinion) doesn't mean his olfactory nerves are dead. If there were body parts in there, I think we all know how gross the odor must have been. Last ?: when will he go to trial for Meredith's murder?
ellalittle, I'm just saying that if the Tabors want to get litigious with anyone for any reason, I'd prefer it not be a commentator here. Understand this: if I received a subpoena for info related to these comments (IP numbers, etc) I'd be hard-pressed to pay a lawyer to fight it. Retainers can run up to $5000, and I do NOT have that sort of cash on hand.
And since I use a second-party commenting system, Haloscan, such a legal request could also bypass me completely and I can guarantee you Haloscan would promptly comply -- they don't care.
I'm aware of what can be construed as libelous and work to steer clear of it in blog entries. Many commentators don't feel that constraint, thinking (wrongly) that they are anonymous. Most of the time, you probably aren't anonymous to anyone with the motivation and money seeking you out.
Time will bear this out, anyway. I understand the anger behind the lawsuit, so I won't criticize Ms. McKinney for that, but I also don't see any reason to drag the Tabors any further into this than they've already been dragged. It's like I said -- if I were writing a book, I'd want to talk to them, and I'd have some tough questions, questions you've certainly alluded to, yourself. But at the moment, I'm more interested in finding out who Gary Michael Hilton really was and what he really did.
Honestly, it stretches my credulity to think that Mr. Tabor is guilty of anything but being perhaps a little naive and dismissive of the things about Hilton that alarmed him. Seriously, how many of us have ever encountered a kooky, annoying, or even unsettling person and truly thought we were dealing with a serial killer? Seriously?
And we saw in that tape with the cop who disarming Hilton could be. I saw a hustler at work, a guy who is practiced at putting people at ease when he wants. It actually made him much scarier than he already was, because it underscored both how energetic and vibrant Hilton seemed to be physically -- not an old 61 in reality, even if he looked his age -- and it revealed that he could even con a cop, on the spot, into just giving him a warning and then leaving. Hilton's act was expert. He used that persona -- the fast-talking, charming hustler -- on the Tabors, I'd bet.
Steve
Read the 2nd post here "added info." It talks about a man in his 50s in a white van trying to kidnap someone in 2005. It says he was convicted at the time of assault and attempted kidnapping, but you know how our system is, he could have just gotten a slap on the wrist and gotten out.
http://www.trailforums.com/detai...m?
entryID=45622
And as for the caller ID, I'm all the time getting "out of area" on my caller ID with no number, and *69 won't work in those instances.
Just a note for Steve. When I follow a link to your posts, and look at comments -- I can't read them. They are centered and cut off. If, however, I go to your home page and click on the appropriate comments, I can read them.
Just food for thought...and hopefully help to others who have been having my same problem. Cheers!
LE is taking a look at Hilton as a possible suspect in another missing person case.
Bryson City – State investigators are looking into whether Georgia drifter Gary Michael Hilton may have been involved in a woman’s disappearance two years ago in Swain County, authorities said Monday.
Rossana Miliani was last seen on Dec. 7, 2005, in Bryson City. The 26-year-old had told her family she was going hiking.
-snip-
Private investigator Steve Siske said the clerk told him Miliani came into her store that day with a white man she thought was about 60 years old. They bought a backpack, and Miliani seemed nervous, Siske said the clerk told him on Dec. 13.
-snip-
Rossana Miliani had traveled to Western North Carolina from her home in south Florida to go hiking, her father said.
-snip-
Private investigator Siske said he has asked the Byrson City store clerk not to talk to anyone about the case or look at Hilton’s picture before she views a photo lineup to try to determine if the man she saw that day was Hilton.
He said the clerk remembers the man bought a used suit and said something that also appears connected to the allegations against Hilton.
“He tells her ‘I am a traveling preacher. I go from campground to campground,’” Siske said.
http://tinyurl.com/3a4hgh
I tend to agree with Steve that the Tabors didn't know anything about Hilton's murderous side. It doesn't make sense if simply from a logical point of view. If they did, wouldn’t they have had reason to fear for their own lives?
However, if I were a business man, I can honestly say I would not want to admit that I sent out Hilton to people's homes, if perhaps I did (just speculation here), because now that the news is out, it wouldn't make my business look good.
As for John Tabor, when I read his deposition in the McKinney case, http://tinyurl.com/2h5dak , he really plays ignorant when answering questions. I certainly wouldn’t want to do business with him just by reading how he answers these questions. Take the time to read it, and make your own determination.
Now, as for Robyn McKinney, she was on Geraldo at Large: http://tinyurl.com/2wt4bl
I found one of her comments very interesting. She said something to the effect that she didn't know Gary Michael Hilton by his name. She knew him as “Mack”. I suspect that was when he did the job. When she found out his real name, I don’t know, but a detail like this is not common for someone to say when they are being deceptive. Dishonest people typically don't think in these terms. They are too busy keeping their facts straight to recall minute “meaningless details” like this. It would be very uncharacteristic of someone who is deceptive (about Mack) to say this.
Interesting, too, in the deposition, Tabor says that Mack Hilton was not on-site, it was another “Mack” who worked on the job. Two Macks…?
As for an opinion on Hilton, I refer that to Steve. He is the expert at understanding criminals and criminal behaviors. That is not my strong suit. In the dash cam video, Hilton simply appeared to be delusional to me.
What did Hilton want $10,000 for? Why that exact sum? Although we know he was putting some real mileage on his van, it was relatively new. Repairs could have been needed, that amount would buy a newer used vehicle. Did he use his own van in his employment and feel reimbursement was due to him? The amount he demanded bothers me.
I mean to say I think $10,000 was starting over money for him so he could leave the entire area.
I also find that amount to be very strange....I cannot recall if this was ever reported to the police?
To me, if someone demands that amount, it almost sounds like blackmail....or maybe he thought he had been short changed on pay over many years....
Yes,blackmail could be plausible, but the amount seems low unless Hilton had plans to repeatedly ask for more. A nice round do-able figure to begin with.
I must post this question,its been driving me nuts.Does anyone think that maybe the connection for these people may be something even larger like the making of snuff films????
Fara, I think the bodies would have been better hidden if snuff films were involved. I guess I don't find it that odd that the Tabors were not more "alarmed" by Hilton's behavior. I don't know how many of you have ever been involved with construction, but you get a LOT of people who would be considered "odd" by most standards. Construction workers are often a free-spirited group, and perhaps the Tabors were just used to strange people and strange request for money????
Reannan is correct. Constuction sites are full of "odd" characters who will work for cash as needed. Many business owners jump at the chance to use these workers because they avoid paying all the taxes, etc involved when you are "on the books" and can let them go without paying unemployment. It is not uncommon in most small to medium businesses of any type to use workers this way and many workers are more than willing to do it.
It is also not uncommon for construction employers to go to the local jail for day workers. Just sign them out and return them at the appointed time. Most of those aren't usually serial killers. My Dad was desperate for some workers and drove to the local park square to recruit for a day,a week from the "burn outs" hanging around. He got one of his best and most loyal employees at that time who turned his life around and eventually bought the company.
I have read so many articles and blogs over the past week, that I can hardly remember where I saw much of anything. I do recall reading where Hilton told someone that he had been a paratrooper and that he had worked at a GM assembly plant. I thought it was odd that he drove a Ford if he had worked for GM. It could possibly have come from the Cherokee LE who Hilton was trying to impress in the woods. Did anyone else pick up on this information? Am I losing it? Where are the GM assembly plants located in the SE United States?
As far as Tabor goes, perhaps Hilton might have worked for him in exchange for rent and/or some cash under the table.If Hilton lived at the business, he and Dandy would be a free security system. In his deposition, Tabor made several comments about the phone number on the fliers being Hilton's phone number and not his. Where was Hilton getting the money to pay phone bills? On another blog site someone had done a check on Hilton's SS#. It was last active in Sept. 2007. I wonder how Hilton was getting a FICA deduction or would an SSI/Disability payment to Hilton be listed under SS activity?
I am also curious about Hilton's MS. He told many people that he had MS and he told the Cherokee LE that he carried a special paper to explain why he might stagger. I wonder who the author of the special paper was. Jana described the doctor who gave him Ritalin as a quack. (Talk about liability!) Jana said in an interview that Hilton had self diagnosed his MS. The Tabors later said, though, that Hilton's health had deteriorated both mentally and physically during the past year, to a point where he really couldn't work anymore. There's a lot of contradiction with his MS diagnosis.
Does anyone have a link to a text transcript of the conversation with the LE in the Cherokee County woods?
The Tabors later said, though, that Hilton's health had deteriorated both mentally and physically during the past year, to a point where he really couldn't work anymore. There's a lot of contradiction with his MS diagnosis.
Sue | 01.15.08 - 6:12 pm | #
I took her interview in the AJC to mean that Hilton claimed the above and that's why he wanted $10,000.
I've read no articles where he claimed to work for GM. Please post if you find it! The paratrooper comments he made to the Cherokee Deputy. No complete text transcription online that I am aware of, only bits & pieces or video.
I posted the SS verification. As I said, I can't vouch for it's accuracy, but the info it provided fits what we know about him.
In the Tabor interview Hilton told him he'd pick up a disposable cell phone after he cashed the check. I don't know how expensive those are, but if you don't have any friends I'd imagine the prepaid minutes would last you a long time.
Personally, I wouldn't believe a single word Hilton uttered about his past, present, health... He's a murderer, liar and con.
Sue, I was at websleuths last night.I recollect the paratrooper and GM stories coming up at traildiary.com by a hiker who took shelter in the rain and met someone who fit the description of Hilton.
I'm not sure what kind of database was used to check Hilton's SSN. I don't know about GA but in IL employers report employee wages quarterly for state tax purposes. The quarterly wages show up in a database (I hope this is not the kind of database the poster used because it would be illegal to do a search for personal reasons).
I'm not sure if the reported wages were for state taxes or informational only/W2 purposes. I'm not that well-versed in taxes.
Holly, I think you are right about Irene Bryant and the nickname. I think you're onto something. Perhaps his mother or father had a Scot/Irish last name.
Hi Diane,
I know that GMH can get disposable phones pretty cheap, but Tabor was referrring to the phone number on the siding fliers that GMH distributed. Tabor was claiming that GMH didn't work for him and the business number on the fliers was Hiltons, not his. GMH must have had a regular phone number for potential customers to call. I think that I saw the GM information while I was watching the Cherokee video that one of the news services had released. While the video was playing, there were text transcripts from excerpts of what GMH was saying. They appeared under the video. Did anyone else see this?
Tabor is not an attorney but he sure talks like one.
Does anyone know of GM assembly plants in the southeast or has GMH possibly spent some time in the Detroit area?
Sue, there's a GM assembly plant in Doraville GA.
Emily,
Read the deposition. The link is posted above somewhere. Tabor has a JD, but he reported that he has never taken the BAR in any state. He also reported that he had a double major in his undergraduate degree - one of which was criminal justice.
It was a joke, Sue.
Not a very good one, obviously.
The deposition link...
hometown.aol.com/rmckin2146/index.html
I just checked a map. Doraville isn't far from Chamblee.
For what it's worth, the Doraville assembly plant is one of GM's older assembly plants. It is being permanently closed this year.
@Sue -- just about right next to each other, Doraville & Chamblee. I worked in Doraville for 4 years. Driving west from Doraville, you pretty much feel like you drive right into Chamblee. Mind you, it all still basically feels like the Atlanta metro. This is a city of nearly 5 million, after all.
New report!!!!!!!!!!!
http://tiny.cc/oh9R3
(I hope this is not the kind of database the poster used because it would be illegal to do a search for personal reasons).
Emily Booth | 01.15.08 - 7:24 pm | #
No. It's online and free. Anything you see me post on Steve's site is available to everyone on the Internet and I do not pay for any private services either.
Can I copy and paste what Inside Edition has?? i have posted the link... They found Hilton's full background! Good work by some intrepid reporters!!!
Lifetime con man.
How many batons did he have? Lose one earlier or did he have a spare?
Thanks, firstdiane. I had no idea that SSN info was publicly available.
I've been over at WS.
Well, looks like we were wrong about Gary Michael Hilton being a stolen identity--according to Inside Edition report.
I have a subscription to ancestry.com. This is public information. Below is William E. Hilton's WWII Army enlistment record.
Name: William E Hilton
Birth Year: 1911
Race: White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country: Georgia
State: Georgia
County or City: Fulton
Enlistment Date: 12 Sep 1941
Enlistment State: Georgia
Enlistment City: Atlanta
Branch: Medical Department - For Enlisted Men of the Medical Department (includes Enlisted Men of the Medical Department on Duty with the Dental Corps)
Branch Code: Medical Department - For Enlisted Men of the Medical Department (includes Enlisted Men of the Medical Department on Duty with the Dental Corps) or Army Nurse Corps
Grade: Staff Sergeant
Grade Code: Staff Sergeant
Term of Enlistment: Enlistment for the Philippine Department
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Source: Enlisted Man, Regular Army, within 3 months of Discharge or former WAAC Auxiliary
Education: Grammar school
Civil Occupation: Jeweler* or Watch Or Clock Maker* An asterisk (*) appearing after a job title indicates that a trade test for the particular occupation will be found in the United States Employment Service Manual, Oral Trade Test.
Marital Status: Married
Height: 69
Weight: 138
@ Holly -- I don't know about anyone else, but I simply wondered aloud if Hilton could have stolen his identity. I never concluded he did. Did someone else conclude that?
It was a legitimate question, and the kind it was worth it to ask.
I wasn't sure one way or the other, cuz you never know, but my gut said naw.
Thought he was a GA boy too, spent the majority of his years there and is overly familiar with the area. If he had been raised in FL, that would have been his home base, IMO.
I have seen some previous posts stating that he may have been sighted in East Bradford Twp (near West Chester, PA) in Aug. Sept. 2007. It made me think of the torso of an unidentified girl found by a friend of mine along Valley Creek, Caln Twp. less than 50' from East Bradford Twp., Chester County, PA in July 1995. Legs were found in plastic trash bags in January 1996 in Cores Creek State Park, Bucks County,PA
http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/c...a=3&Q=38307&
tx=
http://doenetwork.org/cases/147ufpa.html
Both of these links say Brandywine Creek on Valley Creek Road, but it is not Brandywine Creek, it is the Valley Creek. If GMH is connected to this crime I'm sure the law enforcement in this area won't even look into him. The area along the Valley Creek is rural and has changed little in the past 12 years. That is why I wondered what trail head he was seen on in East Bradford Twp.
WSPA- Upstate SC
The Transylvania County Sheriff's Office has scheduled a news conference in the John and Irene Bryant case.
It will be held Wednesday, January 16, at 2:00pm.
I am from the SE PA area. If the torso was found in West Chester and the limbs were found in the Bensalem area, this murder was doing some serious traveling around in the Philadelphia suburbs. These locations aren't real close to each other. According to the Inside Edition information, GMH has been carrying a baton for years. The exgirlfriend said that she also bought one for him online. It's frightening to think where this guy has been and just how many victims he might have had. I fear that we are in for some shocking realizations. I'm sure that PA State Police are checking their records for similarities.
A poster at WS found the following news story (no link):
Posted: Apr 15, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.— Police are alerting the public to two reports of a suspicious white van seen in Chapel Hill neighborhoods.
Authorities said during the week of April 5, a white van was seen for about 10 minutes driving slowly on Savannah Terrace, Seawell School Road and Homestead Road while children were waiting at the school bus stops.
Another incident occurred around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 13. A 12-year-old girl was walking her dog on Portsmith Place and Chesapeake Way when a white van followed her. When the driver allegedly yelled something at the girl, she ran from him.
The driver was described as a white male, 40 to 50 years old, thin face, possibly with facial hair and bad teeth. In both cases, authorities said he was wearing a hat described as a blue golf hat or a floppy hat.
Sue, the woman at the real estate office next door to the siding company ordered the baton. She's not an ex-gf or at least isn't claiming to be.
FYI: There must be another "Joanie" posting on here. The other poster was posting at 9:46 pm. I am the original joanie and will now be referred to as "Joanie W."
The Inside Edition article clearly referenced another, earlier baton.
No one ever answered my question here as to whether I can post the article, so here is the link again:
http://tiny.cc/oh9R3
This is most likely purely coincidental but the ex-boyfriend in Tara Grinstead's disappearance had an alibi given by a person with the last name of Hilton. I do not suggest that this person is GMH, but perhaps a relative and if GMH is involved that is how he became aware of her.
Those urls for the inside edition article aren't working.
Isn't it odd that we haven't heard of ANY relatives of Hilton? By now, you would have thought some information about parents, siblings, etc. would have come forward; but nothing, nada, zilch. That is one of the reasons I first thought about his identity having been stolen.
Do you think they either afraid of him....or afraid of what the media might say to them?
So, just for curiosity purposes- which cases do each of you speculate he (GMH) is tied to? Would love to hear all of your thoughts as I have not been able to follow this as much as I would like. I have never read so much about another case. I am just your regular stay at home mom, but this case for some reason has captured me and my thoughts.
I was also wondering how many of you think he is connected to the Levi Frady case. Now, as I have said I am no sleuth myself...just interested. But wasn't their a report that he use to carry a gun. And wasn't his body found in the same park as Meredith Emerson's- or do I have my facts wrong?
AJC.com is saying the police just (yesterday or today) released the search warrant for Hilton's van, but I can't find a scanned copy of the warrant. Can anyone else?
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109617
"Born in Atlanta, Ga. to William E. Hilton and Cleo M. Reynolds, Gary Hilton once pursued a promising life. Although he had dropped out of high school, Hilton enlisted in the Army in 1964 and obtained his G.E.D. According to Military records, Hilton spent some time in Germany and received basic airborne training. After his honorable discharge in 1967 however, Hilton’s apparently upstanding lifestyle deteriorated into a spiraling series of failed marriages and encounters with the law.
According to Georgia state records, Hilton received a divorce from his first wife in Miami in 1971 citing irreconcilable differences. He then married Dina Evonne Baugh in 1977 in DeKalb County, Ga., but that marriage lasted less than a year. On March 19, 1979, Hilton married his third wife, Betty Sue Edwards Galloway, who at the time was employed as a law enforcement officer for Atlanta’s Stone Mountain Park. Just seven months later, this marriage also ended in divorce. According to court records, Hilton had no children. None of his former wives could be reached for comment.
Gary Hilton’s first known arrest was in 1972 for receiving stolen property in Miami-Dade County, Fla. Records show that case was eventually thrown out.
Apparently looking for a fresh start, Hilton spent the remainder of the 1970s in Atlanta. It was in Georgia, where Hilton’s criminal record grew. He was charged in 1982 for marijuana possession and was sentenced to four years probation.
Petty crimes continued to pock mark Hilton’s now widely publicized life as a nomadic camper. He was lasted as a fugitive by Georgia authorities from 1994 to 1995 for repeatedly scamming money from individuals in Marietta, Ga. According to court documents and victims who spoke with Inside Edition, Hilton repeatedly posed as an advocate for veterans and disabled children in order to dupe people into donating cash and checks that he claimed would be used for charitable causes.
"He was a skilled con man in his own way," said Gary Hill. Hill and his brother Gene eventually banned Hilton from their business, G&H Horseshoe Sales, after the state of Georgia notified them Hilton preyed on people's kindness by posing as a representative of the Georgia Veterans Journal.
Court records indicate Hilton never walked away with much money from his visits, but managed to swindle roughly $500 from his unsuspecting victims, some on a repeat basis, from 1990 to 1993.
Gene Hill said he did not immediately correlate the shifty, quick speaking - albeit polite - Hilton with the aged, "wretch of a human being" he saw plastered across his television screen in connection with the gruesome decapitation of Emerson. Hilton has been charged with the murder of the 24 year old hiker.
For Joan Farlow, a retired child daycare owner from Austell, Ga., the recent charges against Hilton evoked a sinking realization of the times he chatted her up at Smyrna Playskool to get a few dollars for his bogus charity. Farlow said she now fears his access to her school may have placed the scores of children entrusted to her at risk.
"I guess you never think that people like that would come in contact with you. It always happens to somebody else," said Farlow, who assumed the school was donating to veterans. Hilton stopped popping by, she said, when apparently he got word that state authorities were after him.
Authorities finally caught up to Hilton in May 1995 and arrested him on a warrant detailing 21 felony counts of unlawful solicitation and two misdemeanor counts of simple battery stemming from a violent episode in early 1995.
In April, 1995, former roommate Christopher C. Johnson, who characterized Hilton as a “very odd” man, says he witnessed Hilton's violent persona when Hilton rented a room at Johnson’s Marietta, Ga., home for roughly six months.
“He just had this erratic behavior with everything,” recalled Johnson, who now lives in eastern Mississippi.
Never feeling threatened by Hilton, Johnson said the two mostly got along well, even joking about their third roommate, a man neither particularly liked.
It was at this time that Hilton got into another wrangle with police when he physically attacked the third roommate in an attempt to throw him out of the house. Hilton was charged with two counts of simple battery that were later dismissed.
Court records also show a judge ordered Hilton to serve five years probation in June 1995 after pleading guilty to 21 counts of unlawful charity solicitation. During his probation, he was forbidden from consuming alcohol or possessing a firearm. He was also ordered to pay $424 restitution and court fees.
Prior to that incident, Johnson said Hilton, then in his late 40s, was harmless enough, taking his golden retriever for daily walks in nearby Kennasaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
It was also during this time Hilton showed Johnson a collapsible baton he brought on his walks for self protection – perhaps the same baton Georgia authorities believe may have been used as a weapon in Emerson’s death.
But aside from having a bizarre personality – specifically a hyperactive, excited speech pattern and sometimes disturbing smile – Johnson said Hilton mostly kept to himself and always kept his knapsack nearby, as though he needed to leave in a moment's notice.
Six months later, Hilton was arrested again in DeKalb County, Ga. for stealing books he was hired to sell for the American Book Display Company. Instead, he attempted to sell them for personal profit at a local flea market.
Again, Hilton slipped through the clutches of a jail term and instead received five years probation and was ordered to pay $5,619 in restitution. It is not clear from court records if Hilton ever fulfilled his restitution payments.
Over the subsequent years, Hilton kept a fairly low profile while living out of his van or makeshift campsites until several months before Emerson’s death when a Cherokee County, Ga. police dashboard camera captured authorities questioning Hilton for allegedly trespassing on private property.
Since Hilton’s arrest, authorities in Leon County, Fl. also deemed Hilton a prime suspect in the December 2007 slaying of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, who was found dead and decapitated in the Apalachicola National Forest located southwest of Tallahassee, Fl.
Transylvania County, N.C. authorities also told the media last week that Hilton is the only suspect in an October 2007 case of a missing elderly couple. John and Irene Bryant, then ages 79 and 84 respectively, were last seen alive in the Pisgah National Forest. Irene Bryant was later found dead with a blow to the head while her husband remains missing.'
From Inside Edition
Marissa Yaremich
INSIDE EDITION Staff
AJC article says he was seen hiding and crouching behind objects. Alarming actions IMO. Why wasn't he reported immediately?
Brandy,
I wonder if he could be responsible for the murder of Melissa Wolfenbarger.
http://www.theyaremissed.org/ncm...php?
A200301505W
Melissa was last seen in the vicinity of the 800 block of Brookline St., SW in Atlanta, GA. On April 29, 1999 a severed head was located in the 800 block of Avon Ave., SW in Atlanta. Additional remains were located during the weeks following and identified as Melissa Wolfenbarger.
Catherine, because of space and copyright issues. Just post a paragraph of an article think provide a link. Always provide a link. Thanks!
Thanks, and sorry I did not know sooner....
I did provide a link, which stopped working ???? I was so excited to finally find his background last night....
No problem, I've been there and done that. And sometimes without thinking I do it again. Great info in that article.
I thought I read somewhere that Hilton had 2 years of college and that he was very articulate. Guess not.
Search Warrant
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=109617
Click on "READ THE WARRANT"
No mention of retired LE or an individual writing down license plate numbers. So it was Tabor who alerted LE.
John Genter, what trail head in East Bradford Twp. PA did you see GMH? I posted links above to a murdered girl with parts of her body found 50' from East Bradford Twp. along the Valley Creek, and her legs found in a state park in Bucks County. I would think that if you possibly dumped someone you may visit that site area again.
Joanie
http://www.trailjournals.com/tex...y.cfm?
id=205486
Another creepy post about someone suspicious at AT
T,
I don't think the "Trader James" from journals of Eric E that you linked abover really can refer to GMH...they don't mention a car or a dog and they're from April/May so he would have had both. I think it was just some weird person dragging a bag with an automatic coffeemaker (in the woods!) and don't think it could have been GMH. On the other hand, the poster who linked the journal entry by another hiker from 2003 does sound like it could have been GMH with the white van and all. I'll link it again here:
http://www.trailjournals.com/ent...ry.cfm?
id=37163
that's interesting, especially considering this hiker was journalling about a portion of the Appalachian Trail very near it's beginning in North Georgia , and not far at all from where Meredith Emerson was abducted.
I found this article today and it's a little confusing. We already determined that GMH had stolen NC plates on the van when LE captured him, but this article seems to suggest that the van itself was also stolen. Georgia LE released the descriptions of two vans and GA plate numbers that were registered to GMH early in their search for Hilton. The vans were registered to his Chamblee address. Is this now a third van that he was driving when he kidnapped Meredith? I wonder what happened to the other two vans.
Hilton, a 61-year-old drifter, is charged with the murder of a Georgia hiker, and is suspected in two other deaths in forests in Florida.
He was driving a white Chevrolet Astro van when he was apprehended by Georgia authorities in the murder of Meredith Emerson. The stolen vehicle had North Carolina plates that came from Transylvania County, Sheriff Mahoney said Monday. Federal and local authorities are working on more leads in the Bryant case before they will press charges.
Irene Bryant, 84, and her 79-year-old husband, John, went missing Oct. 20 while hiking in Pisgah National Forest. Mrs. Bryant's body was found Nov. 9 near Yellow Gap Road. Mr. Bryant remains missing.
"Basically the N.C. plates on the white van belonged to a Transylvania County resident," Mahoney said.
Mahoney confirmed that the van was stolen, but would not comment on who the van or plate was registered to in Transylvania County.
"Until we approached the people about the tag, they didn't know the van was even missing," Mahoney said of the van's owners.
When asked if the stolen car with local tags was enough to link Hilton to the area and the Bryant murder, Mahoney said it was not.
"That in itself is not enough," he said. "Someone else could have stolen the vehicle and later been stolen by Hilton. The tag is a small piece in the big picture. We are working to put it all together to sure up our timeline and place Hilton in our county."
http://www.blueridgenow.com/arti.../NEWS/
801150327
Published Tuesday, January 15, 2008
This is from ajc on January 4th. Something doesn't add up here. LE had information about two white vans and the license numbers. They said both were registered to the DeKalb address. Transylvania County says that he was arrested in a stolen white van with Transylvania plates.
Police said he was last spotted driving a white Chevrolet Astro van with license plate number 76APZ. He also has a 2001 white van with plate number AFQ1310; both vehicles are registered in DeKalb County, police said.
According to the SW, GMH was apprehended in a 2001 Chevrolet Astro Van registered to GMH with NC plate WWZ 8113. So, there are definitely three different plates, but are there three different vans? I wonder where he keeps the extra vehicles. I wonder who Shawn Stewart is.
Sue-
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking for Gary Hilton's old van, which was broken down and abandoned in National Forest land in White County for two years but may still contain evidence in the suspected serial killer's case.
GBI Spokesman John Bankhead said the van, a white 1996 Chevy Astro van bearing Georgia tag 766 XPZ, was abandoned in the Tray Mountain area of White County at the end of Forest Service Road 690, also known as Hickory Nut Ridge Road, up until sometime in mid-December.
More at:
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/...s/article/2709/
If the van is gone, it is pretty certain that it has been towed for scrap, especially since scrap prices are at an all-time high. Very unfortunate, but perhaps instead Hilton had it moved. Now that we know he is a vet, that means he was getting regular Veterans $$$, I would think....
I meant to say that he might indeed have the money to have had it towed somewhere else...I sure hope so!
The Asheville (NC) newspaper, Citizen Times, yesterday had a lead story about GMH being investigated regarding a missing woman hiker last seen in Bryson City in 2007. Did you see it?
Joanie:
I saw GMH at a small parking area in a new E Bradford twp park that was previously the Sonoco property. We were on the East side of the covered bridge which is at the intersection of Harmony Hill Rd. and Rt 322. There is a trail head at this location. This park recently opened and I am not sure if it was officially open when I saw GMH.
John
Everyone posting here should read this post at Websleuths, and take the content under advisement. It's easy to get onto a witch hunt when you're sleuthing things, even though you may have the best of intentions.
ellalittle
Using Caller ID requires that you *have* Caller ID. I don't know that Tabor did, but I do know it's not been prevalent on the landlines that I've seen in homes or small businesses. Also, cID isn't always useful - some numbers are unlisted, and callers can temporarily block the number a call was dialed from, from showing, before a call is made.
As for *69, I think it's something a lot of people just don't think about because they don't have need to really use it, and I don't see why you feel it's a technology that business people *should* be familiar with. Also, if he got a second call immediately after that (or before *69 had a chance to pop into his head)...
They may have arrived sooner had one of these been used, but I'm not sure that the tragedy that befell Meredith would have been avoided.
Regarding the advisement...another innocent victim of Hilton. The repercussions of his actions continue.
I read of witnesses remembering seeing Hilton in the past. Upon looking at his 1995 photo and the recent photos, I am struck by how much he has aged and changed. I don't think that I would recognize him now if I had seen him only briefly several years ago. I know the van, dog, baton and actions spurred memories, but he just looks so different,IMO. At what point did his aging accelerate and why?
He was in his late 40's in '95..not much older than I am now. He's presently in his 60's. That's a period of normal accelerated aging...and I'm headed right into it! It's really not strange at all that he looks to be in his 60's now..because he IS.
Nina-
He's only a few years older than myself as well. Most people nowadays look quite good for early 60s, he doesn't. Just wondered if serial killing ages someone more rapidly.
I think that the ugly and vicious life he has led clearly shows itself in his face; a life of sneaking and stealing and torturing and murdering would not, in my opinion, lend itself to good health, mental or physical.
you all have found some unbelieveable hiker's journals. GMH must have been out there doing strange things for a long time. Too bad someone didn't get him sooner. But who knew?
The issue regarding caller id was originally referenced regarding the use of a cell phone. On most cell phones the number comes up when you receive a call or you look at calls received and the number is there. So the need to trace the call (as one LE stated is why it took so long ) for GBI to show up at the Huddle House seems a bit odd.
Tracey
Everyone has caller ID on their cells and I don’t believe a business like the Huddle House would be unlisted or private. Usually business people have caller ID on their land lines and are experienced in using *69 so they can call back potential customers and filter incoming calls to respond to important clients, (during meetings or other such engagements where they usually would not receive calls at all).
I’m not sure it would have changed the outcome of this tragedy but it would have allowed authorities to appear on the scene almost immediately.... as opposed to several hours later when the trace was eventually completed!
I think Meredith would have had a much better chance of survival if only this technique had been recommended to Mr Tabor by the authorities with whom he was liaising. But of course no one is to blame but Hilton- I just wish things could have turned out a different way.
Many of the calls I receive say "out of area." I mean it happens EVERY DAY. It's also not uncommon for business to block their information. Just because caller ID exists does not always mean it works. Depending on where I call from and to, the information may come up different on the receiver's caller ID, so it stands to reason that if you are on a cell and traveling, that it might not show the number. It is not a perfect science.
No, of course its not a perfect science, you are correct!
Some comments from Hilton family aquaintances can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/2l9xa9
and
"Hilton does have family but they have had no contact with him for over 20 years. Not even his Mother. He has 5 cousins in Georgia His Mother lived in Flordia but is in hospice in another state. He has uncle who did live in North Carolina but has moved and a aunt in california. Hilton was bad news for along time. His family has nothing to add. No sob story. I met him once with his Mother at underground Atlanta way back in the 70,s and he creeped me out then. From what I have heard he was bad news even as a child. His family are good people. people you would love to have as neighbors. Hilton is a abberation. And the Hilton name does not connect to any of them."
"To be honest until he came up as a person of interest they had no idea if he was dead or alive. The preference would have been for him to have been dead rather than all these people being killed. I dont know why the break with him happened. I just know with the family members I have know for years it must have been something really huge. These people hold family and friends close. Hilton had every chance in the world to be a good solid citizen for what ever reason he is not."
Gary Michael Hilton and Jason Knapp
http://www.rapideyereality.com/2...ason-
knapp.html
From a woman in Atlanta: "Gary was my neighbor on 11th st. back in 94 and, I gotta tell ya.. he didn't seem like this person. We were neighbors for a while-I had him over for dinner, we went out for drinks too- we were friends up until I moved. then, ironically about 7 years later, I started work at a place in Sandy Springs... and he worked there. This Gary was distrought, suicidal, and eradic. I wish you had spell check- anyway. He said he wanted to blow his brains out- that he was sick of life. I feel terrible for the familys of his victims. You just never know about people."
http://www.topix.net/forum/
sourc...6K7PKCFCA6M8FHK
This may help pinpoint when the killing began.
How do we know if these people who are posting these things even really knew him? I have a feeling that the people who really knew him do not want to say much at all...would really not want to be associated with him at this point.
However, if his family really did know how messed up he was, they would have done the world a big favor by having him committed, if he really was as bad as the poster is saying the family thought he was...
I can just feel a "not guilty by reason of insanity" plea coming up...
they found Hilton's other white van-- stripped-- in a Habersham Co. scrap metal yard.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/
content...onvan_0119.html
http://www.pinow.com/news/2008/0...-disappearance/
PI Gives Authorities Tip in Miliani’s Disappearance
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/150866...686/
detail.html
WSB has a lot of the articles posted and videos pertaining to the case at this link.
Autopsy shows that 84 year old Irene Bryant may have tried to defend herself.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/151143...ss=atl&
psp=news
Given the similarity of the murders attributed to Hilton...has any thought been given to a possible link to the Chandra Levi homocide?
East coast, wooded area, discarded body...female alone....enough to get my sleuthing juices going.
I don't think Chandra Levy is related... Rock Creek Park (where she was found) has a reputation for crime. There are also many conspiracy theories that say her death was related to her government ties and inside knowledge.
And while Rock Creek Park is large.. it seems to be much too urban for Hilton's taste.
Searching for John Bryant and other missing persons - I hope they are factoring in that he constantly roamed between numerous camping areas. Some of the locals in the Dawson Forest claim to have found several of his sites. For instance, Meredith Emerson was kidnapped, but he kept her about 40 miles away, and her body was dumped at a third site. Hilton might have incapacitated John Bryant at one of his sites and kept him for a while. The dump area is less likely to be near the kidnapping site; more likely near Hilton's camping area. What about evidence in landfills?
posted on a forum for WXIA Atlanta
by Glenn Adams
"It is amazing at the amount of evidence in the campsite and abandoned house, that would be useful in the GBI's investigation"
http://tinyurl.com/ypt2n3
please read a bunch of Glenn Adams stuff before you give that post-crazy whackjob any kind of credulity here...
there's some serious, serious batshit crazy rambling going on there (topix and WXIA both).
in just this thread alone he's claiming to channel Hilton's demon.
http://www.topix.com/forum/sourc...O3PNQ6I7C4GU/
p3
yipes!
Today Hilton pleaded guilty to murdering Meredith and was immediately sentenced to life, with possibility of parole after 30 years.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=110459
Trascript and the video of Meredith's parents making statements in court to the judge today. Very heart breaking.
Meredith Emerson’s parents, Dave and Susan Emerson, gave the following statements in Dawson County Superior Court Thursday, January 31, 2008.
During those court proceedings, Gary Michael Hilton pleaded guilty to murdering Meredith Emerson.
I drove by the courthouse before the sentencing was read. A friend of mine was in the courtroom. He said that the security was unbelievable. I loved what Meredith's dad said about the inmates taking appropriate measures. I believe it will happen just like it did to Dahlmer.
I hope LE will continue to investigate his involvement with other missing persons cases while he is having his breakfast/lunch/dinner--paid for by all of us.
Meredith's parents sound like real champs. My heart breaks for them.
Just in - They found John Bryant's body.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/152130...033/
detail.html
May he now rest in peace.
Just came here to say the same thing, a hunter found his skeletal remains on Saturday, today, Monday, they confirmed it was John Bryant. Hilton refused to speak with authories concerning this.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/
152130...ref=werecommend
While I've seen the reports Hilton was enlisted in the military from 1964-1967, I haven't heard exactly when he was stationed in Germany. Has someone considered if the Oct. 1965 disappearance of Mary Shotwell Little (when Hilton was 1
or the May 1967 murder of her former coworker, Dianne Shields, were perpetrated by Hilton? Is it just me or are there more than a couple similarities?
The info on Albert Fish was fed to me by Injun; websleuths. Any geneologists out there we need help following Fish's gene pool, or cespool, you make the call.
Retired Teacher: ASee Mrs. Bryant's incident report by: sleddog, Yellow Jacket at ATM, Hilton's MO.
Sleddog has a map with poss victims including Hilton's MO. at:Wes side story Safety tips on the AT or Google: Hoy Glenn Adams
Hilton kills at an average of One person every 10-12 days. From Nov07 to Jan 4/08. He murdered 5 people that he has been linked too. I don't know how long he has been terrorizing our families, and neighbors, I am speculating that it has been 25 to 30 years. Now, even if he has been conducting this rein of terror for only 10 years, which would be Levi Frady Oct 22, 1997 to Meredith Hope Emerson, Jan 01/08, This would equate to over 300 victims. Damn, Hilton was arrested in Dekalb Co, GA, in 1982 for Arson with 3 occupants: attempted Murder X 3. Why wasn't he in Prison. Why has the Court Records Vanished? Inquiring Minds want to know. Too Many Questions. No Answers.
Any vietnam vets, I won the draft lottery, was infantry but fate sent me to Germany. Got a question for you. Found a wire in the yard of the abandoned house where Hilton held Meredith. The wire is a loop, with the end twisted so that the wire slips through when pulled. Was this device used for decapitation in nam or have I been watching too much TV. This thing grabbed me by the foot as I was walking the property. I have lived this tragedy of Meredith's for 35 days now, please go to wesside story safwety tips on the AT. wxia tv, atlanta for a timeline since 1/-6/08. Sleddohours before the media announcements. How does he do that?
Vinny sequel continuesg has done the tech. research; he/she is very good and runs about 24 .
To view a series of photos of the abandoned house and barn where Meredith Emerson was held from Jan 1 to Jan 4 in Dawson Forest. http://tinyurl.com/ytal2s
(View the last photo in the top row, and then all of the second row.)
Hilton hunted people as Holly Bryant said. A map of possible murders by Gary Michael Hilton is at: http://tinyurl.com/2bgf6l
what did he do?
They will be charging Hilton with the NC murders and now he is indicted with one from FL....Guilty for murder in GA. Let's read the writing on the wall... this guy did not turn 61 and decide it was time to start decapitating people...we are just opening this horrifying can of worms...when the writing is on the wall... you can choose to ignore it or read it but it is still the writing on the wall...stop pussy-footing around...we have a serial killer folks.
http://www.11alive.com/news/arti...?
storyid=112422
Thanks for the article Steve....the can of worms continues to open.
It is so frightful, horrifying that some people make thus things, is always due to beastly treatments by racial prejudices of the past that not yet disappears of that country, that we improve the things, not that but I can wish, goodbye.
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