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 intac