Hilton items found in concealed Ga. campsite
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A hunter stumbled across camping supplies, clothes and books belonging to convicted killer Gary Michael Hilton in the Chattahoochee National Forest.The hunter came across the items last Friday at a concealed campsite, and thought they might be stolen or illegally dumped.
“This is an area that we know he frequented,” Fannin County Sheriff's Sgt. Justin Turner said of Hilton.
Hilton is serving life in prison for the January 2008 murder of Buford hiker Meredith Emerson and is awaiting trial in the decapitation of hiker Cheryl Dunlap, a Tallahassee Sunday school teacher.
Emerson, a 24-year-old UGA grad, was hiking with her dog in the Union County mountains when Hilton kidnapped her. Hilton pleaded guilty and avoided the death penalty in exchange for leading authorities to Emerson's body.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation turned over the items to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said.
Hilton also is suspected in the slayings of an elderly North Carolina couple, John and Irene Bryant. They disappeared in October 2007 while hiking in the Pisgah National Forest.
Bankhead said the N.C. Bureau of Investigation has been notified, and that Florida authorities will contact that agency if any items can be tied to the Bryants' killings.
Campsite, cache in Ga. linked to Gary Michael Hilton
Published: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 1:32 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 1:32 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 1:32 p.m.
The U.S. Forest Service has positively identified a cache of supplies at a concealed campsite in Fannin County, Ga., as belonging to convicted murderer Gary Michael Hilton.
A hunter stumbled across the campsite and equipment Friday and thought the items might be stolen or illegally dumped, said Sgt. Justin Turner with the Fannin County' Sheriff's Department.
The hunter called the U.S. Forest Service, which responded and identified the items as belonging to Hilton, Turner said. U.S. Forest Service police and Fannin County Sheriff's Department began gathering the items and establishing a chain of custody. The items were taken by the Forest Service.
The Forest Service took clothing, books and camping supplies and will be examined to see if the items are evidence in any crimes.
Hilton is accused of killing John and Irene Bryant of Horse Shoe in October 2007. The Bryants disappeared while hiking near the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest.
The body of Irene Bryant, 84, was found near the couple’s car. The body of her husband John, 79, was found about three months later near Franklin.
Hilton is currently serving a life sentence for the New Year’s Day 2008 abduction and subsequent murder of 24-year-old Merideth Emerson of Buford, Ga., a hiker who disappeared from a trail in Union County. Her body was later found in Dawson County.
He is being held in Florida awaiting trial there for the murder of Cheryl Dunlap, a Tallahassee Sunday school teacher.
According to the calendar:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS330US330&q=coopers%20creek%20%20fannin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
A hunter scouting deer signs stumbled across a campsite and cache of supplies in southern Fannin County Friday that was later determined to belong to convicted murderer Gary Michael Hilton.
Originally, investigators believed the site could have been connected to the disappearance of Kristi Cornwell, and Union County authorities responded to the scene along with other law enforcement personnel.
The site was found off Coopers Creek Road in the wildlife management area, said Investigator Justin Turner of the Fannin County Sheriff’s Department.
Turner said the hunter was scouting signs in advance of the upcoming hunting season when he came across the campsite and some items he thought might be stolen property. The man reported his find to U.S. Forest Service officials, who went to the site.
Forest Service officials who first arrived at the scene believed that the items belonged to Hilton, so they backed out and called in Forest Service law enforcement officers and Fannin County Sheriff’s Department investigators, Turner said.
The items found consisted mostly of clothing, books and camping supplies, Turner said. The items were collected by the Forest Service for further inspection to determine whether they contain any evidence of a criminal nature, he said.
When authorities determined the items did belong to Hilton, they were able to rule out any connection with Cornwell’s disappearance.
Hilton was known to have camped in Fannin County in at least three different locations. However, the site found Friday was previously unknown and was well concealed, Turner said.
Hilton is currently serving a life sentence for the New Year’s Day 2008 abduction and subsequent murder of 24-year-old Merideth Emerson of Buford, Ga., a hiker who disappeared from a trail in Union County. Her body was later found in Dawson County.
He is currently being held in Florida awaiting trial there for the murder of a Tallahassee Sunday school teacher, Cheryl Dunlap.
He is also a suspect in the October 2007 slayings of an elderly North Carolina couple, John and Irene Bryant, who disappeared while hiking near the Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah National Forest.
The body of Irene Bryant, 84, was found near the couple’s car. The body of her husband John, 79, was found about three months later near Franklin, N.C.
A bank card belonging to the Bryants had been used to withdraw money from a bank ATM in Ducktown the day after they went missing.The hearing for Hilton will be:
SEPT 25
10:00 A.M.
COURTROOM 3A
The hunter called the U.S. Forest Service, which responded and identified the items as belonging to Hilton, Turner said. U.S. Forest Service police and Fannin County Sheriff's Department began gathering the items and establishing a chain of custody. The items were taken by the Forest Service.
The Forest Service took clothing, books and camping supplies and will be examined to see if the items are evidence in any crimes.
Hilton is accused of killing John and Irene Bryant of Horse Shoe in October 2007. The Bryants disappeared while hiking near the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest.
The body of Irene Bryant, 84, was found near the couple’s car. The body of her husband John, 79, was found about three months later near Franklin.
Hilton is currently serving a life sentence for the New Year’s Day 2008 abduction and subsequent murder of 24-year-old Merideth Emerson of Buford, Ga., a hiker who disappeared from a trail in Union County. Her body was later found in Dawson County.
He is being held in Florida awaiting trial there for the murder of Cheryl Dunlap, a Tallahassee Sunday school teacher.
According to the calendar:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS330US330&q=coopers%20creek%20%20fannin&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl
A hunter scouting deer signs stumbled across a campsite and cache of supplies in southern Fannin County Friday that was later determined to belong to convicted murderer Gary Michael Hilton.
Originally, investigators believed the site could have been connected to the disappearance of Kristi Cornwell, and Union County authorities responded to the scene along with other law enforcement personnel.
The site was found off Coopers Creek Road in the wildlife management area, said Investigator Justin Turner of the Fannin County Sheriff’s Department.
Turner said the hunter was scouting signs in advance of the upcoming hunting season when he came across the campsite and some items he thought might be stolen property. The man reported his find to U.S. Forest Service officials, who went to the site.
Forest Service officials who first arrived at the scene believed that the items belonged to Hilton, so they backed out and called in Forest Service law enforcement officers and Fannin County Sheriff’s Department investigators, Turner said.
The items found consisted mostly of clothing, books and camping supplies, Turner said. The items were collected by the Forest Service for further inspection to determine whether they contain any evidence of a criminal nature, he said.
When authorities determined the items did belong to Hilton, they were able to rule out any connection with Cornwell’s disappearance.
Hilton was known to have camped in Fannin County in at least three different locations. However, the site found Friday was previously unknown and was well concealed, Turner said.
Hilton is currently serving a life sentence for the New Year’s Day 2008 abduction and subsequent murder of 24-year-old Merideth Emerson of Buford, Ga., a hiker who disappeared from a trail in Union County. Her body was later found in Dawson County.
He is currently being held in Florida awaiting trial there for the murder of a Tallahassee Sunday school teacher, Cheryl Dunlap.
He is also a suspect in the October 2007 slayings of an elderly North Carolina couple, John and Irene Bryant, who disappeared while hiking near the Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah National Forest.
The body of Irene Bryant, 84, was found near the couple’s car. The body of her husband John, 79, was found about three months later near Franklin, N.C.
A bank card belonging to the Bryants had been used to withdraw money from a bank ATM in Ducktown the day after they went missing.
SEPT 25
10:00 A.M.
COURTROOM 3A
