Gary Michael Hilton

Serial Killer

Gary Michael Hilton: The National Forest Serial Killer

Background

Gary Michael Hilton is an American serial killer who became known as the "National Forest Serial Killer" because his four confirmed victims were attacked in or near national forests in the southeastern United States. His confirmed crimes occurred between October 2007 and January 2008 in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Hilton selected isolated outdoor areas where hikers and visitors could be approached without many witnesses. He used violence, kidnapping, robbery, and stolen bank cards as part of his crimes. Hilton was born on November 22, 1946, in Atlanta, Georgia. He served in the United States Army and later lived an unstable and frequently transient life. By the time of the murders, he was living in a van and spending considerable time in forests, campgrounds, and hiking areas. He traveled with his dog and appeared familiar with remote trails, service roads, campsites, and locations where a body could be concealed.

Confirmed Victims

• Irene Woods Bryant: Irene Bryant, age 84, was killed on October 21, 2007, near the Pink Beds area of Pisgah National Forest in Transylvania County, North Carolina. She and her husband, John, had gone there for a hike. Hilton later admitted that he attacked the couple and killed Irene at the original encounter site. Her body was discovered on November 10, 2007, near the Barnett Branch Trail. She had suffered fatal blunt-force injuries.
• John Davis "Jack" Bryant: John Bryant, approximately 80 years old, was abducted from Pisgah National Forest on October 21, 2007. Hilton held him captive, took his bank card, and forced him to provide its personal identification number. Hilton then transported him to the Nantahala National Forest in Macon County, North Carolina, where he shot and killed him later in October 2007. The publicly available court record identifies the murder as occurring in October but does not establish a certain day of death. John's remains were discovered on February 3, 2008.
• Cheryl Hodges Dunlap: Cheryl Dunlap, age 46, was abducted on December 1, 2007, after visiting the Leon Sinks Geological Area in or near Apalachicola National Forest, south of Tallahassee, Florida. Court records establish that she was murdered sometime between December 1 and December 8, 2007. Hilton stole her vehicle and used her bank card. Her remains were found in the national forest in December 2007. Hilton was convicted of her kidnapping and murder in 2011 and was sentenced to death in Florida.
• Meredith Hope Emerson: Meredith Emerson, age 24, was killed on January 4, 2008, in Dawson County, Georgia. She disappeared while hiking with her dog, Ella, on Blood Mountain on January 1, 2008. Hilton abducted her after a struggle on the trail and held her captive for several days while attempting to obtain money through her bank card. He killed her with repeated blows to the head and concealed her body in a remote wooded location. Her remains were recovered on January 7, 2008.

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Confirmed Victims: (4)

Cheryl Hodges Dunlap Age: (46), Date of Death: December 3, 2007

Suspected Victims:

Judy Smith Age: (51), Date of Death: April 10, 1997

Jason Andrew Knapp Age: (20), Date of Death: April 11, 1998

Patrice Marie Tamber Endres Age: (38), Date of Death: April 15, 2004

Rossana Miliani Age: (26), Date of Death: December 7, 2005

Michael Scot Louis Age: (27), Date of Death: November 21, 2007

Gary Hilton - Wikipedia