View Full Version : What is known about hilton?
whitefoot_hp
01-09-2008, 11:52
MY curiosity has been growing as this case has started coming to a close. But i have some questions. Was Hilton that infamous of a hiker/roamer for authorities to be able to declare him a POI so quickly, i presume off of witness testimony? Is he, or was he, an avid hiker, and possibly a member of WB?
warraghiyagey
01-09-2008, 11:58
Maybe it's just too early to talk about this here.
Just my thought. Wouldn't mind seeing this thread go away. . . for a long while.:( :( :( :(
MY curiosity has been growing as this case has started coming to a close. But i have some questions. Was Hilton that infamous of a hiker/roamer for authorities to be able to declare him a POI so quickly, i presume off of witness testimony? Is he, or was he, an avid hiker, and possibly a member of WB?
We already know enough about this guy. What have we learned about ourselves?
SGT Rock
01-09-2008, 12:12
No WhiteBlaze member by that name.
MY curiosity has been growing as this case has started coming to a close. But i have some questions. Was Hilton that infamous of a hiker/roamer for authorities to be able to declare him a POI so quickly, i presume off of witness testimony? Is he, or was he, an avid hiker, and possibly a member of WB?
I think (but have no particular inside information, so this is just speculation on my part) that the quick ID was completely the result of matching his license plate number. If someone hadn't noticed the van and written down the plate number, we'd still be burning up the lines talking about a nondescript, scruffy guy seen by a bunch of people, but with no idea in the world who he was.
NorthCountryWoods
01-09-2008, 12:29
Maybe it's just too early to talk about this here.
Just my thought. Wouldn't mind seeing this thread go away. . . for a long while.:( :( :( :(
It's a sad situation, but if you'd rather not hear about it, avoid the thread.
Whitefoot brings up a valid question....Did Hilton appear like just another hiker out on the trail? How often were people sharing shelters, food, companionship with him? Was he plotting all along or did he just snap?
Having an open discussion and educating ourselves about his behavior may help prevent further tragedies.
warraghiyagey
01-09-2008, 13:04
It's a sad situation, but if you'd rather not hear about it, avoid the thread.
Whitefoot brings up a valid question....Did Hilton appear like just another hiker out on the trail? How often were people sharing shelters, food, companionship with him? Was he plotting all along or did he just snap?
Having an open discussion and educating ourselves about his behavior may help prevent further tragedies.
I hear ya NCW. Good call.
Almost There
01-09-2008, 13:12
He's crazy! According to a lady that lived near an Atlanta park where he would take his dog, some people thought he was creepy and others thought he was a pretty nice guy, but he always had that element of potentially snapping. He did what he did because he was a little bit twisted and a whole lotta crazy.
dessertrat
01-09-2008, 13:42
He was a crazy bum and a drifter. He was not a hiker in the sense that you mean, although he might have gone out on the trail sometimes for the day.
Ya'll please don't refer to him as crazy. I would hate to see him get out of jail on an insanity defense. I agree anyone that would kill like that is not right in the mind, but it is taken too far. He probably should have been locked up years ago, but too many are walkng around right now free as a bird with serious mental problems because they are not treated for their problems. Then something like this happens, just horrible.
Bulldawg
01-09-2008, 14:53
I saw Winton Porter of Mountain Crossings on a local Atlanta news station last night telling the reporter that he had been a person of interest (not in the sense of this case) for some time. They had been trying to the the USFS to do something about him for some time. But the y guy knew the rules. He would live out of his van for 2 weeks, leave for 24 hours, and then return. Perfectly within the rules of USFS laws, so until he broke the law there was nothing the USFS could do. It's just horrible it took this to get him off the trail. As bad as this may sound, I certainly hope they somehow link him with other murders. This brings those families closure and hopefully gets him in the express lane for execution.
liminalgrey
01-09-2008, 15:17
Did Hilton appear like just another hiker out on the trail? How often were people sharing shelters, food, companionship with him? Was he plotting all along or did he just snap?
Answering these questions would involve a lot of guessing and speculation and I doubt we will ever actually know the answers. But, FWIW, a guy who is thru-hiking this year thinks he saw Hilton on the trail in 2005: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=214242
High Life
01-09-2008, 15:17
freaking scary , considering i came thru that area solo on the AT around
nov 10th . i wonder if i saw him , passed him , said " hi " to him ..
scares the crap out of me ..
We already know enough about this guy. What have we learned about ourselves?
No we don't. I don't know of his past or if he's invoved in any other murders. I haven't changed...
Lone Wolf
01-09-2008, 15:38
We already know enough about this guy. What have we learned about ourselves?
we know just the tip of the iceberg about this *******. i've learned i really want him to suffer and die. how about you?
Answering these questions would involve a lot of guessing and speculation and I doubt we will ever actually know the answers. But, FWIW, a guy who is thru-hiking this year thinks he saw Hilton on the trail in 2005: http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=214242
That was interesting. Wind-up never mentioned if the guy called the dogs name.
Waterbuffalo
01-09-2008, 15:41
The police got his information from Locals in the area that know of him and recognized the vehicle
dessertrat
01-09-2008, 15:47
Three days of abuse, hoping that you are going to live, and then being killed. It makes me sick. Lethal injection isn't "cruel" enough, and it is awful to think that he might live out his life with three hots and a cot at our expense, whether he is sentenced to life or death.
we know just the tip of the iceberg about this *******. i've learned i really want him to suffer and die. how about you?
LW, I've learned how much it hurts to lose a person I never knew.
Toolshed
01-09-2008, 16:21
Three days of abuse, hoping that you are going to live, and then being killed. It makes me sick. Lethal injection isn't "cruel" enough, and it is awful to think that he might live out his life with three hots and a cot at our expense, whether he is sentenced to life or death.
I just now found that out. As a father of 2, I cannot even begin to explain that bitterness and anger that wells up inside of me just thinking about scumbags like this. And the sumabitches biggest concern is the "quality of his jail cell" ARrrrrrggghhhhh......!!!!!
whitefoot_hp
01-09-2008, 17:01
so from some posts it seems safe to call hilton a sort of national/state park and trail vagrant, wandering around from campsite to campsite or trail and just kind of scraping by. he was prominent enough in the area to be 'known of' by locals. apparently he had fairly intimate knowledge of the remote areas of north georgia, guessing from his placement of her body.
warrigahey, i understand what you are saying in post 2, but NCW kind of summed up what i am trying to get at. my point of view is that if some guy behaves like this virtually in my own back yard, i want to understand his profile as much as possible, not neccesserally to pre-judge others in the future though.
warraghiyagey
01-09-2008, 17:05
. . .
warrigahey, i understand what you are saying in post 2, but NCW kind of summed up what i am trying to get at. my point of view is that if some guy behaves like this virtually in my own back yard, i want to understand his profile as much as possible, not neccesserally to pre-judge others in the future though.
I get it Wf hp, after I saw your address it was too late to retract. You folks must be feeling it harder than most.
Peace.
:sun
LW, I've learned how much it hurts to loose a person I never knew.
You mean "lose"
Bulldawg
01-09-2008, 17:14
Check out the email I just got.
[quote]
Read the e-mail at the bottom of this page..way too close........we should all stay on our toes at all times! Val
>>> B V 1/9/2008 11:44 AM >>>
This is from my pastor's wife. Read the e-mail at the bottom.
Bev.
> Pam P 1/9/2008 11:30 AM >>>
I don't know this girl, but I can't imagine whats going through her mind. this is so scary knowing its so close to our homes, and to know he's only about 1&1/2 miles from my house in Dawson Co. jail. and the murder took place about 5 miles from my house and only 2 from both my kids homes. Love yall, Pam
I wanted to forward this on. It's from Nancy Hothem Linkesh and it's really scary to think of what could have happened. We all just need to stay cautious and aware of our surroundings at all times.
Subject: missing hiker
Hey everybody-
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.
That encounter was a little too close to home. I always try to be friendly and polite, but I've found that is not such a good idea. Who cares if a stranger thinks you snubbed them?
Just keep in mind that the world is full of bad people and that they are very good at manipulating situations to get you involved with them.
Be safe and listen to your gut! "Stranger Danger" applies to grown-ups, too.
Nancy
[\quote]
Scary ain't it??
Very chilling. Thanks for posting that. I assume she has gone to the police with this.
I am currently section hiking the
AT and will be starting at Fontana Dam the first of April. In 1983, my 16 year old daughter was kidnapped and murdered so I know the agony and pain the family is going through and will continue to endure.
We must keep Meredith's family in our thoughts and prayers. I will not let these twisted individuals deter me from trying to enjoy life. I will be keenly aware of the dangers, but will be back on the trail with a heavy heart for Meredith.
I am currently section hiking the
AT and will be starting at Fontana Dam the first of April. In 1983, my 16 year old daughter was kidnapped and murdered so I know the agony and pain the family is going through and will continue to endure.
We must keep Meredith's family in our thoughts and prayers. I will not let these twisted individuals deter me from trying to enjoy life. I will be keenly aware of the dangers, but will be back on the trail with a heavy heart for Meredith.
That is so horrible I don't know what to say. You are very courageous to carry on undeterred.
dab, Im in The 'Ham too, drop me a line when your not hiking!
Waterbuffalo
01-09-2008, 18:00
Hilton was just named suspect in a Florida murder case he fits the description.
Lone Wolf
01-09-2008, 18:05
Hilton was just named suspect in a Florida murder case he fits the description.
Crews, the POS who did the double murder in 90 on the AT, was wanted for murder in Florida too
Waterbuffalo
01-09-2008, 18:09
LW your right I forgot about that.
Lone Wolf
01-09-2008, 18:10
And the POS that did the double murder at Wapiti shelter in VA is a free man today.
envirodiver
01-09-2008, 18:12
we know just the tip of the iceberg about this *******. i've learned i really want him to suffer and die. how about you?
It's all that I really do want to know about him at this point. Eliminate him from society and make sure he doesn't come back.
dessertrat
01-09-2008, 18:12
And the POS that did the double murder at Wapiti shelter in VA is a free man today.
Wolf, do you mean the guy Maryland just paroled? I think the problem is they were never able to put together a case against him on that one, even though everyone is "pretty sure" it was him.
PhoenixGSU
01-09-2008, 18:14
Hilton was just named suspect in a Florida murder case he fits the description.
I read that a forest service worker wrote down his liscene plate so they know he was in the area at the time of the Florida case's occurance.
Lone Wolf
01-09-2008, 18:15
Wolf, do you mean the guy Maryland just paroled? I think the problem is they were never able to put together a case against him on that one, even though everyone is "pretty sure" it was him.
No, this guy lived near Pearisburg and apparently is back living there. are you talking about the double murder suspect in the Shenandoahs?
dessertrat
01-09-2008, 18:17
No, this guy lived near Pearisburg and apparently is back living there. are you talking about the double murder suspect in the Shenandoahs?
I think so. I remember reading about a guy Maryland paroled a few months back, who was suspected in an AT murder, but he was never convicted of that. He was convicted of some other crime, and served about 20 years, I guess. I'll see if I can find it.
whitefoot_hp
01-09-2008, 18:20
It's all that I really do want to know about him at this point. Eliminate him from society and make sure he doesn't come back.
perhaps learning as much as possible about him might help us eliminate others worthy of elimination before they do as much damage as hilton may be responsible for.
envirodiver
01-09-2008, 18:22
I am currently section hiking the
AT and will be starting at Fontana Dam the first of April. In 1983, my 16 year old daughter was kidnapped and murdered so I know the agony and pain the family is going through and will continue to endure.
We must keep Meredith's family in our thoughts and prayers. I will not let these twisted individuals deter me from trying to enjoy life. I will be keenly aware of the dangers, but will be back on the trail with a heavy heart for Meredith.
dab as a parent of 2 daughters (age 18 and 20) this is my worst nightmare and your story along with the events of the last few days just make me want to hug them and never let them go out . But, we all know that is not realistic. This must have been especially hurtful for you.
My heart goes out to you, I have no idea how that must hurt still to this day. Way to stay strong, you have my admiration.
oldfivetango
01-09-2008, 18:23
Anyone wanting more info about Hilton and the case can
go to 11alivenews.com which is an Atlanta news station.
Hilton had Meredith for three days in his van before beating her to
death and decapitating her.
He made a deal with law enforecement to not seek the death penalty
in return for cooperating and taking them to the scene.
Hopefully they will tie him to the other murders he is suspected of doing
and give him the death penalty on one of those.
We still execute a criminal in Georgia every now and then.
Oldfivetango
dessertrat
01-09-2008, 18:27
No, this guy lived near Pearisburg and apparently is back living there. are you talking about the double murder suspect in the Shenandoahs?
Yes, and actually it was not Maryland that paroled him. . . the newspaper article I read noted that he was living just across the bridge from me, so I assumed he was let out of Maryland prison, I guess.
This is actually a pretty good article about this guy and his history, as well as another possible suspect in the case, who is now dead of suicide. It was apparently published today! I just found it. Talk about serendipity.
If the Feds dropped the charges, that makes me think maybe it really was that other guy who did it.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/01_09-18/TOP
Very troubling. Stupid POS. Not worthy of oxygen.
Kirby
Bulldawg
01-09-2008, 19:28
Anyone wanting more info about Hilton and the case can
go to 11alivenews.com which is an Atlanta news station.
Hilton had Meredith for three days in his van before beating her to
death and decapitating her.
He made a deal with law enforecement to not seek the death penalty
in return for cooperating and taking them to the scene.
Hopefully they will tie him to the other murders he is suspected of doing
and give him the death penalty on one of those.
We still execute a criminal in Georgia every now and then.
Oldfivetango
The Dawson County DA was on TV tonight saying he was not part of any deal offered to Hilton. But, would not comment on what he was actually going to do. Al he would say is "I was not part of the deal offered to Mr. Hilton by the Union County DA."
Maybe he'll go ahead and seek the death penatly.
RITBlake
01-09-2008, 19:32
anyone see the video on 11alive.com of him in court
Think he's wearing enough bullet proof vests? He looks like an NFL linebacker, I bet he's wearing at least two if not more layers of kevlar.
Critterman
01-09-2008, 19:32
Yes, and actually it was not Maryland that paroled him. . . the newspaper article I read noted that he was living just across the bridge from me, so I assumed he was let out of Maryland prison, I guess.
This is actually a pretty good article about this guy and his history, as well as another possible suspect in the case, who is now dead of suicide. It was apparently published today! I just found it. Talk about serendipity.
If the Feds dropped the charges, that makes me think maybe it really was that other guy who did it.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/01_09-18/TOP
The other guy who committed suicide killed himself after a teenage girl he had abducted, raped for 3 days in his house escaped after he took drugs and passed out. The police caught up with him and the rat *astard blew his brains out. He abducted 2 sisters one day near Fredericksburg Va and their bodies were found a few days later. The crime was unsolved until his suicide then evidence in his apartment connected him to the crime and his DNA matched. A friend of mine knew the 2 girls parents and it was such a sad and terrible thing.
orangebug
01-09-2008, 19:35
He's crazy! According to a lady that lived near an Atlanta park where he would take his dog, some people thought he was creepy and others thought he was a pretty nice guy, but he always had that element of potentially snapping. He did what he did because he was a little bit twisted and a whole lotta crazy.While there may be a NGRI (Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity) defense pending, I would prefer that folks avoid stimatizing actual psychotic people with the consequences of this crime.
Trail_hound
01-09-2008, 20:01
LW, I've learned how much it hurts to lose a person I never knew.
Amen Brother...
dessertrat
01-09-2008, 21:45
The other guy who committed suicide killed himself after a teenage girl he had abducted, raped for 3 days in his house escaped after he took drugs and passed out. The police caught up with him and the rat *astard blew his brains out. He abducted 2 sisters one day near Fredericksburg Va and their bodies were found a few days later. The crime was unsolved until his suicide then evidence in his apartment connected him to the crime and his DNA matched. A friend of mine knew the 2 girls parents and it was such a sad and terrible thing.
That makes it seem even more likely that he might have killed those women in SNP.
I long ago learned that there is no justice in this world, but at times like this, when things like this happens, that realization is truly painful. If there's a God, he's a scorekeeper, not a referee.
modiyooch
01-09-2008, 22:04
Hilton had NC plates in his possession. Hilton was seen in FL at the time of the FL killing. Hilton kills; but doesn't want to be killed. GA doesn't have to seek the death penalty, but NC and FL can if convicted.
Bulldawg
01-09-2008, 22:20
Very chilling. Thanks for posting that. I assume she has gone to the police with this.
I actually had the email of the origianl lady and asked her to please go to authorities if she had not already!
Rick Hancock
01-09-2008, 22:21
He's a coward who knew what he had done to that girl, and what the recovery team would find. He made a deal for his life that he never offered to any of his possible victims. I think he should be hung up by his nuts, then lightly cut completely around his sack and left hanging in agony until he rots! But then I believe in the death penalty.
Rick
Bulldawg
01-09-2008, 22:23
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.
They may link him to other crimes since his DNA will automatically go into the national data base. Since DNA from crimes all over the country is put into Codis, there may be a hit on some unsolved ones. He is a sex offender, a sadistic one. So his past may catch up with him.
orangebug
01-09-2008, 22:56
We do not know that. That is pure speculation.
Assuming she fought, there will be DNA evidence to tie him to her even if his original confession/plea bargain fails. We can only hope that his DNA can definitively associate/exonerate him regarding other crimes.
I suspect that he does not have 3 blankets to keep him warm tonight. It sounds like some good old fashioned police work/negotiations helped toward resolving Meridith's case, and anticipate similar work will go toward tying up loose ends in other areas.
He wore a day pack and on a leash was the very same dog who had barked at us back at the Gap.
He wore running shoes and a black knit hat covered his thin white hair. A white neatly-trimmed beard covered his oval face
wonder if Wind-up has seen the deputies video from the police cruiser, Hilton's wearing a black knit hat in it. http://www.11alive.com/video/player.aspx?aid=86342&bw=