GA - Meredith Emerson, 24, Blood Mountain, 4 January 2008

[gardenmom]

From the below linked article:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14964662/detail.html

An acquaintance of Gary Michael Hilton -- the "person of interest" -- told Channel 2 that she helped Hilton order an expandable baton like the one found near the missing hiker's car. She said he always had the baton with him.

So we now know GMH did own a baton. Here's my problem with this, why is GMH's stuff laying around as well?. Why would it and Emerson's stuff be left by her car? It's not like they were in the bush and hard to find. Why would a perp leave his stuff there? We also have the description of the man type sunglasses or are they the one's identified as Emerson's?

According to the link Hilton left his home 2 or 3 months ago, that would be the same time that the NC couple went missing.

 

[JinxieJada]

But I want to point this out too -From link posted above.


An acquaintance of Hilton’s told Channel 2 he would frequently walk his dog, Dandy, along Clairmont Road in DeKalb County. She said he also loved to hike in wooded areas. She said from what she saw, Hilton was usually friendly.“He’d talk your ear off. (He was) very, very talkative and friendly to me,” said Barbara – who asked us to only use her first name. Barbara said 61-year-old Gary Hilton lived and worked inside a two-story building near her office for almost 7 years."He'd come over and he'd ask me to do computer searches for him and make up flyers for him,” said Barbara.He distributed promotional flyers to drum up business for a siding company. Its owner, John Tabor, also owns the building and told Channel 2 he has been cooperating with the GBI. Agents said Hilton was the last person seen with missing hiker Meredith Emerson. Her black dog, Ella, is also missing and was playing with Hilton’s Golden Retriever, Dandy, on a trail in Vogel State Park.“He seemed friendly and I could see if the girl had a dog and he had a dog and the dogs were playing that yeah they'd chat and walk along,” said Barbara.She said Hilton, who uses the nickname “Mack,” always told stories about people he’d meet on the trails. When he left DeKalb County two or three months ago, Barbara said she was surprised."I do know he has Multiple Sclerosis. He's in a lot of pain. He once told me he had about 6 years to live and that was a couple years ago and I was surprised when he told me he was going to go live in the woods cause that's a big step when you're ill,” said Barbara.She said Hilton always carried an expandable baton with him. Barbara ordered it for him off the Internet. A baton was found along the trail near Emerson’s water bottle and her dog’s leash."I'm surprised, I really am. He seemed to treat ladies very nicely, certainly me and the other secretary that worked here before, never had any problems, or got the feeling that you needed to be on guard."



Someone enlighten me about MS and how it affects a person please? I know we hear this all the time "He was such a good guy etc" BUT this is sounding more and more like this person wasn't PHYSICALLY capable of doing something...Anyone else?

 

[gardenmom]

Could be he just told her he had MS and 6 years to live, but was lying. I dunno. I'm leaning towards both of them being abducted at this point until the cop is cleared.

 

[Pharlap]

kk

Mine does too.....

http://www.msactivesource.com/msavP...sas/home/What-Is-Multiple-Sclerosis/index.xml

 

[MeoW333]

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HOM_ABOUT_what_is_ms

Link explaining MS. I know symptoms seem to flare up, then disappear for awhile, then will reappear again suddenly. There have been articles written about yoga and specific eating habits that can help control the symptoms, i think that is one of the reasons GMH was an avid hiker and liked the outdoors. He was building himself up against fighting MS, it seems.

Articles on methods to help MS sufferers:
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-19-2005-79331.asp

http://www.gardenandhearth.com/Womens-Health-Beauty/restorative-yoga-ms.htm

 

[JinxieJada]

I agree combine that with the dog treats scattered...was that to distract the dogs?

Were they forced to go at gunpoint by this guy (exC) into the GMH's vehicle after all it is a van plenty of room.

Who the hell is this ex cop? how come they are releasing other peoples names (Granted some have only been first names) but are cloaking him in secrecy? Is he an excop for a bad reason and someone doesn't want the reason being let out which maybe would happen if we had his name and were able to check into him a bit?

 

[MeoW333]

That's a good point, i never thought about the dog treats.. if someone scattered them on purpose, it would distract both of the dogs..
I hope that LE is trailing this ex cop right now, maybe he can lead them back to Meredith and GMH, i'm praying..

 

[JinxieJada]

BTW thanks to all for the links describing MS!

 

[gardenmom]

I think I missed the part about dog treat being found. where was that?

 

[Lady Sleuth]

I think I missed the part about dog treat being found. where was that?

I am confused about this also. Were two water bottles, a dog leash, and dog treats found on the trail and a pair of men's sunglasses and a baton were found by Meredith's car?

Anyone know....I am reading conflicting media reports on where these items were found and by who. Did the ex-cop find all of these items?

 

[JinxieJada]

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/seen_on/article_seenon.aspx?storyid=108980


Snip

Before he got to the parking lot, he saw there was a pile of items. The glasses, the baton, two water bottles, a dog leash and the dog treats. And at that point, he felt really uneasy about the situation. He recalled the girl hiking with the dog on the leash; recalled the gentleman with the baton and the holster," said store employee Jennifer Moorse.


There are other articles too, I just snipped the first one I saved ^^

 

[gardenmom]

http://www.11alive.com/news/local/seen_on/article_seenon.aspx?storyid=108980


Snip

Before he got to the parking lot, he saw there was a pile of items. The glasses, the baton, two water bottles, a dog leash and the dog treats. And at that point, he felt really uneasy about the situation. He recalled the girl hiking with the dog on the leash; recalled the gentleman with the baton and the holster," said store employee Jennifer Moorse.


There are other articles too, I just snipped the first one I saved ^^

Did you notice that there was a "pile" of items? Weird way to say it if they were scattered around. A pile would indicate to me that they were placed there, not dropped suddenly.

 

[MeoW333]

"Earlier Thursday, investigator Verdone said five or six people had come forward with information about Emerson. One of them, a former police officer, told a shop owner that after passing Emerson and her dog, he spotted a suspicious man who was carrying a police baton.

"He seemed a bit uneasy but he wasn't completely in an emergency state," said Jennifer Moorse.

The ex-cop said that on the way back from his hike, he became more concerned when he found the baton along with some of Emerson's belongings near the trail.

"At that point, he felt really uneasy about the situation," said Moorse.

The ex-cop returned to the scene to help investigators pinpoint the area where he saw Emerson, as well as the suspicious man."

Good find, Jada!!

Ex cop or not, being trained in police work, why would he move evidence after prior having observed what he deemed suspicious? Then he sees the items and feels "really uneasy" so he touches them and moves them to the visitor center without staying near the crime scene and calling authorities or at least (in case his cell phone wasn't in service) running back to the visitor center and telling them to alert authorities while he watched over the crime scene to make sure nothing was tampered with. That is what a good officer would do, ex cop or not. This guy done picked up everything and brings it to the visitor's center. :banghead:

 

[momof5]

Has it been reported the ex cop is the one who spoke with LE? Sorry if this has been posted, but Im not seeing his connection.

Nevermind, I saw it sorry...

 

[MeoW333]

Gardenmom, that's a good point "a pile" as opposed to "scattered".. i wonder if it's due to conflicting media reports or conflicting accounts from the ex cop witness.

Momof5, the ex cop witnessed Meredith and the older man, G.M. Hilton walking together with their dogs and it made him uneasy; the ex cop was also the one to find all the items on the ground that made him really uneasy yet to qoute "not quite in a emergency state" according to a store employee at the trailhead, who the ex cop turned into these crime scene items to.

I had a thought, what if they can't locate the van, because it is in someone's garage? Then it wouldn't be visible at all, and Meredith and GMH may be captive somewhere..

 

[MeoW333]

"Emerson was reported missing on Wednesday.
"This man was seen with her on multiple occasions during that day," said Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone.
Authorities said Hilton had a large, reddish-colored dog with him that answered to the name of "Dandy." Emerson and the man's dogs ran up the mountains near Dahlonega together, and the two were seen following their dogs Tuesday, witnesses told authorities. The man in question was spotted again Wednesday morning."

Time Frame:

The ex cop witnesses her hiking and talking with GMH that day with their dogs on Tues.
Weds Meredith is reported missing.
Weds morning GMH is also seen again around the same area.
Early Thurs the ex cop returns to the scene to "help" investigators

No one in their right mind would stick around a crime scene unless they
1. thought they could get away with it
2. were on drugs or legally insane
3. Were not guilty at all

And now GMH has disappeared, also so we can't get his account of what happened.
Between Weds morning and on something happened to GMH. I'm thinking he witnessed something; with the time frame it is logical.. if he had hiked back into the Mts, surely searchers would have came across him by now.

 

[SuziQ]

So what would be motive for the ex-cop? If it was sexual, why wouldn't he pick an easier target like a woman by herself, minus a dog and another man and dog? It could be the ex-cop (or whoever) caught the woman by herself and like someone else posted, GMH saw something he wasn't supposed to. Interesting timeframe of when GMH took off for the woods. And the items the ex-cop said he found and where he found them are according to him only.

 

[JinxieJada]

"

Time Frame:

The ex cop witnesses her hiking and talking with GMH that day with their dogs on Tues.
Weds Meredith is reported missing.
Weds morning GMH is also seen again around the same area.
Early Thurs the ex cop returns to the scene to "help" investigators

No one in their right mind would stick around a crime scene unless they
1. thought they could get away with it
2. were on drugs or legally insane
3. Were not guilty at all

And now GMH has disappeared, also so we can't get his account of what happened.
Between Weds morning and on something happened to GMH. I'm thinking he witnessed something; with the time frame it is logical.. if he had hiked back into the Mts, surely searchers would have came across him by now.

Do we know who reported seeing him in the area Weds morning? was this the ExLE that reported this or someone else?

 

[Lady Sleuth]

"Emerson was reported missing on Wednesday.
"This man was seen with her on multiple occasions during that day," said Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone.
Authorities said Hilton had a large, reddish-colored dog with him that answered to the name of "Dandy." Emerson and the man's dogs ran up the mountains near Dahlonega together, and the two were seen following their dogs Tuesday, witnesses told authorities. The man in question was spotted again Wednesday morning."

Time Frame:

The ex cop witnesses her hiking and talking with GMH that day with their dogs on Tues.
Weds Meredith is reported missing.
Weds morning GMH is also seen again around the same area.
Early Thurs the ex cop returns to the scene to "help" investigators

No one in their right mind would stick around a crime scene unless they
1. thought they could get away with it
2. were on drugs or legally insane
3. Were not guilty at all

And now GMH has disappeared, also so we can't get his account of what happened.
Between Weds morning and on something happened to GMH. I'm thinking he witnessed something; with the time frame it is logical.. if he had hiked back into the Mts, surely searchers would have came across him by now.

OK...let me get this straight. Meredith goes missing on Tuesday and GMH was the last one seen with her. Then, GMH is spotted again on Wednesday morning there at the trail.

Maybe, he came back to the trail to look for his baton and sunglasses?

 

[momof5]

I think if he took her or did something to her coming back to that trail would be the farthest thing in his mind. Whoever took her had no way of knowing that she would not be reported missing until the following day. So whoever took her (if someone took her) I dont think would risk coming back there not knowing if the place was going to be crawling with LE or not.