Missing Georgia hiker--Meredith Emerson, 24 #4

[indigomood]

Does anyone remember the name of the ex-gf? I'm thinking it wasn't Shawn, but who knows?

No, I don't recall unfortunately. I'm not sure I saw it printed

 

[drumstick]

In that link ....


"Hilton has already been charged in the murder of Georgia hiker Meredith Emerson, and in the death of Florida mother Cheryl Dunlap."

~

 

[Pure Maple Syrup]

Is it confirmed that this was a male? I'm having trouble keeping up with all the links.

Reason I ask, is that I have two friends that are female and their names are Shawn. I agree it is typically a name associated with males but can be both male or female (not unlike Morgan, Courtney, Lee and others). Just thinking out loud

Okay, maybe you're right. I personally have never heard of a woman called "Shawn". Shauna maybe, but not Shawn. Now I know.

PS - Welcome to Websleuths!

Thanks! Glad to be here.

 

[Pure Maple Syrup]

In that link ....
"Hilton has already been charged in the murder of Georgia hiker Meredith Emerson, and in the death of Florida mother Cheryl Dunlap."
~

He's actually been charged with Dunlap's murder? Last I heard, they said they had all the evidence they needed to charge him but weren't going to file yet. Could be a statute of limitations thing, that if they charge him, they only have x-amount of time to indict, which might require him to be extradited from GA, which would hurt GA's cases...

 

[SuziQ]

I'm not finding a link to the NC presser. It's 10 minutes away.

 

[DixiePeach]

GBI seeking Hilton's abandoned van

Call with information
The GBI asks anyone with information about the whereabouts of Hilton's old van to call 888- 233-5680.

By Stephen Gurr

UPDATED Jan. 16, 2008 6:16 p.m.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking for Gary Hilton's old van, which was broken down and abandoned in National Forest land in White County for two years but may still contain evidence in the suspected serial killer's case.

GBI Spokesman John Bankhead said the van, a white 1996 Chevy Astro van bearing Georgia tag 766 XPZ, was abandoned in the Tray Mountain area of White County at the end of Forest Service Road 690, also known as Hickory Nut Ridge Road, up until sometime in mid-December.

A citation for leaving the abandoned vehicle in U.S. Forestry Service land was written by the U.S. Forest Service in 2005, Bankhead said. It had not been moved since the citation was written until about a month ago when a hunter noticed it was gone, Bankhead said.

The van was not drivable. Authorities believe someone, probably not Hilton, had the van towed and may have salvaged it for scrap. What evidence it might contain, if any, remains unknown.

Investigators were uncertain whether Hilton went to the abandoned van much in the two years since it was left in the heavily wooded area.

<snipped>

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/2709/

 

[SeriouslySearching]

Oh, so now they think someone conveniently stole the van for scrap! That is happening all over unfortunately. It is a blow for the investigation tho.

 

[SuziQ]

Well now we have a answer to what happened to the second van. Sheesh.

 

[DeltaDawn]

EEEW..Can you imagine being the person who took it for scrap and now find it might have been used in other murders by this guy...yuck! Serves the person right for taking what wasn't theirs.

 

[Pure Maple Syrup]

EEEW..Can you imagine being the person who took it for scrap and now find it might have been used in other murders by this guy...yuck! Serves the person right for taking what wasn't theirs.

I think it's more likely that Hilton sold it to some dude for $20 or so, urging them to haul it out and sell it for parts. That way he gets someone else to get rid of it for him.

Astrovans are not common, parts are hard to get. If he ran into someone in his travels who was a mechanic/parts dealter, you could see that happening. Sign over the title, van gets gone. Poof.

My guess is that it's sitting at a junkyard within 20 miles of Tray Mountain...

 

[Pure Maple Syrup]

First, I apologize if anyone is offended by this question, but this IS a crime-based discussion group and my question is relevant, if unavoidably and depressingly grisly.

How did they know she was already deceased when she was decapitated? Lack of bruising on the neck tissues? No inhaled blood in the lungs? Something else?

This statement has been taken as fact, but how do they/we know for sure? It would change everything in the way his MO was studied if he killed them BY decapitation, rather than did the deed afterwards. Very different mindsets.

 

[southcitymom]

First, I apologize if anyone is offended by this question, but this IS a crime-based discussion group and my question is relevant, if unavoidably and depressingly grisly.

How did they know she was already deceased when she was decapitated? Lack of bruising on the neck tissues? No inhaled blood in the lungs? Something else?

This statement has been taken as fact, but how do they/we know for sure? It would change everything in the way his MO was studied if he killed them BY decapitation, rather than did the deed afterwards. Very different mindsets.

I'm not very scientific but am certain that the skin behaves differently if a person is decaptitated post-mortem as opposed to while alive.

While I doubt LE will explain this scientifically in a news release, I am willing to accept that the people who examined Meredith's remains know what they are talking about when they say this happened after she was killed.

It seems like Hilton decapitated victims to keep them from being identified easily.

 

[Pure Maple Syrup]

I'm not very scientific but am certain that the skin behaves differently if a person is decaptitated post-mortem as opposed to while alive.

While I doubt LE will explain this scientifically in a news release, I am willing to accept that the people who examined Meredith's remains know what they are talking about when they say this happened after she was killed.

It seems like Hilton decapitated victims to keep them from being identified easily.

Thanks, and your points are well taken.

A few days ago, there was a flurry of info all over the web claiming that the head of this victim was "propped up on a tree stump" in an area of the Dawson Forest a mile or so from where the torso was found. The intent of the killer was obviously to shock whoever finds the decapitated head.

Other than the sheriff's office confirming that her remains were, in fact, found at two different locations in the Dawson forest, is there any confirmation of this? I am not asking this to be morbid, this goes to the heart of the killer's mindset. A killer beheading her to avoid having her remains identified would not do this.

 

[SteveHuff]

I hope everyone reads this post elsewhere in the forum by Jeana. It's something we should all remember when learning about cases like this.

Steve

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I hope everyone reads this post elsewhere in the forum by Jeana. It's something we should all remember when learning about cases like this.

Steve

Thanks for the reminder, Steve.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

EEEW..Can you imagine being the person who took it for scrap and now find it might have been used in other murders by this guy...yuck! Serves the person right for taking what wasn't theirs.

The people who steal abandoned vehicles aren't usually the type to care. They are basically the same people who will take the copper out of your air conditioning unit during a heatwave, a vehicle out of your driveway, or other low level crimes of opportunity. Scrap yards here don't require a title before crushing a car, but new regulations are in place where the people selling them have to show proper ID and records are being kept where they were not before.

 

[drumstick]

I would hope they have publicly offered immunity to whoever took this important piece of evidence.
It could be a someone known to a park worker. ??

~

 

[gardenmom]

GBI seeking Hilton's abandoned van

Call with information
The GBI asks anyone with information about the whereabouts of Hilton's old van to call 888- 233-5680.

By Stephen Gurr

UPDATED Jan. 16, 2008 6:16 p.m.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking for Gary Hilton's old van, which was broken down and abandoned in National Forest land in White County for two years but may still contain evidence in the suspected serial killer's case.

GBI Spokesman John Bankhead said the van, a white 1996 Chevy Astro van bearing Georgia tag 766 XPZ, was abandoned in the Tray Mountain area of White County at the end of Forest Service Road 690, also known as Hickory Nut Ridge Road, up until sometime in mid-December.

A citation for leaving the abandoned vehicle in U.S. Forestry Service land was written by the U.S. Forest Service in 2005, Bankhead said. It had not been moved since the citation was written until about a month ago when a hunter noticed it was gone, Bankhead said.

The van was not drivable. Authorities believe someone, probably not Hilton, had the van towed and may have salvaged it for scrap. What evidence it might contain, if any, remains unknown.

Investigators were uncertain whether Hilton went to the abandoned van much in the two years since it was left in the heavily wooded area.

<snipped>

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/2709/

Ha! I speculated awhile back that the abandoned property may have been his van, and everyone thought I was wrong. I like being right once in awhile. Hey, where the "patting myself on the back smiley?"

 

[hprofits]

ATLANTA -- Police on Friday found a second white van belonging to murder suspect Gary Hilton that had been missing.After seeing a television report on the van the operator of a vehicle storage yard in Habersham County called the GBI and said the van had been in his facility since it was towed there.


http://www.wsbtv.com/news/15086686/detail.html

 

[Taximom]

Ha! I speculated awhile back that the abandoned property may have been his van, and everyone thought I was wrong. I like being right once in awhile. Hey, where the "patting myself on the back smiley?"

Good job, gardenmom!

Will this do?