NC NC - Rossana Miliani, 29, Bryson City, 26 Nov 2005

[chaddylex]

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Rossana Miliani
Missing Person / NamUs #MP144

Case Information​

Demographics​

Missing Age 29 Years
Current Age 46 Years
First Name Rossana
Middle Name--
Last Name Miliani
Nickname/Alias Sassy

Sex Female
Height5' 8" (68 Inches)
Weight220 lbs
Race / Ethnicity White / Caucasian

Circumstances​

Date of Last Contact November 26, 2005
NamUs Case Created December 12, 2008

Last Known Location Map​

Location Bryson City, North Carolina
County Swain County
Missing From Tribal Land No
Primary Residence on Tribal Land No
Circumstances of Disappearance She is from Miami, Fl and was vacationing in North Carolina at the time of her disappearance.

Physical Description​

Hair Color Brown
Head Hair Description Brown/Curley
Body Hair Description--
Facial Hair Description--
Left Eye Color Brown
Right Eye Color Brown
Eye Description Brown

---

Distinctive Physical Features​

Item
Description
Piercing
double pierced ears

Scar/mark
small birthmark on chin

Tattoo
Tattoo of a "Lotus Flower" with Chinese letters on lower back red/blue

Clothing and Accessories​

Item
Description
Clothing
Carrying a big light beige suitcase with broken handle, matching carry on, and a laptop computer.

Jewelry
Possibly wearing a solitary diamond ring in white gold, white gold pendant with a yellow stone.

 

[HopeRains]

Quick google search seems to indicate that SK Gary Hilton is still being considered as a possible suspect in her disappearance.

How a Serial Killer Was Caught While 'Literally Trying to Clean His Van of Evidence'

snip from People article above:

"My big question is, what other cases are out there that they just haven't been able to pin on him?" he says. "Authorities out there most certainly need to be more aware of Gary Hilton. I am confident he has priors."

One possible victim is 28-year-old Florida resident Rossana Miliani, who was last seen with an older man with gray hair in Dec. of 2005 in a general store in Bryson City, N.C.

Hilton, now 75, is on Florida's death row for the murder of Dunlap. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Emerson and the Bryants.

Anyone with information about Rossana Miliani's disappearance is asked to call the Swain County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina at 828-488-0159.

 

[chaddylex]

Rossana's NamUs profile just added another rule out exclusion
She currently has 4 exclusions

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP17304
Date Body Found November 23, 2016
State TN
County Knox

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP12167
Date Body Found January 21, 2006
State IL
County St. Clair

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP12683
Date Body Found June 06, 2014
State VA
County Newport News

Unidentified Person / NamUs #UP6665
Date Body Found May 14, 2007
State VA
County Petersburg

 

[victoriarobinson642]

 

[Pennysmom1]

Rossana Miliani – The Charley Project

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Miliani, circa 2005; Sketch of unidentified male

• Missing Since 12/07/2005
• Missing From Cherokee, North Carolina
• Classification Endangered Missing
• Sex Female
• Race White
• Date of Birth 11/13/1976 (47)
• Age 29 years old
• Height and Weight 5'7 - 5'8, 220 pounds
• 
  
• Clothing/Jewelry Description Possibly a white gold diamond solitaire ring and a white gold pendant with a yellow stone.
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• Medical Conditions Miliani suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
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• Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair, brown eyes. Miliani's nickname is Sassy. She has a tattoo of a lotus flower with Chinese letters in blue and red ink on her back and a small birthmark on her chin. Her ears are double-pierced and she has had her wisdom teeth surgically extracted.

Details of Disappearance​

Miliani was last seen at approximately 12:00 p.m. at the Ramada Inn hotel in the vicinity of the 100 block of Painttown Road in Cherokee, North Carolina. She is from Miami, Florida and was vacationing in North Carolina at the time.

Miliani spoke of plans to hike the Appalachian Trail. She called her father from the hotel that day and told him she was going hiking. She sighted in Bryson City, North Carolina, the day of her disappearance; she rented a storage space at Ye Olde Mini Storage on River Street. Miliani has not been seen since.

Miliani had a large light beige suitcase with a broken handle, a matching carry-on bag, a laptop computer, a sleeping bag, a camera, a cellular phone and some other personal items with her when she was last seen; none of these have been recovered. She has not withdrawn any money from her bank account since she went missing, although some funds were deposited there on December 31.

In June 2009, a private investigator working on Miliani's case issued a sketch of a man who was seen with her before she vanished. The sketch is posted with this case summary.

A store clerk who read about Miliani's disappearance in the newspaper on the two-year anniversary stated she sold a backpack to Miliani and an unidentified man about 60 years old, with gray hair at his temples. He may have been wearing a hairpiece. He said he was a traveling preacher. The clerk said Miliani appeared to be nervous during the transaction.

Gary Michael Hilton is a possible suspect in Miliani's disappearance. He was a drifter who frequented forests and national park areas in the southeastern United States. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping and murdering a Georgia hiker, and he is a suspect in other murders. He resembles the sketch, but it hasn't been proven that he was involved in Miliani's disappearance.

Miliani's case remains unsolved and foul play is suspected. Both Florida and North Carolina police are investigating.

Investigating Agency​

• Asheville, North Carolina Police Department 828-259-5910
• Swain County, North Carolina Sheriff's Office 828-488-4844
• Broward County, Florida Sheriff's Office 954-491-3920

Source Information​

• NamUs
• The Asheville Citizen-Times
• Asheville Police Department
• The Smoky Mountain Times

Updated 3 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated June 10, 2022; picture added.

 

[Pennysmom1]

Missing Person / NamUs #MP144

View NamUs missing person case MP144 for Rossana Miliani missing from Cherokee, North Carolina. Date of last contact: Nov 26, 2005. NCMEC case number: --.

namus.nij.ojp.gov

July 16, 2009

Appalachian Trail Serial Killer Linked to Missing Miami Woman

Four years ago, a heavyset 26-year-old Miami woman named Rossana Miliani walked into a general store in Bryson City, North Carolina, with an older man whose hair was going gray.The man told a clerk he was a preacher who traveled to campsites around the nearby Appalachian Trail. Miliani, who had...

www.miaminewtimes.com

Sept 16, 2009

Killer Gary Hilton may be linked to missing Miami woman

The father of a missing Miami woman said a man seen with his daughter the day she disappeared bears a strong resemblance to convicted killer Gary Michael Hilton.

www.ajc.com

Nov 16, 2022

Convicted serial killer behind 2 beheadings once warned police a victim's 'head will be missing': reports

The years-old case involving serial killer Gary Hilton resurfaced earlier this week, when the murders were featured on a segment of HLN’s "Real Life Nightmare.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Pennysmom1]

Miami Sunset Senior High, Class of 1994

Rossana Miliani from our graduating class was actually missing and presumed murdered in the mountains of NC? It happened in 2006. Hel England shared this. Her friend brought this to her attention....

www.facebook.com

<modsnip - not an approved source>

How a Serial Killer Was Caught While 'Literally Trying to Clean His Van of Evidence'

Serial killer Gary Hilton, a survivalist, hunted for victims in national forests in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida

people.com

 

[Pennysmom1]