An autopsy is scheduled today for Meredith Emerson whose body was found after her accused kidnapper showed authorities where to find it in the Georgia woods. Investigators would not give any details on the condition of her body or her possible cause of death.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation medical examiners will perform the autopsy at the GBI lab in DeKalb County. The place where Emerson's body was found, in a 24,000-acre forest north of Dawsonville, is still taped off as an active crime scene.
Authorities said after Gary Michael Hilton was denied bond by a Union County judge he told investigators where they could find the body and agreed to lead them to the location. She was found about 10 miles from where Emerson's bloody clothes and identification were found Friday.
A Serial Killer Caught?
The GBI describes Hilton as a "drifter" who they believe may be linked to other deaths. They believe he may be linked to the disappearance of John and Irene Bryant, an elderly couple from North Carolina who vanished while hiking in the mountains.
Investigators also plan to meet with Florida authorities about the death of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, whose body was found in the Apalachicola National Forest. Florida investigators have surveillance photos of a masked man using Dunlap's ATM card three times since she disappeared Dec. 1.
Union County Sheriff Scott Stephens told reporters that Hilton was a drifter who apparently was living in his van. "It's our belief he travels around to remote counties," Stephens said. "We've had all kinds of calls from people saying 'I remember seeing him.' He's a drifter. He kind of moves around."
See More Details:
Investigators Returning to Area Where Hiker Was Found
Hiker's Body Found in Georgia Woods
Earlier Articles:
Man Arrested in Missing Hiker Case
Police Seek Clues in Missing Hiker Case
Forum:
Discuss The Emerson Case
Photo: Family Photo
Comments
Not sure why you say she was found “deep in the woods.”
Dawsonville Forest has dirt roads running all through it. She could’ve been a few feet from one.
Stick with the facts.
Another yuppie dies in the hills? The hills are not something you go down to the local REI store spend a couple hundred dollars and decide to hike in for the day. Dangerous people (forget about the animals) are in the hills. I have run across them and had the feeling they were there to do some harm to an unwary person; however, I think my .45 Long Colt made them think twice. Go with a group and be smart when stragners approach on the trail, or if you go buy yourself, still be smart but carry some sort of firearm, mace, whatever. But will read about this again, somehwere of a yuppie who thought he could play with Grizzly’s or got lost because they knew the area and weather, or met some friends on the trail and never came back…