Federal authorities may now get involved with the prosecution of a suspected serial killer after autopsy results showed that one of his alleged victims died of a gunshot wound. John Bryant, who disappeared while hiking with his wife in North Carolina, died of a gunshot to the head, according to the autopsy.

Because the homicide took place in a national forest, jurisdiction could fall to either state or federal authorities, but now that it has been learned that a gun was used in the crime, federal gun laws could come into play.

John Bryant and his wife Irene disappeared while hiking in Pisgah National Forest. Mrs. Bryant, 84, was found Nov. 9 near the hiking trail. Mr. Bryant's body was not found until February in the Nantahala National Forest in western North Carolina.

Facing the Death Penalty

The day after the elderly couple disappeared, their ATM card was used in Ducktown, North Carolina, between the locations of their two bodies.

Gary Michael Hilton has already confessed to the kidnapping and murder of Meredith Emerson in the north Georgia mountains and is serving a life sentence for her death. He is also charged with the murder of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap. He is the main suspect in the deaths of the Bryants.

A Georgia judge has ruled that Hilton can be extradited to Florida where he will face the death penalty for Dunlap's death. Both Dunlap and Emerson were decapitated after they were killed, investigators said.

See Also:
John Bryant Autopsy Reveals Gunshot

Background:
The Gary Michael Hilton Case

Forum:
Discuss The Emerson Case

^{Photo: Family Photo}