Armed with a knife and baton, he threatened her and tried to take her money.Įmerson, who trained in two different martial arts, fought back. 'She wouldn't stop fighting.', Hilton told the investigators after the facts. On her way back down the mountain, she crossed paths with Hilton again who, this time, attacked her. Emerson was a fast hiker, so Hilton soon fell behind and she continued her ascent alone.

Gary Michael Hilton, a 61-year-old drifter, befriended and hiked for some time with 24-year-old Meredith Emerson and her dog. His belongings were missing, although the FBI did not say they believed robbery was the motive. Lilly’s cause of death was labeled a homicide caused by “asphyxia by suffocation”. He was last seen and heard from on July 31st after climbing The Priest in Nelson County. Lilly was a 30-year-old SOBO hiker who began his journey in Maryland and was planning to end at Springer Mountain. On August 12th, 2011, a group of weekend hikers came across the body of Scott Lilly near the Cow Camp Gap Shelter on the Appalachian Trail. Jordan is currently undergoing a psych evaluation and awaiting trial. When they tried to leave, he attacked them, killing Sanchez and wounding another. Jordan threatened to burn Sanchez’s and the others' tents. Jordan was later reported to have been acting unstable, alarming fellow hikers on the trail. On the morning of May 11th, the group encountered 30-year-old James Louis Jordan, nicknamed “Sovereign”, from Yarmouth Mass. By May 10th, he’d made it to southern VA, where he camped alongside three other hikers in Wythe county. He began his trek early in the season, figuring he’d average a slower pace than most due to knee and shoulder injuries. After returning to the States, he embraced his love for nature and took on the Appalachian Trail. The victims and their stories are in order as follows.Ĥ3-year-old Ronald Sanchez spent 16 years in the Army and served three tours in Iraq. To date, there have been 13 total murders recorded. The first known murder on the Appalachian Trail took place in 1974. How safe is the Appalachian Trail? Really?Ī day spent in nature can be an invigorating one, but it’s no secret that the wild comes with its fair share of dangers.įrom unpredictable weather to animal encounters, to dehydration to infections, there’s a slew of threats hikers should always keep at least one eye out for.īut what about the dangers that stretch beyond mother nature… what about human nature? In this post, we’re taking a deeper look into such dark encounters, along with sharing tips on how to stay safe while out on the trail. If you comment, please be respectful and consider the victim's families. This article is only intended to present the facts. PLEASE READ: Safety and, in particular, murders have remained among the most common questions related to the Appalachian Trail.

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