Reported By: Julie Wolfe
Reported by: Jon Shirek
Reported by: Duffie Dixon
Last Modified: 1/4/2008 6:58:25 PM
Reported by: Jon Shirek
Reported by: Duffie Dixon
Last Modified: 1/4/2008 6:58:25 PM
Officials have named a person of interest in the search for missing hiker Meredith Emerson, and are searching for Gary Michael Hilton, 60.
According to investigators, Hilton owns two vehicles, both registered in DeKalb County: a white 1996 Chevrolet Astro Van with plate number 76APZ, and a white 2001 Chevrolet Astro Van with license plate number AFQ1310.
Officials said they want to know what Hilton said to Emerson when he met her on the Appalachian Trail.
Hilton was described as a silver-haired white man weighing about 160 pounds. He stands about 5 feet, 10 inches tall with bad or no teeth.
Hilton was seen several times talking with Meredith Emerson, who went hiking with her black Labrador on New Year's Day. Emerson was reported missing on Wednesday.
"This man was seen with her on multiple occasions during that day," said Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone.Authorities said Hilton had a large, reddish-colored dog with him that answered to the name of "Dandy."
Emerson and the man's dogs ran up the mountains near Dahlonega together, and the two were seen following their dogs Tuesday, witnesses told authorities.
The man in question was spotted again Wednesday morning.
The witnesses said he also had with him a large, yellow backpack that looked like it had enough gear for days. Verdone said witnesses described the man as, "Weathered and no teeth and looked as if he had been hiking for quite from time."
Anyone with information on Hilton is asked to call the Union County Sheriff's Office at 706-439-6038. Six people, including Meredith's boyfriend, searched a specific area of the trail with dogs on Thursday evening.
Authorities believe Hilton was the man, who on Freeman Trail on Blood Mountain, was talking to Meredith Emerson the day she and her dog Ella disappeared.
"Mr. Hilton is an individual who is believed to have had contact with Ms. Emerson along the hiking trails in Vogel State Park. Mr. Hilton also has the dog we've identified as a red large dog, with the name of Dandy," said Kimberly Verdone of the Union County Sheriff's Office.
That almost matches up exactly to what another hiker on that same day told folks at a store at the trailhead.
He found what family members now think is key evidence."Before he go to the parking lot, he saw there was a pile of items. The glasses, the baton, two water bottles, a dog leash and the dog treats.
And at that point, he felt really uneasy about the situation. He recalled the girl hiking with the dog on the leash; recalled the gentleman with the baton and the holster," said store employee Jennifer Moorse.
"Meredith's middle name is Hope. And that's exactly what the Lord gives us for her, so we're talking about Meredith in the present tense, and we will find her, and she will safely come home to us," said family spokesperson -- and Meredith's godmother -- Peggy Bailey.
With the possibility of foul play, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation joined in the search for Emerson and the man Thursday. Add to that, a team of eight from Gwinnett County search-and-rescue, one fire search-and-rescue team, and a Georgia State Patrol helicopter using an infrared device are taking part in the search.
"At this time we are assembling teams with experience and non-experience," Verdone said at a late morning news conference.
Emerson's father is also reported to be taking part in the search. Thursday afternoon, authorities said the search would be suspended at dusk Thursday evening and resume again Friday morning if Emerson is not found.
Emerson was believed to be hiking the Freeman Trail, which measures six miles in length.
Earlier Thursday, investigator Verdone said five or six people had come forward with information about Emerson.
One of them, a former police officer, told a shop owner that after passing Emerson and her dog, he spotted a suspicious man who was carrying a police baton. "He seemed a bit uneasy but he wasn't completely in an emergency state," said Jennifer Moorse.
The ex-cop said that on the way back from his hike, he became more concerned when he found the baton along with some of Emerson's belongings near the trail." At that point, he felt really uneasy about the situation," said Moorse. The ex-cop returned to the scene to help investigators pinpoint the area where he saw Emerson, as well as the suspicious man.
'Pure Tough' Whether she met with foul play or foul weather, Emerson was prepared for both, friends said. She was an experienced hiker and accomplished martial arts student described by her self-defense instructor as "120 pounds of pure tough."
"I've seen her take down men twice her size," said Ken Blumreich. After reporting her missing, hundreds of friends and relatives traveled to Blood Mountain in Union County where they found her snow-covered car in a trail parking lot. Authorities have confirmed that a water bottle and leash found on the mountain and turned into a local shop owner belong to Emerson.
A short time after her car was found, three teams started what would be six-mile search in the woods in Union County where Emerson took her dog on a hike. They ended the ground search at 6:30 p.m. as sub-zero degree temperatures moved into the region.
Volunteer searchers gathered by the dozens to help but were initially asked to stay clear of the mountain so that their body heat was not mistaken for Emerson's. "We are doing every effort to find Meredith," Verdone said, adding that members of the Appalachian Trail Club have been contacted for any information about caves or other areas where Emerson could have survived the night.
Family spokesperson Peggy Bailey, Emerson's godmother, said Emerson's parents flew in from Colorado Wednesday night. "Her parents, as you can imagine, are devastated and frightened but they are strong people, as is Meredith," said Bailey. "She is smart, level-headed.
"Emerson, a University of Georgia graduate, just started a new job and was excited about taking on a leadership role there, Bailey said. She was also skilled at hiking.
"Meredith Emerson could do anything. She is feisty. She is strong. She is tiny and petite, 120 pounds, [but] she can run those mountains. She’s a strong person. If anyone can survive this she can."
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