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Former army veteran Gary Hilton, now known as the National Forest Serial Killer, admitted to killing and decapitating at least four hikers over the years. Hilton would camp in forests and prey on defenseless walkers until January 2008, when he was arrested following the disappearance of Meredith Emerson. After this, he made a few shocking revelations about his past charades.
Oxygen's Dateline: Unforgettable recently revisited the notorious serial killer's crimes in its episode titled Mystery on Blood Mountain, which aired on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. The synopsis of the episode reads:
"Gary Hilton is a name Dennis Murphy will always remember; a hiker goes missing and authorities suspect Hilton is reenacting a slasher movie; Dennis reflects on the real-life murder spree that terrorized the American South."
Further investigations led authorities to link him to multiple other homicides - victims decapitated and bodies found within the premises of various national forests - and to date, he remains a suspect in various others.
Gary Hilton: Five quick facts to know about the National Forest Serial Killer and convicted murderer on death row
1) Gary Hilton had a difficult upbringing and got involved in crime at an early age
Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 26, 1946, Gary Hilton allegedly had a rough childhood. When he was only 13 years old, he shot and brutally injured his stepfather Nilo, who he believed had abducted his mother. The stepfather wanted to give Gary another chance at life. Therefore, no criminal charges were brought against him. Instead, Gary was sent to a mental health facility.
2) Hilton enlisted in the US army but was discharged after complications
As a young adult, Hilton joined the US Army and excelled as a paratrooper. He served in West Germany, serving as a member of the Davy Crockett Platoon. However, he experienced a schizophrenic episode in 1967, which resulted in his honorable discharge from the military and subsequent admission to a psychiatric facility once again.
According to sources, he was once detained for driving under the influence, possessing an unregistered firearm, possessing drugs, and 21 charges of soliciting.
3) He was arrested in January 2008 during an investigation into Meredith Emerson's disappearance
When University of Georgia graduate and Buford-based sales manager Meredith Emerson disappeared on New Year's Day 2008 while hiking in the Blood Mountain with her dog Ella, multiple witnesses came forward claiming to have seen an old man resembling Gary Hilton with her that day. The two first met on the mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest that same day.
When Emerson failed to return home, a search ensued. On January 3, the victim's car was found with a few of her belongings still inside, including her water bottle, a dog leash, and a police baton. The following day, her dog Ella was found in a Kroger parking lot, and a tip from a gas station clerk led authorities to Hilton, who was trying to rid his van of evidence.
4) Gary Hilton murdered and decapitated three more hikers before Meredith Emerson
Due to the attention Emerson's case garnered from the media, officials received several tips and claims for Hilton's sightings at campgrounds in Leon County, Florida. The charred skull and hands of Cheryl Dunlap, 46, were discovered in a fire pit during a search.
In December 2007, Dunlap was allegedly reading in the Leon Sinks geological area of Florida's Apalachicola National Forest. Days later, hunters came upon her remains some seven miles away.
According to reports, Hilton also murdered retired couple John and Irene Bryant, who were hiking on October 21, 2007, when they came upon the serial killer in North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest. The couple went missing until Irene's body was found on November 10 and was only identified through an autopsy. She was fatally bludgeoned and died of blunt force trauma.
A hunter accidentally discovered John's skull in the forest on February 3 after several months. In March 2012, Gary Hilton ultimately admitted to killing the couple.
5) Hilton remains a suspect in many other unidentified homicides
Authorities believe Gary Hilton was involved in four other unsolved homicides, including that of Judy Smith, Jason Knapp, Rossana Miliani, and Michael Scot Louis.
All the victims were found murdered in similar ways within the compounds of national forests or other forested parks, which are frequented by hikers. They all disappeared and were spotted with an elderly man resembling the serial killer.
Gary Hilton, however, has denied any involvement.
