The nation's worst fears have come true when the body of missing hiker, Meredith Emerson, was found in Dawson County, Georgia on Monday night. No further information has been released at this time.
Meredith Emerson was last seen on New Year's Day hiking in the north Georgia mountains. Several witnesses reported seeing Meredith speaking with a sixty year old man who was later identified as Gary Michael Hilton. Both Meredith and Hilton were walking on a trail while talking. Witnesses reported seeing Meredith and Hilton following their dogs up the trail.
When Meredith did not return home, search teams went out looking for her. Authorities also searched for Hilton who they called a "person of interest" at the time, for questioning.
During the search for Meredith and "person of interest" Hilton, Meredith's water bottle and dog leash were found. A baton was also found. A person who knew Hilton, reported that Hilton always carried a baton when hiking.
Police found Hilton after witnesses reported seeing him. Meredith's dog was also found roaming around a parking lot approximately sixty miles away from where Meredith had last been seen. A microchip verified the identity of Meredith's' dog, Ella.
In a trash dumpster not far away from where Meredith's' dog had been found, police found several shirts that matched the description of Meredith's clothes, covered in human blood. Meredith's wallet was also found in the trash dumpster along with a piece of a car seatbelt that was covered in human blood.
In a search of Hiltons' car, police found that a piece of the seatbelt had been removed. Hilton had attempted to use Meredith's credit card and had reportedly used a payphone close to the vicinity where the items had been found in a dumpster.
Hilton was originally held on an outstanding warrant. Authorities soon charged Hilton for kidnapping with bodily injury. Police felt at that time because of evidence they had obtained, that the chances were small that Meredith was still alive. The search for Meredith continued.
Monday morning, Hilton appeared in front of a judge who denied him bail. Monday night Meredith's body was found.