Hulu‘s “Wild Crime: Blood Mountain” delves into the terrifying depths of true crime storytelling, taking viewers on an engrossing journey through the unnerving murders and disappearances that transpired in the tranquil settings of national forests. This four-part documentary explores the enigmatic case of 24-year-old sales manager Meredith Emerson, who disappeared on New Year’s Day, 2008, while hiking in Vogel State Park in Georgia. In their desperate attempt to solve the mystery surrounding Emerson’s disappearance, investigators came across a string of related incidents that eventually led them to the eerie figure of Gary Hilton, also known as The National Forest Serial Killer.
Who is Gary Hilton?
Gary Hilton was born on November 22, 1946, and gained notoriety as The National Forest Serial Killer by committing several egregious crimes in three states between 2007 and 2008. Following his horrific path of violence that claimed the lives of four known victims, Hilton was sentenced to death in Florida and life in prison in Georgia and North Carolina. Hilton is being prosecuted for these crimes, but he is still being investigated for a number of other unresolved homicides, including Judy Smith’s.
John and Irene Bryant’s murders
The eerie story starts with the disappearance of Horse Shoe, North Carolina residents John Davis “Jack” Bryant, 80, and Irene Woods Bryant, 84, who were both ardent hikers. The couple disappeared without a trace on October 21, 2007, while hiking through the Pisgah National Forest. Irene’s lifeless body was found on the Barnett Branch trail on November 10, 2007, after she was fatally beaten with a blunt object. It was a horrifying discovery. When the case developed into a federal homicide, the FBI got involved in the investigation and offered a reward for information that led to the killer. Hilton’s association with their tragic outcome was confirmed when John’s remains were subsequently discovered in the Nantahala National Forest.
The killing of Cheryl Dunlap
On December 3, 2007, a 46-year-old nurse named Cheryl Hodges Dunlap of Crawfordville, Florida, became the next victim. Cheryl left her car outside her work and it was found north of the county boundary. In an effort to locate her alive, a search party was organized. Sadly, on December 16, 2007, hunter Ronnie Rentz discovered her headless and decaying remains in the Apalachicola National Forest. Beyond the killings, Hilton committed other heinous deeds that included using Dunlap’s ATM card and making many withdrawals, creating a disturbing image of a cross-state serial killer.
Meredith Emerson’s murder
The documentary series focuses on the heartbreaking story of Meredith Hope Emerson, whose hike up Blood Mountain on New Year’s Day took an unexpected turn. Witnesses claimed to have seen an enigmatic older man trailing her along the Freeman Trail with his dog. Later, items connected to Emerson were found close to a QuikTrip parking lot, including a blood-stained car seat belt. A person of interest was assigned to the individual, a local drifter named Hilton. When Emerson’s bones were eventually found in the Dawson Forest Management Area, the horrific story of Hilton’s attempt to hide the evidence and the kidnapping that occurred was exposed.
On January 1, 2008, Meredith Emerson tragically her away while hiking Blood Mountain’s Freeman Trail at Vogel State Park, Georgia. Along with her dog, Ella, the 24-year-old sales manager went for a hike, but she never came back. Witnesses claimed to have seen an enigmatic older man trailing her with his dog.
Unsettling information came to light during the inquiry into Meredith Emerson’s disappearance. Authorities found her 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier on January 3, 2008, and inside were a number of personal belongings, including her water bottle, a dog leash, and a police baton. Upon closer examination of the case, it was discovered that the man spotted trailing Emerson was Gary Hilton, a local vagrant with a reputation for odd conduct and a violent temper.
Hilton, who was 61 years old at the time, started to emerge as a suspect in the case. One day after Hilton was named as a person of interest, Emerson’s dog, Ella, was discovered wandering through a Kroger parking lot. Further finds were made next to a Cumming QuikTrip parking lot, including bloodied clothes, a wallet, a driver’s license, an ID card from the University of Georgia, and a car seat belt.
Hilton’s subsequent arrest revealed the disturbing reality about Meredith Emerson’s death. The culprit was found to be Hilton, a man with a criminal history and a history of aggressive behavior. The investigation turned up a terrifying series of events that included Emerson’s kidnapping, multiple tire iron attacks, and efforts to steal her bank cards, all of which resulted in her death.
Hilton did more than just commit a true crime when she disposed of Emerson’s body in the Dawson Forest Management Area. Sadly, Emerson had been beheaded, and Hilton had tried to obscure her identity with this heinous deed. The public was stunned to learn of these horrific revelations, which also added a terrifying element to the already unsettling story of Meredith Emerson’s death. Following his apprehension, Hilton was charged with Emerson’s kidnapping and murder. An insight into the darkness that can exist in ostensibly peaceful natural surroundings was given by the inquiry and the ensuing court actions.
Hilton is still under suspicion in a number of unresolved cases in addition to the proven homicides. Hilton’s possible involvement casts a sinister shadow over the cases of Judy Smith, a hiker whose bones were discovered in the Pisgah National Forest in 1997, and Jason Andrew Knapp, a student at Clemson University who vanished in 1998. The suspect list also includes Michael Scot Louis, Rossana Miliani, and hairdresser Patrice Marie Tamber Endres; their cases bear unsettling similarities and raise the unsettling prospect that Hilton is involved.
To add to what tvacute already know, detectives and criminal profilers have conjectured that Hilton was involved in further killings prior to 2007, suggesting that his binge of criminal activity goes beyond the period of time publicly recognized. This begs disturbing questions regarding the full scope of his sinister activities.
Arrests, Court Cases, and Detention
Five hours after Meredith Emerson’s possessions were found, Hilton’s reign of terror encountered its first roadblock when two anonymous phone tips resulted in his arrest. Hilton was charged with kidnapping after being discovered vacuuming his van at a nearby restaurant. The charges were supported by strong evidence. Hilton made an agreement to turn over Emerson’s remains in exchange for the death penalty while detectives were still looking for her body. Hilton’s savage acts were made clear by the horrifying discovery in the Chattahoochee National Forest, which resulted in a life sentence with the chance of release after 30 years.
Following that, Hilton was accused of killing Cheryl Dunlap by Florida prosecutors, who were backed by forensic evidence connecting him to the crime. In 2008, despite efforts to thwart extradition, Hilton was put on trial in Leon County. Following four hours of discussion, the jury recommended the death punishment after finding him guilty of three of the four offenses. One chapter in Hilton’s sinister tale came to an end in 2011 when he was formally given the death penalty for the murder of Dunlap.
Where is Gary Hilton, the National Forest Serial Killer, now?
According to the most recent information available, Gary Hilton is currently completing his sentence on Florida’s death row for his horrific deeds. In 2018, he attempted to get his death sentence revoked, but his appeal was turned down by state and federal authorities. Hilton’s legacy, characterized by the suffering and bereavement he caused to his victims and their families, is a chilling reminder of the darkness that can exist even in supposedly peaceful forest settings. Hilton is being detained at the Union Correctional Institute in Florida on death row. He is seventy-six.
In summary, “Wild Crime: Blood Mountain” illustrates the tenacity of detectives in the face of adversity in addition to revealing the horrifying story of Gary Hilton’s atrocities. Hilton’s horrific deeds are still being felt, and as he sits in death row, society is being reminded of how important it is to pursue justice and safeguard individuals who venture into our country’s forests to appreciate their natural beauty.
