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Oxygen's Dateline: Unforgettable is slated to chronicle University of Georgia graduate Meredith Emerson's kidnapping and subsequent murder by National Forest Serial Killer Gary Hilton. The upcoming episode, titled Mystery on Blood Mountain, airs on the channel this Tuesday, December 20, 2022, at 8.00 pm ET.
The synopsis 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."
Emerson went missing on January 1, 2008, while hiking on the Blood Mountain accompanied by her dog, Ella. At the time, multiple people came forward alleging that an elderly man, also with his dog, was spotted following the 24-year-old sales manager. Three days later, her dog was found and a day later, a significant tip led authorities to Hilton, who was caught in the act while cleaning his van of evidence.
The alleged attacker confessed to murdering Emerson and it was later found that he was also connected to three other killings. He was given the death penalty in Florida and life imprisonment in Georgia and North Carolina. Over the years, authorities have also linked the serial killer to multiple other unidentified homicides.
Meredith Emerson murder case: The National Forest Serial Killer victim used her wit to dodge death for four days
1) Meredith Emerson was last spotted hiking with a mysterious old man on the Blood Mountain
On January 1, 2008, Emerson, a 24-year-old sales manager and University of Georgia graduate, reportedly went on a hike to the Freeman Trail on Blood Mountain in Vogel State Park and was accompanied by her dog, Ella.
The search for her began the following day when she did not return from her hike. As the news spread, multiple witnesses claimed to have seen her hiking with a mysterious old man. That was the last time she was seen alive.
2) She was attacked by Gary Hilton, the old man she was last seen with
On January 3, authorities found Emerson's 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier and discovered a police baton, water bottle, and a dog leash stashed inside the vehicle. The man who was seen following her was identified as 61-year-old Gary Hilton, a local drifter with a history of strange behavior. He was quickly recognized as a person of interest in the case because he regularly walked the route.
Hilton eventually confessed to attacking Meredith Emerson while she was hiking down the mountain. She allegedly got defensive when he threatened her with a knife, asking for her ATM card and PIN. Gary then beat up Emerson to slow her down before taking her to his van using isolated routes.
3) Emerson dodged death for four days using her wits to trick the killer
Gary Hilton insisted that he only wanted Meredith's card and PIN, but when she fought back, he attacked her. Emerson, however, was able to buy herself four extra days by repeatedly giving Hilton the incorrect PIN of her ATM card while insisting that the numbers were correct.
On the day of the murder, Hilton assured Meredith Emerson that she would be "going home" and bound her to a tree before returning to his van to prepare himself for the killing along with a cup of coffee. He then returned and approached her from behind and repeatedly struck her with a car jack handle. Gary claimed that he couldn't bring himself to kill the dog Ella.
4) Meredith's dog and the killer were found on the same day
Authorities found Meredith Emerson's dog in a Kroger parking lot on January 4. That same day, officials were alerted by a petrol station witness, who claimed to have seen Hilton attempting to clean his van. Before he could scrub the inside of his van with bleach, the local police arrived on the scene and took him into custody. Crime scene detectives collected blood evidence that matched Emerson's DNA.
5) Hilton agreed to lead authorities to Meredith Emerson's remains to avoid the death penalty
Gary Hilton agreed to assist authorities in finding Meredith Emerson's body to escape the death penalty. He eventually led the cops to Emerson's remains in the Dawson Forest Management Area. The victim was decapitated and the coroner ruled that this was done post-mortem in an effort to avoid identification. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
Later, after his confession, he was given a life sentence with a 30-year parole possibility. He was later connected to multiple other homicides and remains a suspect in several cases to date.
Dateline: Unforgettable on Oxygen will air with Meredith Emerson's case this Tuesday, December 20.
