Report Essay

Missing hiker's body found, ex-roommate says.

(2008, Jan.7) CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/07/georgia.hiker/index.html

Meredith Emerson, a 24-year old woman from Georgia, and her dog disappeared while hiking on Georgia's Blood Mountain New Year's Day. (Missing hiker's body 2008)

Tuesday, January 1, 2008, the day Emerson disappeared several witnesses stated that "They saw Emerson on the hiking trail with a man named Gary Michael

Hilton." (Missing hiker's body 2008) Wednesday, January 2 ,2008, and Thursday, January 2, 2008, went by without another clue or lead in the case, but on

Friday, January 4, 2008, clues emerged some fifty miles away from where Emerson went missing. Emerson's dog was found wandering around a Quick Trip convenience store. The discovery of the dog prompted Investigators to search the area around the Quick Trip store. In the store's dumpster Investigators found Emerson's wallet with her identification card in it. Bloodstained clothing consistent with what she was wearing at the time of her disappearance was also found.. After searching the store's payphone record the Investigators found that Hilton had placed a call from the store's pay phone. That discovery lead Investigators to arrest Hilton on Saturday, January 9, 2008 and charge him with the disappearance of Emerson .The search for Emerson continued on Sunday. Investigators stated that the chances of finding Emerson alive are slim. Monday, January 7, 2007, CNN was told by Julie Karrenbaur, the former roommate Of Emerson that "Emerson's body was discovered in the 25,000 acre Dawson Forest about thirty miles south of the state park where she went missing six days earlier." (Missing hiker's body 2008) Meanwhile, Hilton, shackled, showed no emotion while hearing the charges against him . In the end, Hilton was charged with kidnapping with the intent to cause bodily injury to Emerson.(Missing Hiker's body 2008).

The death of Meredith Emerson angered, scared me, and had, and still has me asking myself questions, such as, am I safe to go wherever I choose? I am not so sure any more. I used to like to put on my running shoes, and take