Murder suspect's van linked to Transylvania County
Authorities have confirmed another lead narrowing the gap that connects the murder of Irene Bryant, the disappearance of her husband and a man charged with the murder of a Georgia hiker.
The white Astro van that Gary Michael Hilton, 61, was driving at the time of his arrest in Georgia has North Carolina plates that came from Transylvania County, authorities said.
Hilton is being charged with the murder of 24-year-old Merideth Emerson in Georgia. He is also the prime suspect in the Bryant case.
Irene Bryant, 84, and her 79-year-old husband, John, went missing in October while hiking in Pisgah National Forest. Mrs. Bryant’s body was found murdered Nov. 9 near Yellow Gap Road. The autopsy report revealed she died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head. (More at link)
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20080114/NEWS/602219743/1151/NEWS/Murder_suspect_s_van_linked_to_Transylvania_County Meridith Emerson's dog Ella at her memorial service in Athens, Georgia.
The first line of Ford Madox Ford's
The Good Soldier says it best: "This is the saddest story I have ever heard."