Rescuers, family and friends searched Friday for a missing
24-year-old hiker in northern Georgia.
Friends said
Meredith Emerson went hiking Tuesday with her black Labrador retriever.
Her car was found abandoned Wednesday at the base of Blood Mountain,
and authorities also found a water bottle and dog leash that belonged
to her.
Emerson is an experienced hiker who has a blue belt in martial arts.
Fifteen
professional search and rescue teams were searching for Emerson and
volunteers were asked to pass out fliers instead of hitting park
trails, said Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone. The searchers
were combing a 400 square mile area of rugged terrain.
Meanwhile,
officials were trying to find Gary Michael Hilton, who was reportedly
seen with Emerson several times on New Year’s Day. They said Hilton,
who is in his 60s, drives a 2000-2001 white Chevy Astro van.
“It’s not that, you know, he’s a suspect. He is somebody that was last
seen talking to her, last seen with her,” Verdone said during a morning
news conference. She said investigators want to know when he last saw
Emerson and what they talked about.
HT: Ethos
Update 1/5/2008: Meredith’s lab was found yesterday at a Kroger store. Friends have launched an official website Help Find Meredith with more information and detail.
HT: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Update 1/6/2008: I hope and pray this isn’t true. The AP is reporting the “person of interest” has been charged with kidnapping with bodily injury and that officials are presuming Meredith is dead.
HT: AP at Google