Gary Hilton is in a North Carolina lock-up, feasting on Carolina barbecue and smoking good regional tobacco. Well, the barbecue may be an exaggeration, but the tobacco part is solid.
Already a convicted serial killer in Florida and Georgia, Hilton is scheduled to be tried January 4, 2012 in North Carolina for the murders of John and Irene Bryant. Hiking in Pisgah National Forest in 2007, the senior citizen hikers were allegedly ambushed by Hilton who kidnapped and killed them. Hilton was convicted in February 2011 for the murder, beheading and be-handing of Cheryl Dunlap. He was on Florida’s Death Row at Stark when the Feds came calling.
While Dunlap had also been murdered in a Federal forest outside Tallahassee, Florida State’s Attorney Willie Meggs asserted jurisdiction. The Federal forest in North Carolina where Hilton is alleged to have murdered the Bryants is in Transylvania County. In this part of the case, the state lost jurisdiction to the U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina, who is asking for death.
At first glance, it looks like the Feds are grandstanding. After all, how many times can you execute a guy already sentenced to death? Or, maybe it’s about giving closure to the Bryants family. But they could have that tomorrow if the Feds were willing to accept a “guilty” plea from Hilton in return for life, just like he got in Georgia for killing and beheading Meredith Emerson. They’re not.
The reason the U.S. Attorney asserted jurisdiction and is asking for death is to make sure that in the rare instance where a Florida appellate court overturned Hilton’s death penalty conviction, or for some reason his death sentence is commuted to life, there’s always the Federal back-up. Never mind the fact that the Feds rarely use the death penalty, only three 3 times in the last 23 years.
One of those 3 was Timothy McVeigh, The Oklahoma City Bomber. Gary Hilton is traveling in some pretty notorious company.
Fred, I honor your opinion.
Gary Michael Hilton’s only fear is Federal Super Max. GMH said this in one of his interrogations/interviews by Investigators. Enroute to FL from GA, GMH offered up 32 unknown victims for immunity from prosecution in the DP Trial of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap. This offer was denied by Leon Co., FL Prosecutor Willie Meggs.
IMO, the Gary Ridgeway/Green River Serial Killer(Kings Co., WA)prosecution strategy may be the reason for the Feds trying the NC case for the tragic abduction, torture, mutilation, and murder of John & Irene Bryant…
Wolfscratch
And you sir, a very well thought out analysis. Whatever you or I think, our government has or will soon make a decision . I think we are looking at late Feb/Mar 2012 for Gary’s NC trial.
When are you going to to a story about Gary’s MO? Gary hid the bodies, but the bankers hid the body count.
Hi, how are you and thanks for the comment. I suggest reading my book on the case, Trails of Death. I do go into detail about Gary’s MO. But what you will also find is that it was a combination of factors that I discovered which led him to kill and become only the third known serial kille
r in U.S. history to begin killing in his 60′s.