He faces federal chargesthe AT is part of the national park systemof murder and assault with intent to murder and is being held without bond pending a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. Chestnut Knob Shelter, VA. Clay Bonnyman Evans photo. A lifetime friendship with Johnston, also 33, paid huge dividends for Farmer as the two friends made their escape from Smith, 54, of Pearisburg, Va., a convicted killer who murdered two hikers on. AUGUSTA, Maine -- An Appalachian Trail hiker whose remains were discovered last year survived at least 26 days after getting lost, kept a journal of her ordeal and ultimately resigned herself. * If a town has 3 million people, it has pretty close to 3 million people every second of every day of the year. Sunset over Long Pond, Maine. The next day he was being held in Perry County Prison without bail. He confessed to stealing Joels gear and to kidnapping Margaret but said he had no intention of harming her. And as a woman (Im not big), who has hiked, lived, traveled in lots of places, and had encountered threatening men, been almost murdered/kidnapped. The victims and their stories are in order as follows. When they arrived at the road, within a few minutes, a young woman pulled over and offered them a lift. But would-be thru-hikers (and their friends and families) should know that, any way you look at it, the trail is not just relatively safe, but extraordinarily safe. In scenarios where an individual isnt committable but still requires treatment, Ashford says, a task force could step in to observe and evaluate potential risks. Bigleys motive for the murder apparently was that he coveted her backpack.. All rights reserved (About Us). An Appalachian Trail hiker who killed a man and seriously wounded a woman in a knife attack in May 2019 in Virginia is insane and will be committed to a psychiatric center for treatment, a U.S.. The four hikers on the trail said that Jordan was playing his guitar and singing, acting disturbed and unstable. Instead, they would hitch to the nearest town and get a motel room, and hed let her go in the morning. The victims and their stories are in order as follows. Williams in the truck crashed, suffering head injuries that required a helicopter to take him to a Roanoke hospital. The trail grapevine has always been robust, Brian King, a spokesman for the conservancy, said. Please know that this could happen anywhere and you cant live in fear. Although I havent done the calculations, I strongly suspect that the reason there is so little crime on the AT compared to the real world in the calculations you presented is simply because the number of other people per day that one comes in proximity to on the AT is vastly lower than it is when you are in town. Sanchez and Jordan started arguing and then Sanchez tried to phone 911 from his cell phone. The man who tried to murder the two lifelong friends was 54-year-old Randall Lee Smith, a Pearisburg native who killed two Appalachian Trail hikers in 1981, a crime so outrageous to the trail town . Travelers bestow nicknames on one another. Margaret and Ralph returned to the Wurst Haus for coffee. One meets weirdos in the hills, I have. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/25/the-long-twisted-fatal-journey-hiker-called-sovereign/NmN3GKuQDZub5tfOdbL6pI/story.html?fbclid=IwAR2Enea0hZQcxFmP7MgZFdFKGatGs2WEL-u-VqXLxcd7pf6C3vUDn-vDdOg. They were looking to use the shelter that evening. What you dont seem to get is that anomaly or not statistically, one female was seriously injured, one male thru hiker killed. 10 days following the attack, Carr was arrested and sentenced to life without parole. There in his cell the next day, officers found him unresponsive. Geoffrey Hood, 26, and Molly LaRue, 25, were a young thru-hiking couple who spent their last night staying at a shelter near Cove Mountain. Bill Bryson. The body was identified by the F.B.I. A new true crime book re-examines a murder in the wilderness. Geoffrey Hood 26, from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and Molly LaRue 25, from Shaker Heights, Ohio, had met in Salina, Kansas at a church-sponsored program for vulnerable young people. Im not a statistician, but as noted above, I was aware as I was penciling all this out of numerous critiques that one could make of the methodology. Really? 1996- Julie Williams and Lollie Winans were found both with their throats cut in the Shenandoah National Park in the Virginia. It was dark when the Greyhound reached Columbia and Margaret tried to reach her elder brother who lived nearby but got no answer and failed also to get a response from her parents. On average, there has been one murder every four years since 1974. Heading out the door? 4. At 6.14 am the next morning, the team arrived at the campsite where the first attack occurred. In 1974, Joel Polson was murdered in Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia. LaRue said they were planning to go to graduate school in January after the trip. The chances of being murdered on the A.T. are very low as there have been less than a dozen cases of foul play since it opened, that have been discovered anyway. 05/25 Boston Globe article on alleged murderer. A 1985 book written about the murders, Murder on the Appalachian Trail, had the theory that Smith was delusional and living a fantasy life because of a troubled childhood. They were real reluctant to just talk to him. For several weeks, Jordan had walked the Appalachian Trail with his dog, Felicia. Camaraderie and friendship are the rule on the AT. Other major causes are drowning in the many rivers near the trail and falls. Missing hiker later found dead kept journal of ordeal - CBS News A bullet remains in Scotts back, and his neck had a bullet wound and a surgical scar. After her husband didn't hear from her, he called the police who began a search. Brenner went on to become a leading advocate for Anti-Gay violence. The man arrested was confirmed to be wearing Geoff Hoods backpack, boots, and watch and was carrying the two murder weapons, the knife and .22 caliber Winchester Pistol. As part of a plea agreement, defendant James Louis Jordan must submit to treatment. Further investigations revealed that the strange man, calling himself Ricky Williams, was actually 54-year-old Randall Lee Smith, the same man who killed two Appalachian Trail hikers in 1981, Laura Susan Su Su Ramsay , 27 and Robert Mountford Jr., 27, in Virginia. On the morning of May 11th, the group encountered 30-year-old James Louis Jordan, nicknamed Sovereign, from Yarmouth Mass. He filled Joels pith helmet with water and placed it beside her and left behind a bag of granola in her lap. If you comment, please be respectful and consider the victim's families. She became involved with hiking through her church, he said. This article is only intended to present the facts. James LaRue, father of Molly LaRue, said the family was supposed to reunite the following weekend in Harpers Ferry. It appears from your comment that you may not have hiked the trail, or not much of it I may be wrong about that. But again, this is a personal choice for each hiker to make. They headed back to the A.T. with Margaret in the lead, with her hands now untied and Ralph behind with his gun. I still find these comparisons in murder rates a valid, if admittedly imprecise, exercise in demonstrating how extraordinarily safe the trail is, statistically. Most nights they stayed in their tent or in one of the communal trail shelters, so this was a treat for the couple. Police arrested James L. Jordan of West Yarmouth, Mass., who went by the trail name Sovereign, near the scene. More than three million people hike segments of the . Jordan eventually gave up the chase and returned to the campsite and began verbally abusing the other two hikers, a man, 43-year-old Ronnie S. Sanchez Jr., of Oklahoma, and a woman. (For perpetrators, the gender division is much clearer: All 6 known or accused attackers were men.). When you have cell service, read up on forums/blogs to see what hikers are saying about the trail ahead. Sanchez had served three tours in Iraq and 16 years in the U.S. army in total. Scott intended to hike southbound from Maryland to Springer Mountain in Georgia, but he never made it. Laura Susan Ramsay and Robert Mountford Jr. Laura Susan Su Su Ramsay , 27 and Robert Mountford Jr. , 27, were hiking the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. The four hikers moved on, and later set up camp along a portion of trail that veers into neighboring Wythe County, but Mr. Jordan caught up with them, spoke to the hikers through their tents, and threatened to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death, the affidavit said. All this with the caveat that statistics mean absolutely nothing to the families and peripheral victims.. Im not advocating guns, but bear spray, or a fixed blade knife like our forefathers carried when in the wilderness should be adequate in defending yourself. (Dan Gleiter, PennLive.com)Dan Gleiter/The Patriot-News. The motive for her murder is unknown, and her killer is still at large. The trail continues on to Hog Camp Gap. Recording your name at each shelter is the best way to locate you in case you go missing, and to notify you in case you need to be contacted quickly for a family emergency. For sure a real statistician could find a much finer-grained way to make comparisons, and you have pointed out some obvious places to question the numbers. Geoffs trail name was Clevis, and Mollys was Nalgene. In fact, of the documented murders since 1974, at least half werent thru-hikers. Ralph Fox was eventually arrested for the murder. Hikers along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia in 2019. As Joel walked to the stream to freshen up and doubled back toward the fire ring, Ralph left the shelter. WWII vet Earl Schaffer is generally believed to be the first person to thru-hike the trail in 1948. The night passed uneventfully, and Joel woke Margaret, urging her to get moving. My Favorite Murder - 125 - Bedside Astrologer! While on the run from the police, he was in a car accident and ultimately died from his wounds. Unfortunately, the problems in society sometimes violently intrude, even on special places such as the AT. Man who fatally stabbed hiker on Appalachian Trail found not guilty by vs probability of being murdered during the short time you are on the trail. Download the app. Farmer put the vehicle in gear, gunned the engine, and sped out of the campground, with no shot. Sean staggered back and watched as the stranger fired at Johnston running to the trees. He planned to hike the entire Appalachian Trail and tried to get Margaret to join him on the trip. On May 16, the Atlanta Police Department received a telephone tip from a woman who said shed met a man matching the newspapers description of the Appalachian Trail murder suspect and they were told the location of the apartment where he lived. The next morning, they headed back to the Wurst Haus restaurant to cash more travelers checks, The restaurant had no money in the till, so they headed to a gas station up the street, where Ralph got $20. They didnt even see the person, and luckily they didnt come out of the tent.. Many members of this disparate, determined and close-knit group yearn to disconnect from the world and find solitude on the trail, but they often depend on an online network of guides and social media groups to keep informed and to stay safe. They could have arrested him for disturbing the peace but those small towns wouldnt have mental health care., When asked if it was possible that Jordans psychological state could have further deteriorated on the AT, Ashford noted: He would find it strange that people knew his namethat could enhance his paranoia.. We asked the Appalachian Trail Conservancy: The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is a relatively safe place, but it is not immune from crime or insulated against the problems of larger society. This means that the average population on the AT will be much, much lower than 3 million. On November 15, 2001, she left her home in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, and drove towards Mount Washington to hike some of the Appalachian Trail. He pointed out she could go to Cornelia, a town to the southeast which had a Greyhound station with buses directly to the East. Chicago has a similar population to the number of A.T. hikers each year and In 2020, there were 769 murders in the city. In 2019, Ronald S. Sanchez Jr. was stabbed to death in Virginia. Emerson was a fast hiker, so Hilton soon fell behind and she continued her ascent alone. How safe is the Appalachian Trail? In June 2020, after lawyers said he had been treated with psychotropic medication, he was found mentally competent, a court document showed. Mr. Jordan did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody, said Brian McGinn, a spokesman for the office. Ralph appeared harmless, though certainly down on his luck and it looked like he hadnt had a shower for a good while. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. That led the authorities to charge Mr. Jordan, a 30-year-old from West Yarmouth, Mass., in federal court on Monday with one count of murder and one count of assault with the intent to murder, the United States Attorneys Office for the Western District of Virginia said. She was attacked with a hatchet wielded by Paul Bigley, 51, from Tucson in Arizona after breakfast. On May 19, 1981, whilst staying at the Wapiti Shelter in Giles VA, Robert was shot in the head with a .22-caliber pistol, and Laura was bludgeoned with a piece of iron and then stabbed repeatedly with a knife and a long nail. A search was started by the authorities and Louises silver Ford Focus was found at the Glen Falls Parking Area on November 20. In October 1969, he was recaptured in Miami and returned to the Michigan State Prison. When he had chased her down, she raised her arms in surrender, and then he began stabbing her repeatedly, at which point she too fell to the ground. He retrieved a trail map from Joels pack and was surprised to find that the next road crossing was less than three miles away. I have worked here 36 years and I dont remember anything like this, Sheriff Dunagan said. When Sanchez Jr. fell to the ground covered in blood from the knife attack, the female hiker attempted to run away, with Jordan in pursuit. Largay survived for 23 days on her own before she passed of exposure and starvation. He had exhibited strange behavior since his discharge from the military. For comparison, in the US at large there were more than 135,000 reported rapes and more than 810,000 aggravated assaults in 2017 alone. 1. How many people hike the Appalachian Trail each year? She hadnt intentionally exercised a day in her life and the long hike didnt sound like fun. Smith was taken back to Virginia by police and charged with two counts of murder. Powerful image shows the feet of three hikers that survived - WJHL YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Louise crossed the border at Norton, Vermont at 11.45 am. They were directed to the Chattahoochee Motel. James L. Jordan Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity in Murder of Ronald But I realized recently the vulnerability of these people Who want to do the whole hike (whether west or east coast US) even if you have permits to carry a weapon (a gun), you cannot do it on the whole trail. https://www.greenbelly.co/pages/appalachian-trail-murders#:~:text=The%20book%20Murder%20on%20the,for%20troubled%20adolescents%20in%20Maine. The trails community has embraced a neighborly spirit, creating an insiders lingo and culture of hospitality. That night, after they set up camp, Carr spied on the couple for some time before firing eight rounds at the women, killing Wight and wounding Brenner. Ralph didnt look like a hiker. (This seems to be super a important point!). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The recent killing on the Appalachian Trail of Ronald Sanchez has shattered many peoples confidence in their personal safety while on the trail. This is called the "yo-yo". The idea of the Appalachian Trail came about in 1921 and it was completed in 1937. The problem here regardless of statistics, (ie, the elephant in the room) is it happened on the trail this month. Margaret laughed off the idea as shed just met him. Smaller towns dont have the resources to respond to these types of cases, says Ashford. On September 12, 1990, Geoff and Molly headed back onto the trail making it as far as the Thelma Marks Shelter, near the top of Cove Mountain. They also found evidence that a car had recently been stuck in the mud and after checking local towing companies they discovered one of the drivers was Ralph Fox. It passes through 14 states: Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Drowning and falling also rank high, and these numbers have increased in recent years because of people taking unnecessary risks to get that perfect social media shot. Ralph repeated his warning: say anything and everyone dies. He will not be released until a court determines that he would not create a substantial risk of injury to anyone else, the lawyers said. As Johnston cleaned the fish by the creek and cooked them on the fire with a pot of beans, Williams talked about football and music. Also, take a moment to check out the upcoming weather predictions. In January 2012, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner would release the cause of death as asphyxia by suffocation. and ruled the death a homicide. Mr. Jordan had been known to hikers and law enforcement agencies whose jurisdictions stretch along the trail since April, when he was accused of threatening people on the trail in Unicoi County, Tenn., the arrest affidavit said. It is also human nature to ask such questions in hindsight. Best Appalachian Trail Books. Ronald S. Sanchez, Jr., aka Stronghold, a US Army veteran from Oklahoma, was pronounced dead at the scene after he and several other hikers were menaced and attacked by a knife-wielding assailant in southwest Virginia on May 11. In Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, hikers left messages and mourned the loss of kindred spirits. Instead, he walked a few feet farther until he was standing outside the Jeep just behind Farmer's left shoulder. A 1985 book written about the murders, Murder on the Appalachian Trail, had the theory that Smith was delusional and living a fantasy life because of a troubled childhood. Anyone can read what you share. The accused is 30-year-old James Jordan. She turned to face him and raised her arms as if to surrender, but Mr. Jordan stabbed her until she fell to the ground and played dead, according to the affidavit. He told Margaret that if she wanted to keep a memento of Joel, she was welcome to go through his pack. It has been a few years since a sexual assault has even been reported, although we are certainly aware that this is a crime that is underreported, the ATC responded to a hiker query in 2015. It was Mr. Jordans dog and a GPS device that led to his arrest. In 1996, fifteen years into his sentence, he was released on mandatory parole for good behavior, which outraged the families of the victims. when they arrived, he wasnt home, but inside they found Joels backpack, his clothes and camping gear, and a revolver containing four live rounds and one empty cartridge. Thru-hikers attempt to hike the entire A.T. in a single season. Back in 1990, Swift had hiked and camped with Hood and LaRue for three days back in New Hampshire. He had her again sit facing a tree and once more positioned her legs around the trunk, binding her feet together, tying her hands behind her back. Personally, I would therefore choose not to do the whole trail. Mexico border to Canada, whatever its called). In the aftermath of the stabbing, the hiking community rallied in mourning and on the trail. But what about the dangers that stretch beyond mother nature what about human nature? The woman replied she knew of a place nine miles south of Unicoi Gap, a Bavarian-themed restaurant called Wurst Haus. However, there are no utopias in this world. So sad, but it will not affect my travels on the AT, Robin Reinstein Lurie, a hiking guide in North Carolina, wrote on a Facebook page. In this post, were taking a deeper look into such dark encounters, along with sharing tips on how to stay safe while out on the trail. The Shelter and the Hotel Trail are 16.8 miles (an average days hike on the trail). Even those who complete the trail -spend there only 165 days on average (which is less than half of the entire year) When it happened in 2019, it certainly sent some ripples of shock through the community, but it is a resilient bunch, Sandra L. Marra, the president of the conservancy, said in an interview on Monday. Shooting survivors share incredible story with 'Dateline NBC' According to Brian King, publisher for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, there have been 10 murders in eight incidents on the trail since the first murder was recorded in 1974. About a week later, on March 5, 1992, police were called to a muddy field in rural Lapeer, where they recovered the strangled, nude body of 29-year-old Diane Good from Detroit. How the Appalachian Trail became the phenomenon it is today If you assume average 2 days trip duration The prosecutions expert in the case concluded that Mr. Jordan, 32, suffers from a severe psychiatric illness that features psychosis and mood disorder, the statement said. At 52, Louise Chaput drove from Quebec to Pinkhams Grant where she stayed at a lodge at the Appalachian Mountain Club visitors center for the weekend. I would very much like these people to be armed if they make that choice for their safety. Washington County Sheriff's Office. My wild guess would be 1000 through hikers, and the remaining visitors are 99% day hikers and 1% section hikers. Ralph practiced Joels signature, so he could cash his travelers checks. I will carry my mace spray with me.. After a few minutes of conversation, Margaret crossed the clearing to wash up in the stream and Joel joined her saying that he didnt know that he trusted Ralph. Although you are still more likely to run into problems on the trail because of inclement weather or slipping and falling, violent crime on the trails is not an uncommon occurrence. The dog led them to its owner, James L. Jordan, who was standing about 30 yards away, according to Sheriff Keith Dunagan of Wythe County, who recounted the events on Monday. He turned and saw a flash of fire from the stranger's hand, which now was stretched out toward Johnston. So again, statistically, the chance of being killed by a bear is tiny, but greater than zero. most are day-trippers and weekend trips. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Early on the morning of September 13, the couple was asleep in their sleeping bags and attacked. He asked whether Joel had any money. He would lash out at anyone who got too close to him.