Ga. Man Questioned In Missing Hiker Case

Friends of a Buford hiker missing from a state park in northern Georgia resumed efforts today to publicize the 24-year-old woman's disappearance while authorities continued to question a man they called a "person of interest" in the case.

Union County investigator Kimberly Verdone says Gary Michael Hilton, who was reportedly seen with Meredith Emerson several times on New Year's Day, was picked up at a convenience store in an Atlanta suburb by DeKalb County police and taken for questioning at a Georgia Bureau of Investigation office.

Although Verdone says Emerson was not with him, the missing hiker's friends were encouraged by the new development and they pledged today to continue posting flyers seeking information about her whereabouts.

Julia Karrenbauer, Emerson's roommate, says although they were happy to receive news, they are still looking for Emerson.

Emerson's black Labrador retriever, "Ella," missing since Tuesday, when friends said Emerson took the dog hiking, was found yesterday at a grocery store in Forsyth County.

Emerson's car was found at the base of Blood Mountain, and authorities also found a water bottle and a dog leash that belonged to her.

Karrenbauer said Emerson is an experienced hiker who has a blue belt in martial arts. Other friends said she was familiar with the trail near where her car was found, having jogged on it several times with a partner.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation declined to specify how investigators learned Hilton's name and other details about him.

Emerson is formerly of Longmont, Colorado, and recently became a resident of Buford.

One of Georgia's oldest and most popular state parks, Vogel State Park is located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest.

The area includes the Appalachian Trail, the famous hiking route that stretches from Georgia to Maine.
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