Appalachian Trail Killer allowed to try second act

[[JiF]LtComStarbuck]

Interesting goings on near where Toriq and I went to school (Virginia Tech). Seems a f_cker (sorry for language but this guy really is one) who made himself famous (subject of a book “Murder on the Appalachian Trail”) by killing two hikers from Maine in 1981 on the AT, tried to repeat his crime 27 years later.

Some may find this interesting so I am posting these articles. This has personal interest to Toriq and me as again it is near our Alma mater and secondly one of the victims (Scott Johnston) was a regular Fooz-baller at Toriq’s fraternity house and is remembered fondly by some of our dear old friends. I think he was a bit after my time but through discussion in our fantasy baseball league blog (which includes several of Toriq’s mates from his frat days) we have discovered this tangent relationship.

What angers me about the whole affair is that this so-n-so was out after just 15 years allowing him to attempt a second act. He had brutally beaten stabbed and shot the young couple from Maine in 1981; who, as these latest two would be victims had, accepted him into their campsite offering him food and shelter (as is often the case among passing strangers on the Trail.)

These two links you all may find interesting or you may not…. Just thought I’d share.

http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/161156

http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/161591

[Graham Cracka]

Its a sick world we live in. The tragic thing is that he was released. In Grahams "world" there would not be another opportunity for him. I believe in eliminating all possibility of people like that ever seeing "the light of day" again. It churns my stomach to think of those innocent hikers welcoming him into their campsite. Sad.

[[JiF]Melon Farmer]

For those who are too squeemish for the death penalty, if he HAD to be released, I say cut off all fingers except the thumb and pinky on both hands. That would make it pretty darn hard to hurt anyone again.

[Lonewolf-McQuade]

This is a big deal in northern virginia, it's a major urban legend that keeps high school & college kids from partying on the mountain trails. Makes for a freaky camping trips too! ;P There's always the old story of the Appalachian trail serial killer.. the version that we get here is that they find the heads of victims and that while they had the guy in jail more murders happened so they let him go.. the real killer was never caught.. supposedly.

[[JiF]LtComStarbuck]

it's a major urban legend

Sadly though there may be urban legends about AT serial killers ....the story of Randall Lee Smith is very true. He killed just two (as if that isn't enough) hikers in 1981 which doesn't qualify him as a serial killer and recently attempted to take two more lives. Fortunately this second attempt was unsuccessful, both hikers lived and he died.

So yes there may be horrid campfire tails about Trail serial killers, beheadings, disembowelment, and so on, there has only been two murders (again as if that isn't enough) and two attempted murders on what is generally the very benign world of the Appalachian Trail.

[Lonewolf-McQuade]

Well there actually was a case up here as well, but it's been turned into a story that high-school kids tell now because it happened in the late 80s. Of course the crimes are serious and a sign of a demented individual who thankfully met his demise.