Thompson waited inside for Ralph to return and he was quickly arrested. Eight days following the murder, West Virginia police arrested Crews after hikers noticed him acting strange and awkwardly carrying an ill-fitting, overstuffed backpack (Hoods) which included both murder weapons and the young couple's belongings. ruled that James Sovereign Jordan, the Massachusetts man charged with the murder of hiker Ronald Stronghold Sanchez, isnt competent to stand trial, deputies in Unicoi County, Tennessee arrested Jordan after hikers said he had brandished a knife and chased people out of a shelter with a shovel, threatened to rip his dogs legs off and eat them, Office of Offender Diversion and Sentencing Solutions at Arizona State University, Pair Arrested for Allegedly Dealing Drugs to Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers, The Ultimate Appalachian Trail Packing List, Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail: Everything You Need to Know, Body of Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Recovered from Connecticut River. The book Murder on the Appalachian Trail, written in 1984 by Jess Carr, is based on the true events of the deaths of Robert Mountford and Laura Ramsay. Appalachian Trail Killer Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity A judge found James L. Jordan not guilty by reason of insanity in the fatal stabbing of Ronald S. Sanchez Jr. along the trail in. Part of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Margaret laughed off the idea as shed just met him. Her body was found on Thanksgiving Day with multiple stab wounds. The woman who was with him ran, but Mr. Jordan caught up to her, the affidavit said. She was located only 200 yards from the Glen Boulder Trail and 1/4 mile from the lodge, which led to Mount Isolation, which Louise must have decided to hike instead of the easier Lost Pond Trail. Ralph appeared harmless, though certainly down on his luck and it looked like he hadnt had a shower for a good while. Personally, I would therefore choose not to do the whole trail. Ralph repeated his warning: say anything and everyone dies. Where can I find an Appalachian Trail map? All this with the caveat that statistics mean absolutely nothing to the families and peripheral victims.. 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.. Terrible things happen in the world. They set off into the forest and encountered other hikers who said they had been unnerved by a man who had talked to them during the night, trying to get them to unzip their tent so he could borrow a flashlight, Sheriff Dunagan said. The victims and their stories are in order as follows. He stopped her by a tree, told her to sit on the ground, pulled her legs around the tree, and tied her feet together. Skip Muskrat Richards promised that this hikes for you, Geoff and Mollie.. It then led them to Mr. Jordan, who was standing about 30 yards away, Sheriff Keith Dunagan of Wythe County said after his arrest. Louise left a few minutes later in her car and was never seen again. Get epic tips, guides and how-to's in your inbox every two weeks. The two women encountered Carr again later that day while they stopped to look at their map. Jordan was later reported to have been acting unstable, alarming fellow hikers on the trail. It would have been nice, though, if she would have been 85 instead of 25.. That whole part of the trail runs through State Game lands 211 which is set up for hunting, etc. 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. The trails community has embraced a neighborly spirit, creating an insiders lingo and culture of hospitality. They put real resources into trying to track down the history of the alleged AT killer, and came up with some great reporting. 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. She hadnt intentionally exercised a day in her life and the long hike didnt sound like fun. And the citizens were not protected.. Ralph, he replied. They were looking to use the shelter that evening. Thats no surprise, given that human brains are generally wired to respond to rare but anomalous eventsterrorist bombings, airplane crashes, shark attacks, murdereven as they habitually underestimate considerably greater dangers inherent in familiar activities such as driving (40,000 annual motor-vehicle deaths in the US; thats 12.19 per 100,000 population, or 1,300 times the AT murder rate), texting (which causes more than a million auto accidents each year), and fireworks, which send more than 10,000 people to emergency rooms every year. (For perpetrators, the gender division is much clearer: All 6 known or accused attackers were men.). It was a three-sided lean-to, around 30 feet from the trail, surrounded by trees. Perry County District Attorney Charles Chenot said the victims' relatives approved the deal. This article is only intended to present the facts. Just being somewhat disruptive and psychotic wouldnt necessarily be grounds [for commitment], Ashford says. Ive hiked the AT in Pa and there are areas that arent like walking downtown, ie., St Peters Wilderness area from Dauphin to Swatara State Park. So she phoned the Columbia police and told them about Joel. James L. Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Mass., was charged in the fatal stabbing of one person and the wounding of another on the Appalachian Trail. All rights reserved (About Us). Using pings from a nearby cell-phone tower, authorities were able to locate the approximate location of the first stabbing and the tactical team of the Wythe County Sheriffs Office then began the four-mile hike to the crime scene. The team followed it to Mr. Jordan, who was disheveled in khakis and a plaid shirt, Sheriff Dunagan said. REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY OR INDIVIDUALS. Using 10k instead of 3 million, we get a murder rate of roughly 2/100,000k. 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. He returned to the campsite and began arguing with another hiker, fatally stabbing him in the upper part of his body, it said. Perry County agreed to reduce his sentence to life in prison and Crews agreed to drop his appeals. Canadian, Louise Chaput, 52, was a self-employed Psychologist, who enjoyed hiking. Whether or not to carry any form of protection is a personal choice for each hiker to make. I dont know. Nothing more. The bears are fun too. Farmer then stood up, unable to figure out what had happened, and felt his face. One of the most glaring: Why was James Jordan, well-known to law enforcement along the trail for his erratic and unsettling behavior, left to his own devices? She asked to take a shower and Ralph followed her into the bathroom to stop her climbing out of the window. Since 1974 there have been nine murders near or on the A.T. and two attempted murders, some involving serial killers. After arriving at the Doyle, the couple unpacked, called their parents, got a meal and picked up their mail. This means that the average population on the AT will be much, much lower than 3 million. Travelers bestow nicknames on one another. If you purchase a product from one of our links below, we may earn a percentage from one of our affiliate partners. Crews second wife recounted the story that in 1977 in Indiana that he climbed in behind her in bed and held a bayonet to her throat. It only takes that one! Chicago has a similar population to the number of A.T. hikers each year and In 2020, there were 769 murders in the city. Today we're talking about the survival story of Scott Johnston and Sean Farmer on the Appalachian Trail! How many thru-hikers do the Appalachian Trail each year? Hikers and guides who usually share information about more common perils of trail life, like ticks, lightning strikes or getting lost, now sought advice on a more ominous topic: what to do to stave off an assault. He ordered her to her feet, then guided her up the narrow path that led into the woods. As they ate, Ralph left the shelter and headed into the trees before returning with food for fire. If you adopt a trail name and use it in logs, be sure to share it with your family/friends. Jordan appeared out of nowhere and began threatening the group, saying that he was going to pour gasoline on their tents and burn them to death. At that point, the four hikers decided to relocate their camp. She went for the second option. In addition, there is the disturbing story of Julie Williams, 24, and Lollie Winans, 26, on May 19, 1996, at the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. He said there was sadness, with a little bit of trauma among those who hike and work on the trail. Really would have helped to just address the thru hiker population (~4K attempts per year) to do the stats and then use the 3 million day hikers as a bonus point. 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. In June 2003 he was transferred to the state prison hospital. and out of the 3 millions you mentioned, only 600 complete the entire hike. On the morning of May 11th, the group encountered 30-year-old James Louis Jordan, nicknamed Sovereign, from Yarmouth Mass. 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. A family member of Mr. Sanchez declined to comment on Monday. Unfortunately, it is not a choice that people can make, (carrying a weapon) if hiking through many states. Definitely more crazies to be found in a city, a gas station, etc. And to have their lives snuffed out at that age its a tragedy beyond words.. 2008-Two fisherman were shot on the Appalachian Trail by Randall Lee Smith. Thanks for your support! The Cove Mountain Shelter replaced the Thelma Marks Shelter in 2000. He looked like a lot of the people come off the trail, kind of dirty and smelling strongly, the sheriff said. Geoffrey Hood and Molly LaRue were murdered by Paul David Crews on the Appalachian Trail near Duncannon on Sept. 13, 1990. That deadly attack on the AT claimed the life of 43-year-old Ronald S. Sanchez, Jr. of Oklahoma. In 1975, Janice Balza was murdered with a hatchet in Tennessee. Twisted ankles, getting turned around on the trail, run-ins with dangerous people or animalsit doesnt take much to turn these minor mishaps into life-threatening events. Fox plead guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Chris Hansen: . It only makes sense to protect yourself just in case.