Hilton gets life for murder of Meredith Emerson

DAWSONVILLE - Gary Michael Hilton was sentenced Thursday to life in prison -- with possibility of parole in 30 years -- after pleading guilty to murder in the beating-death of a young woman hiker in the north Georgia mountains.

During a hearing in Dawson County Superior Court, District Attorney Lee Darragh said the plea agreement was signed earlier in the day.

He told reporters after the hearing that in this case, justice was speedy for Emerson's family.

"The Emersons stand in support of the action taken today," Darragh said. "They were gratified to see quick justice for he who had been so callous as to take the life of their loving daughter."

Hilton attended the hearing in an orange jumpsuit and a bulletproof vest.

Judge Bonnie Oliver asked Hilton how he pleaded. He replied, ``Guilty.''

He had been indicted on a single count of murder today in a specially called session of the Dawson County grand jury. The indictment charges he killed Meredith Emerson by blunt force trauma to her head on January 4th.

Oliver told Hilton that she agreed with the plea deal because the 61-year-old Hilton likely would have died in prison of natural causes before the state would be able to execute him even if he were sentenced to death.

Emerson's father, David Emerson, said no punishment for Hilton is too great.

"And that even his fellow inmates recognize his evil and treat him with appropriate measures," Emerson said.

Darragh said Hilton intended to abduct Emerson to take money from her bank accounts but eventually he knew he would take her life. Darragh said on January 4th Hilton told Emerson he was going to let her go and then struck her several times with a jack handle until she died.

Authorities have said Emerson was believed to have been kidnapped in Union County and killed in Dawson County.

Emerson's body was found nearly 50 miles from where she vanished during a New Year's Day hike.

Her godmother, Peggy Bailey, said January on its last day is safer than January 1st, when Emerson was kidnapped and Hilton killed her three days later.

"Rest assured that we are confident that we will not be victims of this man and of this evil," she said. "We will not be the same, but we will heal."

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)