Notorious serial killer Gary Michael Hilton has confessed to the murder of Florida nurse Cheryl Hodges Dunlap in an interview on an upcoming episode of Court TV’s “Interview with a Killer.”
Hilton, 78, dubbed the “National Forest Serial Killer,” used his survival skills and U.S. Army veteran background to target victims in national forests across Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
He is currently on Florida’s death row for the 2007 murder of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap in Leon County, Florida. He is also serving multiple life sentences for other murders.
While Hilton had confessed to killing John D. Bryant and Irene W. Bryant in North Carolina (2012) and Meredith Emerson in northern Georgia (2008), he had never admitted to killing Dunlap.
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In an exclusive interview with Court TV’s David Scott, set to air on Sunday, April 13, Hilton breaks his silence.
“Let me give you a news scoop,” Hilton tells Scott in a clip from the episode titled “Psycho Killer.” “I did it.”
Looking directly at Scott, Hilton, who is still appealing his 2011 conviction in the Dunlap case, states, “I’m confessing to a murder on camera. And I’ll be glad to tell anybody I did.”
Key Facts about Gary Michael Hilton:
- Modus Operandi: Hilton targeted hikers and campers, often in remote, wooded areas.
- Known Victims: He was convicted of the following murders:
- Cheryl Hodges Dunlap in Leon County, Florida (2007)
- John D. Bryant and Irene W. Bryant in North Carolina (2012)
- Meredith Emerson in northern Georgia (2008)
- Confessions:
- Hilton confessed to the murders of the Bryants and Emerson.
- He recently confessed for the first time to the murder of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap in an interview set to air on Court TV.
Hilton’s crimes were marked by violence and a disregard for human life. His ability to evade capture for a period of time, combined with the remote locations of his crimes, contributed to his notoriety.
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