Decatur neurologist, Suzette LaRoche, has organized a women’s hike at Blood Mountain today in honor of murdered hiker Meredith Emerson.  Around 35 women are expected to participate in a tree planting ceremony and 7-mile hike.

Gary Laderman, Emory’s religion dept. head remarks in this morning’s AJC that the hike “…is a way to transform the senselessness into something that is meaningful”. 

As I wrote a few weeks back, every hiker across the country and especially in the state of Georgia has had to cope with this bizarre random act of violence in their own way.  Suzette’s walk will hopefully help a handful of women begin to dissolve the fear that has blanketed something they love to do since this case first came to light.

Up until now, I’ve really tried to avoid posting about the horrific Meredith Emerson murder case. National and local media outlets are doing a pretty good job of reporting on every little detail in the case. But after reading about the results of her autopsy, I felt inclined to say something, if for nothing else but to start a discussion where others could express their concern/horror/sadness.

I guess I consider myself as a pretty avid day hiker. I was brought up walking the trails around New England and have spent a good many weekends hiking the trails in the North Georgia Mountains since moving here in 2001. Many of these trails helped me cope with the chaos of the city before I was really conditioned to the normal rush of urban life. So, like many thousands of hikers nationwide, this story really bothers me deep down.

Additionally, I’ve been to Vogel State Park, the scene of this horrific murder, and walked the trails with both my wife and dog. Its a beautiful, tranquil state park with great trails and amenities that will now eternally be the setting for a horrific murder and every hiker’s worst nightmare.

This adds to my general unease.

Ultimately, its fruitless to rail against the actions of the guilty suspect in this case, Gary Michael Hilton, as everything that was done to Emerson is beyond sane comprehension and explanation. All I can say is that I am continually shocked by the horrors that human beings are capable of. Movies give us the false sense that all of the deranged living is only played out on the screen, but to have it come even this close to my life (which admittedly isn’t that close), I feel an indescribable chill and fleeting lack of faith in humanity.

I know that people like Gary Michael Hilton are the exception to the rule, but random acts of violence are the ones that really make you feel helpless in an unpredictable world. Domestic violence is much more prevalent than stories like Meredith’s, but most people can feel safe that these sorts of front page stories will never happen to them.  They at least have some control over the circumstances that escalate in those cases.  Not so with this story.  All you have to be is a hiker that’s ever been alone in the woods and you feel vulnerable.  For a while it will be hard not to look over your shoulder while hiking as this story runs its course.

What can we do but be aware? But not paranoid. Feel sorrow, but not give up hope?

Easier said than done, I know.

All the support in the world should be given to the Emerson family. It goes without saying that no one deserves this.