In early spring of 2008, concerned neighbors reported Randall Lee Smith suspiciously missing from his Ingram Street residence in Pearisburg. But the police were able to confirm that the gun was his. He died in jail four days later as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. The man threatened to "burn them alive" in their tents, authorities said. Lawson had his suspect. 981-3324. The Pearisburg couple heard about his death during church Sunday. When Scott Johnston and Sean Farmer were shot near the Appalachian Trail last may, former deputy Tom Lawson immediately had a suspect in mind-- Randall Lee Smith. Sean Farmer: I was beyond the point of thinking I wasn't gonna make it. That evening, as Sean was setting up his tent near a place called dismal creek, that same fisherman stopped by. He was born June 30, 1967, in Mecklenburg County, son of Kay Harding Thompson and the late Jackie W. Thompson Sr. Scotte was a caring, loving father, son, and friend. But they're alive, thanks to good luck, and some outstanding medical care. He compared Smith's prints to that print left in the book. And the wheels probably come within a foot of going over like a - a 20 or 30-foot embankment. He began serving the prison term in 1981, and after spending fifteen behind bars, Randall was paroled in 1996. Johnston and Farmer recalled that they sensed the stranger was taking liberties with the truth, but they didn't hold it against him. Randall Lee Smith, The Appalachian Trail's Very Own Serial Killer Randall Lee Smith remains a mystery Blood on the Mountain Trail of a Killer Murderpedia: Randall Lee Smith Wikipedia: Randall Lee Smith Books Murder on the Appalachian Trail The Whole Truth: A Case of Murder on the Appalachian Trail (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He was willing to help anyone in need. Please subscribe to continue reading Two fisherman were shot on the Appalachian Trail by Randall Lee Smith. Ya know, I-- I made it. Sean is now face-to-face with a gunman who wants to kill him. Tom Lawson: It was the most brutal thing I'd ever seen. ROCKINGHAM Randall Scotte Thompson, 55, of Rockingham, passed away Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at his residence. Avoiding trouble, however, is always your first defence. asked Virginia Smith, a neighbor who is not related to Randall Smith. I mean, I had powder burns all like in-- in a circular fashion around the wound. In October 2009, the Sheriff's Office was notified by Dr. Terry Melton, of Mitotyping Technologies in State College, Pennsylvania that her lab had made a match between the Jane Doe's DNA profile and that of a woman who thought the unidentified murder victim might be her long-lost sister. "He loved that dog and that dog loved him," said Sherman Smith, who is not related to Randall Smith. ABC News' Julia Jacobo and Ben Stein contributed to this report. The enormous vat of nacho cheese that you brought to my birthday party last weekend. His public water was cut off April 28. Appalachian Trail Murders - Should You Hike With A gun? - Wild West Trail Dangerous people are often impulsive, display explosive bursts of anger, narcissistic, hold grudges and lack empathy. Many people in Giles County believe Smith got off easy for the murders of the two promising young people from Maine. A patrolman saw him struggling with a woman at the side of the road and arrested him. When browsing or using our services, the user accepts the use of "cookies". And - and I can look over, and I can see he's shot in the face. And I took off. Pair encounters killer, lives to tell about it - SCNow Sheriff Morgan Millirons: There were skulls and cross bones painted on rocks, you know, enter at your own risk. He had-- a nickname: Sherman Smith: Oh, L.R. Not until the helicopter landed and the doors were opened and he felt the fresh air, though, did he know that he was still alive. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Randall Lee Smith Now: Is The Killer Dead or Alive. He said he'd spoke to Scott. We basically felt we needed to shut the trail off. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Chris Hansen: --keeping the blood inside your body. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. My first thing that I thought about was, you know, how far we are away. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". I could hear him say, "Come on, boy. Tom Lawson: I don't know. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Scott Johnston: Oh, I mean, the blood was just squirting out of my neck. "It kind of makes you think they pulled him out of the hospital too soon," Vaught said. How'd you accept that? Virginia Smith learned at church Sunday morning about Randall Smith's death. He gunned the engine and raced out of the campground. That's the-- that's the round that killed him. Chris Hansen: Dark out. After Randall Smith's arrest, neighbors wondered what happened to Bo. Takecare when you do find a person in the woods that seems completely out of place. In Remembrance. 1982. But one hiker they met on the trail here last may turned on them without warning. And--. Smith apparently abandoned his home sometime in February or March, leaving with Bo. Scott Johnston: I hear the woman say that I don't have a pulse. PEARISBURG -- News of Randall Lee Smith's death Saturday afternoon elicited little sympathy Sunday in Giles County. There in his cell the next day, officers found him unresponsive. Then, seemingly out of the blue, the police got a break. And, like I say, I mean, I just stuck my finger, ya know, probably a quarter inch down inside the wound. His mother took him to the family physician and was told he "would grow out of it.". For seven and a half years for two people's lives, he died where he should a died. Sherman Smith: He would walk in the mountains just about -- just about everyday when it was pretty, but I didn't know how far he went. Lyin' Randall was lying again. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. But he did notice that Randall had become obsessive. It's-- it's a good place to meet other hikers. Shooting survivors share incredible story with 'Dateline NBC' The home of serial killer Randall Lee Smith in Pearisburg, Va., near Investigation Discoverys Dead Silent: The Curse of Dismal Creek chronicles the terrifying attack and even portrays how the police investigation soon linked the incident to a horrific 1981 double murder that occurred in the same area. On Friday, Jordan allegedly approached four hikers near the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday at the U.S. District Court in Abingdon, Virginia. Shot me in the chest. Chris Hansen: What did you think you had on your hands in terms of a-- a profile of a killer? And Randall Lee Smith -- now age 42 -- went right back to his old habit of prowling the Appalachian Trail. Make sure someone knows where you can. Pair encounters killer, lives to tell about it. (Michael Williamson / The Washington Post / Getty Images). Show Your Sympathy to the Family. [8] He was befriended by the two men, who shared their dinner with Smith, before he opened fire on them without warning, shooting Farmer in the head and chest and Johnston in the neck and back; both would survive their wounds. On May 6, 2008, Smith attempted to kill two fishermen less than two miles from the site of the 1981 murders. Even then, the injuries were too severe to heal completely, and the doctors were unable to extract a bullet from Seans skull for fear of damaging it further. Lt. Ron Hamlin says Smith left the road, drove up an embankment and flipped the truck on its roof. Scott Johnston: I had fished all morning. Both survived. IE 11 is not supported. Two of the hikers chased him away, but Jordan allegedly returned and began stabbing the male victim in the upper body after they began arguing, the complaint states. Ricky claimed that he had fished with Scott all afternoon, and the latter had invited him to join them for dinner. That's what I did.". He basically had no friends to amount to anything. Nature still holds sway here in the vast national forests of Virginia: black bears, bobcats, timber rattlers and other predators are here, stalking their prey. Judy Snipes: To be real honest, the two of them initially. And I said, "You just listen to me and I'll tell you when to work the pedals." And on this day, there was something else hunting out there among the towering hardwoods and tangled brush: Another, even more deadly predator. Glatman was released in November that same year. The woman was stabbed to death near the Glen Boulder Trailhead just south of Pinkham Notch. And I was sitting there thinking, well, you know, he can't see. Also, he had lost all vision in his right eye. Be careful when hitchhiking. Johnston jumped up and dashed away from Smith, trying to get to a stand of cedar trees 20 feet away. [6] His probation ended in 2006. The fast food chain is partnering with Conagra to bring Wendy's "beloved chili into homes across the country" in canned-form for $4.49 when it, Q: My husband and I want to give or sell our house to our newly married daughter, who is our only child. Farmer held up his hand through the rolled-down window to block the bullet, but Smith didn't fire. Both survived. Scott Johnston: --with the pedals, gas, brake --down the mountain. Scott Johnston: Actually awesome. Scott and Sean somehow managed to escape the area even while being shot and took refuge in the latters vehicle. I couldn't say anything. Escape from Brushy Mountain - NBC News Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions. I- I could actually see the blood, like, just squirting, like a foot, every time my heart would beat. Ironically, it seems Smith's photograph on a related poster ultimately led to his identification and subsequent arrest last week on attempted-murder charges. Order Flowers for the Family. During this time he was diagnosed as a schizophrenic (or, at the time, having a split-personality disorder or having psychoneurosis. For him, it is still sacred ground. But as far as this one, I mean, ya know, that-- you can't even really tell that's a bullet-- wound right here. You can cancel at any time. Randall Lee Smith Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family After, you know, a couple hours of conversation, some dinner, this is where we found ourselves, right here. Two hikers met a stranger on the Appalachian Trail and discovered too late he was armed and dangerous. Randall Lee Smith | Photos | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers But they didn't know Smith had been released from prison. He looked just like a normal camper. Murder in the Mountains: Black Magic - bdtonline.com "Saves the taxpayers some money.". And then, you know, like, you know, the next day, you read that in the newspaper. Chris Hansen: And you know you had to get that wound plugged? NBC News reports that the men managed to escape in Smith's vehicle and drive 40 miles to the nearest hospital for . We can only guess what the reason for this would be. The male hiker had been shot and killed, and the female hiker had been raped, tortured, and killed. The murder today still seems to be unsolved. Chris Hansen: That's the end of the story? So I start the car. You know, I mean 'cause every day I think about the story and I mean it's always on my mind. And the pieces were up above the leaves. Chris Hansen: This has come full circle now. A battered Ford Ranger pickup parked Sunday at Bear's Garage, a business owned by Sherman Smith's brother, was the vehicle involved in the accident, according to Sherman Smith. She brought him meals and stayed to chat. Adulting with Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos, Waiting for Impact: A Dave Holmes Passion Project. His probation ended in 2006. The most infamous murder on the Appalachian Trail occurred in May 1981 near Pearisburg, Virginia, when the bodies of two hikers, Robert Mountford Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay, both of Maine, were found in their sleeping bags. Joel Polson, 26 year old from South Carolina, was killed at a shelter in Georgia by Michigan fugitive Ralph Fox, who continued to walk south and then caught a bus to Atlanta, where he was arrested. Scott Johnston: And I guess, he turned and shot me in the back, at that time. I said, "Oh, my goodness, this is not a joke.". So--. As she went down, he hits her in the back of the head. "I commend local law enforcement in Wythe and Smyth Counties for mobilizing successful rescue and tactical operations in this remote region. But just a few hours later, that picture postcard day turned into a night straight out of a horror movie. True Crime Writer in Las Vegas. Chris Hansen: How did you learn that he had been in prison for killing two other people? Two fisherman were shot on the Appalachian Trail by Randall Lee Smith. Randall Lee Smith was suspected of shooting two fishermen near Dismal Creek. . As 8:30 p.m. approached, darkness began to creep over the campground. In fact, Randall Lee Smith apparently became so obsessed with the trail that sometime in March of 2008, he walked up into the wild and never came back. Hikers protested outside the courtroom the day after his sentencing, and a spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conference said Smith is the "first person convicted of murdering a hiker who has had the opportunity to leave prison". Please subscribe to keep reading. He never said a word, he just started firing at us. Later, the police determined that Ricky was none other than Randall Lee Smith, who had already returned to his murderous ways after being paroled from prison. Johnston, meanwhile, had not seen Smith shoot Farmer, but after hearing a bang he looked up from his seat, fashioned of two rocks and a log, and saw Smith's arm stretched out toward Farmer. Three years earlier, a terrifying repeat of an earlier hiking homicide was attempted by Randall Lee Smith, who had served 15 years in prison for the attempted murder of two hikers in 1981. Scott Johnston: One millimeter. Scott Johnston: And - and we make it down to the botTom of the mountain. Because, I mean, he came up from at a angle behind execution style and popped me. Send a Card. You are much more at risk by getting caught out by the weather or not having the right kit than you are being attacked by someone, says Phoebe Smith, an award-winning travel writer who has spent hundreds of nights wild camping alone. During his appearance in federal court in Abingdon, Virginia, on Monday, a judge ordered Jordan to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, The Associated Press reported. In fact, as the flight went on, Scott himself thought he was not going to make it. "He loved that dog and that dog loved him," Sherman Smith said. "The next thing I knew boom, boom, boom! They both needed immediate medical attention, and were Medavac-ed to a hospital in Roanoke. Susan Ramsay was dead. Chris Hansen: What's it like to see these gals here today? But it turns out, violentcrime on hiking trails is more frequent than I initially thought. He was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole. "The Randall I knew was not the cold-hearted person the outside world makes him out to be," she said. Friends Scott Johnston and Sean Farmer say they've hiked the trails and fished the streams here most of their lives. And and - and I'm like, you know, "Go, go, go." Smith introduced himself as Ricky Williams of Newport. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Is gluten-free bread healthier than regular bread? The novel Murder on the Appalachian Trail (1985), by Jess Carr, is a fictionalized account of the 1981 murders. In 2008, Randall Lee Smith shot two fishermen on the trail with intent to kill them. . Chris Hansen: Do you think that's the same gun he used in 1981? Crime on the Appalachian Trail - The Trek The victim's names were not immediately released. Glatman also is a suspect in the slaying of "Boulder Jane Doe," a victim whose corpse was discovered by hikers near Boulder, Colorado in 1954. Then the killer turned his attention to Susan Ramsay. I mean, we're both healthy, still here. I mean, you know, we were good to the guy. Susan Ramsay had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest, and hit in the back of the head with a blunt instrument. He pleaded guilty shortly before trial commenced to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of hikers Robert Mountford Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay, both 27-year-old social workers from Maine who were murdered by Smith while hiking the . On Tuesday, Smith allegedly struck again, shooting and wounding two fishermen at a spot eerily close to the site of the 1981 murders. Randall Lee Smith Now: Is The Killer Dead or Alive? Johnston, a 38-year-old layer of ceramic tiles, said his brush with Smith began at 1 p.m. Johnston had been fishing for trout all morning in Dismal Creek, just below the Appalachian Trail, and had driven his Ford Ranger pickup truck the nearly 4 miles to Trent's Grocery to pick up some supplies. As Johnston yelled "Go, Sean!" Tom Lawson: I feel like we had probably the best you could probably have. Sean Farmer: I'm just thankful that, you know, the beat goes on. Smith returned to the Appalachian Trail in May 2008 and was arrested for shooting and wounding two fishermen near where he killed Mountford and Ramsey, authorities said. 1.7K Followers True Crime Writer in Las Vegas. Roberts said locals had told them about Smith, about the murders he had committed in 1981 and the most recent allegations. Sean Farmer: Once I saw what was happening, I went towards him again. Lawson was immediately suspicious of Randall Lee Smith. Scott and Sean were near the trail on brushy mountain, miles away from civilization, heading for a creek alive with rainbow trout. And - and we - we come down off the embankment and we stop. And when Randall Lee Smith went on trial for his latest crimes on the Appalachian Traileveryone hoped they finally would get some answers. They ran his tag number. And what did you think you were gonna gain from this, notoriety? The next day, they brought in search dogs to comb the woods. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. And all I could see were, you know, shots of what's looked like fire, which were bullets discharging towards Scott. Tom Lawson: That's the first stories that started circulating. Randall Lee Smith Obituary - Tribute Archive I said, "These people are going to help us." The storied Appalachian Trail passes through the outskirts of town. Bo has been adopted. The Appalachian Trail: America's Most Deadly Hike - Culture Trip As he gets in, the gunman runs alongside, and lines him up for the finishing shot. Jordan then allegedly tried to approach the hikers with a knife as they tried to leave the campsite, the complaint states. And I- I just stuck my finger in the bullet hole to plug the wound, to- to keep the blood, you know- from squirting out. Sean Farmer & Scott Johnston Now: Where are Randall Lee Smith's And so I opened up the cooler and I pulled out a bag of trout. The two friends took us up to the campsite on brushy mountain where they cooked the stranger dinner, and swapped stories around the campfire. He loved [Virginia] Tech football. Scott Johnston: Back in the original case, where-- where was, back in-- in the original case, where was the judicial system? She will inherit the house when we pa. (laughing). Smith was paroled in 1996 after serving 15 years of a 30-year prison sentence. For years, Sherman Smith -- no relation -- lived across the street from Randall Lee Smith in Pearisburg, Va. Sherman Smith: The tales he'd tell, and-- they were just kinda outrageous, and-- and I-- I think he-- he expect people to believe him, but-- I don't think anybody believed any of it. Paul David Crews was responsible for the double murder of Molly LaRue and Geoff Hood in 1990. Sean Farmer: This is it, right here. Lt. Hamlin read Smith his rights. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy. Randall Lee Smith was arrested in the double homicide. "Harvey Murray Glatman (December 10, 1927 September 18, 1959) was an American serial killer active during the late 1950s. Randall is preceded in death by his sister Sheila Smith and his grandparents; Julia and Charles Rubin . And I believe partially the reason these-- these two fellas here were able to survive is I think he actually used probably s-- some similar ammunition that he had back then. The Victims Susan Ramsay & Robert Mountford Sean Farmer & Scott Johnston Links: Mpora Roberts said men at a small country store had insisted they'd have found and "taken care of" Smith if he hadn't been arrested. Randall Lee Smith: No. Tom Lawson: Go on record, give it to the media. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. He's blacking out. To keep creating Sean Farmer: And miraculously, he could, even though had a hole in his neck. Scott Johnston: And I jumped up. Tom Lawson: It does not penetrate the skull. Jordan was acting "disturbed and unstable" and was playing his guitar and singing when he approached the group, the complaint states. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. And ironically, Smith's jailer would be the same man who put him behind bars 27 years ago -- Tom Lawson. But then a bizarre incident drew Tom Lawson's attention to a local man. Glatman moved to Los Angeles, California in 1957 and started strolling around modeling agencies looking for potential victims. Hotel rooms near Something in the Water are still available but they wont be cheap. She then fell to the ground and played dead, and Jordan "left to find his dog," the complaint states. Naves in Doing Crime Iowa. That's what I told 'em. [3][4] He was sentenced to two concurrent 15 year terms, in a plea bargain negotiated by prosecutor Hezekiah Osborne, and released in 1996 on mandatory parole after serving 15 years. Discover Randall Lee Smith's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. We just kept staring down at her, and it was almost like we were in denial of what we just found. One of the paperback books, when we were thumbing through the-- the pages, we found a fingerprint-- bloody fingerprint in the book. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Tom Lawson: Actually, it is. And we take off. Once more it has brought the2,160 mile path that stretches from Georgia to Maine, USA to the publics attention. [2] He pleaded guilty shortly before trial commenced to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of hikers Robert Mountford Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay, both 27-year-old social workers from Maine who were murdered by Smith while hiking the Appalachian Trail in May 1981. And-- and I, I mean, I'm steering from the passenger side. The two friends are also carrying around some new debt because of the shooting. Randall Lee Smith (June 29, 1953 May 10, 2008)[1] was a convicted murderer from Pearisburg, Virginia. Sean and Scott say an unwritten rule of the trail is to offer aid and friendship to fellow hikers and fishermen. Randall Lee Smith: Yeah. Incidentally, the same area in Dismal Creek witnessed a terrifying murder in 1981, where hikers Bobby Mountford Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay were stabbed and shot to death by a man they met while hiking the Appalachian Trail. The female victim ran away after watching the first victim fall to the ground, but Jordan caught up to her as she began to tire, according to the court documents. I mean, we're both in a panic. And I was coming back up the mountain. Bigley was allegedly coveting the backpack Balza was carrying. Ron Hamlin: Do you wish to talk to us about this? Randall Lee Smith did go off to prison, and privately, Tom Lawson hoped he would never come out. Like - it's almost like he was looking past me. First off there is the standing fucking hooray that is Steve Buscemi in Ghost World. Scott still carries some grim reminders of that shooting. We never found the weapon. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. Farmer began cursing the stranger. Robert Mountford Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay, 27 year old social workers from Maine, were both also victims of theAppalachian trail murdersby Randall Lee Smith. "Well, if I did, it wasn't my gun, it was theirs," is what he said. You have permission to edit this article. They figured he just was trying to impress them. Tom Lawson: We discovered a-- a piece of-- angle iron, wrought iron that was in the fireplace that was used for a poker to stir the ashes up. Hence, people did not think much when Sean and Scott decided to travel to Dismal Creek in May 2008. Through the tents, Jordan allegedly threatened to pour gasoline on them and "burn them to death," prompting the hikers to pack up and leave. May 6, 2008 dawned a sunshine perfect spring morning, and Scott, a cook, and Sean, a truck driver, grabbed their gear and headed up the Appalachian Trail for a few days of fishing and camping in the lush and tranquil woods of southwestern Virginia. Tom Lawson took us back the scene of that 1981 crime. Scott Johnston: And live life to the fullest. Hikers protested outside the courtroom the day after his sentencing, and a spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conference said Smith is the "first person convicted of murdering a hiker who has had the opportunity to leave prison". Smith declared the trout delicious but didn't eat with the relish Farmer and Johnston expected from a man who looked as if he'd missed many meals. And I-- you know, "How 'ya doin'," type thing. At that point, she's at his mercy because she's out of it. Randall Lee Smith was injured in the crash. The surroundings are all basically the same. Despite these Appalachian trail murders, it has to be remembered that violent crime is in fact very rare.