Residents of Bluefield, Virginia, Sean Farmer and Scott Johnston are longtime buddies who often go out fishing and camping together. Scott Johnston: The-- the doctor told that the bullet that went in my neck missed my carotid artery by one millimeter. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. And the wheels probably come within a foot of going over like a - a 20 or 30-foot embankment. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Johnston was shot in the neck and back. Scott Johnston: --and one on the steering wheel. Just be-- our friendship saved us. The 1981 murder and 2008 attack on the fishermen were also depicted in the Investigation Discovery series Dead Silent: The Curse of Dismal Creek, season 1, episode 1, broadcast on October 25, 2016", Header Image Source: Photo byAlexander AndrewsonUnsplash, Harvey Murray Glatman mugshot (via Wikipedia Commons), Harvey Glatman, The Glamour Girl Slayer, in jail 1958 from Bettmann/Getty Images (via AllThatsInteresting.com), Judy Ann Dull from Wikipedia Commons (via AllThatsInteresting.com), Harvey Glatman took this photo of Judy Dull before he raped, strangled, and left her dead body in the desert from Bettman/Getty Images (via AllThatsInteresting.com), Photo of Shirley Ann Bridgeford bound and gagged was taken by Harvey Glatman before he raped and strangled her from Bettmann/Getty Images (via Bettman/Getty Images), Personal photo of Lorraine Vigil (via AllThatsInteresting.com). 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. Scott Johnston: Actually awesome. Despite these Appalachian trail murders, it has to be remembered that violent crime is in fact very rare. Since then, both Sean and Scott have embraced privacy and prefer to keep their personal lives under wraps. It's getting dark, we got to go.' Susan Ramsay was dead. the Murderpedia project stay alive. 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. Like most everyone in this mountainous part of the state, Johnston and Farmer had heard about the 1981 murders. Sean Farmer: This is it, right here. And it was so close too. Sean Farmer: And the thing was, ya know-- we communicated, but, like-- like I said, my mouth was swollen. And both attacks took place at virtually the same location here on the Appalachian Trail. Please subscribe to keep reading. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The man threatened to "burn them alive" in their tents, authorities said. And with Randall Lee Smith now in his jail, Lawson hoped he finally would get answers to questions he's wanted to ask for 27 years. 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 "Evidently he was not well enough to be released -- nothing against the hospital.". Scott Johnston: And - and we make it down to the botTom of the mountain. . The beauty of this wilderness can mask its danger. They seemed so normal. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. And I just says - I said, "Stop here." "I didn't even know I had been shot," he said. I said, me and my friend have been shot. And-- and we just skid sideways in the road around that curve. Tom Lawson: Don't tell me-- don't tell me that he's done it again. Chris Hansen: 15 years? And I - and I'm worried, like, you know, he's shot in the brain, or something that, you know. ( Michael Williamson / The Washington Post / Getty Images) The victims Susan Ramsay, 27, and Robert Mountford, 27. Later Friday evening, the group made camp near Wythe County, Virginia, within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, when Jordan allegedly began approaching the hikers' tents, making noises and threatening to kill them, according to the probable cause statement. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. And I was sitting there thinking, well, you know, he can't see. "You can't feel bad for somebody like that.". Judy Snipes: To be real honest, the two of them initially. [5], Smith's sentence and his early release were both met with anger by the victims' families as well as the hiking community. Tom Lawson: I would be a fool not to. The slaying was the first murder on the Appalachian Trail, a 2,160-mile wilderness path that stretches from Maine to Georgia, since 2011 when hiker Scott Lilly, 30, of South Bend, Indiana, was slain and left in a shallow grave in Amherst County, Virginia. And I said, "You just listen to me and I'll tell you when to work the pedals." "Randall Lee Smith (June 29,1953 May 10, 2008) was a convicted murderer from Pearisburg, Virginia. He was found unresponsive about 5 p.m. in his cell at the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin. And live life. No one could believe anyone in our community would be so capable of so-- so much damage and so much horror. (Michael Williamson / The Washington Post / Getty Images). And then I'm sitting there thinking, well, maybe I am dead right now. Mustang Wanted Dead?? Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. Randall Lee Smith is an American murderer who was active along the Appalachian Trail in southwestern Virginia. 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. 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. Whittaker said Randall Smith "was always a good neighbor to us.". And - and I can look over, and I can see he's shot in the face. Tom Lawson: How-- how in the world could a person's life not be worth but seven and a half years? Homeowners struggle with discriminatory homeowners association Q: I read the article you. It would be the first of many lies he told. His probation ended in 2006. I think his motive with Bob was self-pr-- self-preservation, because he knew Bob would wring his neck. In the trees, though, "I saw the blood squirting a foot long out of my neck.". Please subscribe to keep reading. They knew his history and sometimes worried about what he might do to them, their children and grandchildren. The storied Appalachian Trail passes through the outskirts of town. Melissa Miller: This is the real thing. Nevertheless, from the looks of it, both friends still seem to reside in the state of Virginia and often go fishing together, despite their past experiences. On Friday afternoon, Randall Smith was released into police custody after treatment at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where Lt. Ron Hamlin of the Giles County Sheriff's Department said Smith had spent some time on a ventilator. We crossed that and then the road veers left. And basically what we found out about Randall was-- is that-- he was very-- shy. The two friends are also carrying around some new debt because of the shooting. We probably were the two nicest people he ran across--. As she went down, he hits her in the back of the head. I just screamed I said, "Go. 2001 - A Canadian woman was murdered in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Tom Lawson: Basically that Randall was gonna serve 15 years. Randall Lee Smith <p>&nbsp;&nbsp; Randall Lee Smith, 43, of Mocksville, NC passed away on March 29, 2021 at his home . He later died in prison. Randall Lee Smith, 54, will be charged with two counts of attempted capital murder, grand larceny and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Lt. Ron Hamlin of the Giles County Sheriff's . Louise Chaput, a 51 year-old Canadian,was stabbed to death in the White Mountains, New Hampshire. Because, I mean, he came up from at a angle behind execution style and popped me. 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. 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. Just to get him. So, when I started the car, I ducked down in the passenger seat, and just drove away. Eventually, ambulances would carry them to the local community center, where a helicopter picked them up to take them to a Roanoke hospital. No matter what. Sean Farmer: I was beyond the point of thinking I wasn't gonna make it. He looked just like a normal camper. You can cancel at any time. The Appalachian Trail is a paradise for outdoorsmen: a ribbon of wilderness that runs thousands of miles through mountains and forests, from Maine to Georgia. Two hikers met a stranger on the Appalachian Trail and discovered too late he was armed and dangerous. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". He said he had been in the woods for two weeks, hunting turkey with an uncle. That's all I want for him. He began serving the prison term in 1981, and after spending fifteen behind bars, Randall was paroled in 1996. Scott Johnston: And- and the next thing I know, I mean, I just hear, "Pow. But mystery has long surrounded the trail from disappearances to murder. ", Before you purchase another gift card at a major retailer such as Walmart, you need to hear Carolyn Horns account of getting scammed. The town of Pearisburg occupies a plateau above the New River. There-- there's a small bridge that you have to cross the creek. "I think he got what he deserved," Stafford said. And Randall Lee Smith -- now age 42 -- went right back to his old habit of prowling the Appalachian Trail. 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. 981-3324. Stephen Roy Carr shot at the women eight times. But I guess he figured out he and Bo weren't going to make it up there," she said. new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help Chris Hansen: Who do you think, at the end of the day, is most responsible for Scott and Sean's survival? One burglary got him arrested. But as he crossed a narrow bridge, Farmer began to drift in and out of consciousness behind the steering wheel. You never know who might pick you up in their car even if you are travelling with a partner. Paul Bigley murderedJanice Balza with a hatchet. Dont be afraid to stomp on the instep of an attacker or slam a knee into a male attackers groin. You can read the details of the case here. More from Medium A.W. Chris Hansen: This has come full circle now. Ironically, it was the gunman who did not survive that encounter at the dismal creek campground. The two men demonstrated what happened next. Make sure someone knows where you can. Chris Hansen: So, you got one-- one hand on your neck--, Scott Johnston: Yeah, one hand on my neck--. As Mountford turns over and starts to get up, he shoots him in the cheek. The positive identification of "Boulder Jane Doe" was an 18-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona named Dorothy Gay Howard. Once Sean, Scott, and Ricky completed their dinner, they sat around the campfire, swapping stories when things took a sudden dark turn. Chris Hansen: Otherwise, you weren't gonna have Scott Johnston: Yeah. 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. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. ROCKINGHAM Randall Scotte Thompson, 55, of Rockingham, passed away Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at his residence. She was with her when she purchased the book. The experienced hiker was foundnear the Glen Boulder Trailhead, just south of the Appalachian Mountain Clubs Pinkham NotchHQ. Moreover, although both followed terribly busy schedules, it wasnt out of the ordinary for them to plan a day of fishing and relaxation. "Double-shooting suspect dies in custody", "Community reacts to Randall Lee Smith's death", "Pearisburg man never shook reputation as AT killer", "Randall Lee Smith's death ruled accidental", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Randall_Lee_Smith&oldid=1148589098, American people who died in prison custody, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 03:04. He never said a word, he just started firing at us. There's some shrapnel right here that I can feel. 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. "It kind of makes you think they pulled him out of the hospital too soon," Vaught said. I--I'm holding my finger in the bullet hole right here to keep myself from bLeeding to death. Brenner now crusades against violence aimed at gay people. As he was being rolled into surgery the night he was shot, Scott Johnston was shown a picture of Smith. Bo has been adopted. And Scott and Sean -- who somehow survived Smith's brutal attack -- will never get any answers . Sean Farmer: Yeah, pretty much the way it is. Chris Hansen: And you know you had to get that wound plugged? First off there is the standing fucking hooray that is Steve Buscemi in Ghost World. I mean, we're both in a panic. As the planet warms, researchers say allergy season is starting earlier and lasting longer. Tom Lawson: It does not penetrate the skull. And it comes to a really sharp curve in the road. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The two fishermen were in their camp when an unexpected visitor showed up. Tom Lawson: Actually, it is. Something evil happened at this lonely campground years ago, a crime so gruesome that its memory seemed to linger in the damp, forest air. In fact, as the flight went on, Scott himself thought he was not going to make it. And we take off. Chris Hansen: Twenty-seven years later you're assistant superintendent of the jail--. 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. Randall Lee Smith was suspected of shooting two fishermen near Dismal Creek. "He loved that dog and that dog loved him," said Sherman Smith, who is not related to Randall Smith. Around 3:12 a.m., the female victim called emergency dispatchers in Smyth County, detailing the attack. He died in jail four days later as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. And Tom Lawson points out that gun was a .22 caliber revolver - the same type of gun Smith used 27 years ago. "He was a quiet, humble man who didn't have much," recalled a tearful Bowles, one of Smith's former neighbors, during an interview Sunday. I think about 'em all the time. "The Randall I knew was not the cold-hearted person the outside world makes him out to be," she said. He was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, a sentence that he accepted willingly. Luckily the pair survived, but Smith was charged for attempted murder and murder of two hikers back in 1981. Then, seemingly out of the blue, the police got a break. Find out more in ourPrivacy Policy. 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. His public water was cut off April 28. That evening, as Sean was setting up his tent near a place called dismal creek, that same fisherman stopped by. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Although each man had two serious gunshot wounds, they both survived the harrowing ordeal. Scott wanted to take us back to Carillion Roanoke hospital to meet some of the team that saved his life. Chris Hansen: That's the end of the story? Julie Williams andLollie Winans were found both with their throats cut in the Shenandoah National Park in the Virginia, just a month after Bryson hiked through the area himself. Police began combing the woods surrounding the shelter, and one searcher noticed something peeking through the leaves: a sLeeping bag. (laughter). Scott Johnston: --with the pedals, gas, brake --down the mountain. There is a full article about the tragedy here on Outside Online. And I refused. His neighbor didn't know. Randall Lee Smith Now: Is The Killer Dead or Alive. The slayings became the subject of the 1984 book "Murder on the Appalachian Trail" by author Jess Carr. Bowles visited Smith occasionally, even after she left the neighborhood. Sean Farmer: At that point, nothing happened. As far as away as possible. Sean, six-foot five and 380 pounds, decides to charge the man. And I would have been dead. She will inherit the house when we pa. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Farmer recalled saying. Farmer, feeling no pain, turned and ran toward his Jeep Cherokee, 20 feet away and parked on the other side of Johnston's pickup. At trial, Carr claimed he had been enraged by the sight of the two women having sex. Both survived. There was no more bullets, no more fire. ", "I wasn't even looking at him, and the next thing I know, I didn't see him pull a gun or anything, I just had this ringing in my head where he shot me right in the side of the face," Farmer said. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. And the next thing I know is-- is we hit it too fast. It's-- it's a good place to meet other hikers. Sean and Scott say an unwritten rule of the trail is to offer aid and friendship to fellow hikers and fishermen. Susan Ramsay, 27, and Robert Mountford, 27. Naves in Doing Crime Iowa. Scott Johnston: And live life to the fullest. Chris Hansen: What's it like to see these gals here today? Chris Hansen: Are you gonna blow your nose one day and it comes out or--, Sean Farmer: --that is a possibility. Tom Lawson: It was the most brutal thing I'd ever seen. 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. "Lyin' Randall.". Chris Hansen: Now, this would freak me out. Karen and Georgia cover the survival story of Scott Johnston and Sean Farmer and the Glamour Girl Slayer. My first thing that I thought about was, you know, how far we are away. It really did. We just talked about trivial stuff, nothing in-depth or personal.". At some point during the evening, Randall Lee Smith abruptly pulled out a .22 caliber revolver and shot Sean Farmer and Scott Johnston. But that bloody fingerprint was of little use until they could match it to a suspect. The woman was stabbed to death near the Glen Boulder Trailhead just south of Pinkham Notch. Virginia Smith learned at church Sunday morning about Randall Smith's death. Sean Farmer: I was - I guess - so drained. In 2011 an Indiana man who was hiking the trail was found strangled to death. Scott Johnston: One millimeter. But he did notice that Randall had become obsessive. Chris Hansen: Did you think there was a chance they wouldn't make it? I woulda died right there. Takecare when you do find a person in the woods that seems completely out of place. Carlie Roberts (left) of Bethany Beach, Del., and Jordan Price of Atlanta hike toward Pearisburg on Sunday. [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. Doctors said it was too dangerous to take that bullet out. Is gluten-free bread healthier than regular bread? Farmer said he then stood up, unable to figure out what had happened, and felt his face, hot and swelling. Later Glatman began committing robberies, burglaries, and eventually escalated to sexually assaulting the women of the homes he targeted. Blogger Mark Kelley suggests bearing in mind that most violence comes from people crossing paths with the Appalachian Trail, not other hikers. Scott Johnston: I love comin' up here. Comes right back to Pearisburg, right back to his mother's house, right back to the community like it-- like-- like he never missed a beat. Scott had lost a lot of blood, and realized he was fading fast. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I couldn't hear any other gunshots because inside my head was, like, waaaah, just as loud as you can possibly imagine.