Man who killed hikers in '81 suspected in shootings

[Mugu]

By REX BOWMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

A Giles County man paroled from prison after serving 14 years for killing two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 now is suspected of shooting two campers just off the trail in Giles on Tuesday.

Randall Lee Smith, 54, was in a Roanoke hospital yesterday after crashing a pickup truck in Giles, Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police said.

The truck belongs to one of the two wounded men, both of whom were airlifted to a hospital.

One, identified as Scott Johnston of Bluefield, was in serious but stable condition at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, hospital spokesman Eric Earnhart said. The condition and location of the other victim, identified as Sean Farmer of Tazewell, could not be determined last night.



http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-05-08-0174.html">Complete article

[acmavm]

1. PAROLED AFTER 14 YEARS for killing 2 people?????

Well, if that don't say something about the value of human life in this country.

[Kolesar]

2. The parole board should have consulted the prosecutor ...

... the prosecutor did not want to "over charge" him, so he got a lighter sentence. But they should have kept the murderer in there for every day that he was sentenced.

The prison has to make room for all those meth and marijuana users, I guess.

Yesterday, Sherman Smith, an unrelated neighbor on Virginia Street, said Smith kept to himself.

"Nobody would hire him, so he never had a job," Sherman Smith said. "I'll miss the dog more than I'll miss him."

[Mz Pip]

4. "over charge" him?

About the only over charge anyone could possible consider would be the death penalty since there are people who are opposed to that.

But 14 years? Geez, that's an "under charge" IMHO.

[Kolesar]

9. He was sentenced to 30 years...eom

[Wcross]

3. If he had been convicted of selling crack he would still be locked up. n/t

[KSinTX]

5. Or hispanic or black or other minority. nt

[krispos42]

7. Yet, if he has killed a pair of bald eagles, I bet he's still be locked up n/t

[marshall]

19. or if he'd sent child porn over the internet

[aikoaiko]

6. In GA, there is bill on the Gov's desk that would allow carrying a concealed weapon in parks

and this guy is an example of why so many want the Gov to sign it into law.

[DangerDave921]

10. Exactly

My wife runs the trails around our house in a wooded state park. Makes me very nervous everytime she leaves the house. If not a gun, I wish she had mace and a big dog.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

12. Please be reasonable

She needs two big dogs, a can of pepper spray and a gun.

I don't blame you for your concern.

[Kolesar]

11. I am not going to lug around a pistol that weighs more than my tent

Down in Erwin, Tennessee, there were some yayhoos who used to shoot AT hikers with a BB gun. That's the town where they hanged a circus elephant with a tow truck noose because the animal stepped on and killed a child.

[aikoaiko]

13. Be prepared

Sure, I understand weight is an issue, but something like the Kel-tec PF9 is a lifesaving 15 ounces (not including ammo or the light). But still pretty light for something that carries 8 rounds of 9mm.

[Kolesar]

15. Would the 9mm be effective against a bear, too?

The other reason to carry a firearm (in bear country of course, not the desert).

[aikoaiko]

17. bear, not so much, but it would be better than nothing

the bang might scare one a away or at least befuddle a bear enough to get away.

Most people I know recommend 10mm, 44 mag, or bigger.

The Glock 20 weighs about 28 ounces.

http://i109.imagethrust.com/images/3FSS/view-image/glock-20-10mm.html


The venerable S&W Model 29 weighs about 35-40 ounces

http://i112.imagethrust.com/images/3FST/view-image/s-w-model-29-44mag.html


This big boy (S&W 460) is heavy (58 ounces), but it will kill a bear dead.

http://i120.imagethrust.com/images/3FSU/view-image/s-w-460.html

[Kolesar]

18. A pack of firecrackers might do the trick

Wildlife are not used to loud noises, other than thunder. Just hope it is not raining.

[slampoet]

8. self delete

factual error.

[arcadian]

14. This seems to happen quite a bit on the AT

I remember not to long ago ('93) two women were raped and murdered in Sheandoah National Park.

[MountainLaurel]

16. It was '96

Memorial Day weekend. I was camping with my boyfriend just outside the park boundaries, probably within 6 miles of where the two women were murdered.

A man was charged with the murders several years later and then released.

I wonder if the very short sentence in this case had to do with the animosity a lot of the people in the mountain areas carry toward the hikers, who are frequently perceived as hippie interlopers.

[mitchum]

20. Good thing that he didn't receive the death penalty, but instead...

was locked away for life so that he could never hurt anyone again.
Ooops!