John Davis “Jack” Bryant, an 80-year-old Caucasian man, was murdered on October 21, 2007, while hiking in Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. He and his wife, Irene Woods Bryant, an 84-year-old Caucasian woman, were avid hikers who had parked their maroon Ford Escape near Yellow Gap Road before setting off on their trek. When family members failed to hear from them for two weeks, they reported the couple missing, prompting an extensive search effort involving volunteers, cadaver dogs,
and a helicopter.
Investigators later discovered that John had attempted to call 911 on the day of their disappearance, but the call was dropped due to poor signal reception. On November 10, 2007, search teams found Irene’s body covered with leaves on the Barnett Branch trail. An autopsy confirmed that she had been bludgeoned to death with a blunt instrument. The case was classified as a homicide, and the FBI launched an investigation, offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the perpetrator. Meanwhile, a bank card belonging to the Bryants had been used to withdraw $300 from an ATM in Ducktown, Tennessee. Surveillance footage showed an older Caucasian man wearing a yellow rain jacket, though his hood obscured his face.
John Bryant remained missing for several months until February 3, 2008, when a hunter discovered a skull in Nantahala National Forest, near a forest service road known as "The Switchbacks." Authorities later confirmed that the remains belonged to John Bryant. The investigation eventually led to the arrest of Gary Michael Hilton, a Caucasian man known as "The National Forest Serial Killer." Hilton was responsible for multiple murders across North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, all occurring within national forests.
Hilton pleaded guilty to the murder of John Bryant and admitted to killing Irene Bryant as well. He also entered guilty pleas to charges of robbery, kidnapping, and firearms offenses related to the case. In June 2011, a federal grand jury indicted Hilton for the kidnapping, robbery, and murder of John Bryant in Nantahala National Forest. Hilton was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His conviction added to his existing sentences for other murders, including the killing of Cheryl Dunlap in Florida, for which he received the death penalty, and the murder of Meredith Emerson in Georgia, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Bryant family's children attended Hilton’s court hearings and were consulted about the plea agreement. Prosecutors determined that the guilty plea was a just outcome, ensuring Hilton would spend the rest of his life behind bars. Authorities expressed their condolences to the Bryant family, acknowledging that no legal action could fully alleviate their pain but hoping that Hilton’s permanent incarceration would bring some measure of closure.
