[at-l] (Guest Post) Williams Winans Murder

[bushwackerfish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Bushwacker)]

<First time didn't post to the list - here's a second attempt:>

You're not looking at the total population of "people" on the AT.  There
are typically a "gazillion" folks on the AT each year - folks jumping out
of the cars to be "on" the trail, locals, screwing around in the woods, day
trippers, weekenders, section hikers, those with somewhat long periods off,
and then the almost thru-hikers not to mention the ultimate
thru-hikers.  Very hard to quantify these and any others that may "touch
the AT" at one point in time.

I would imagine that thru-hikers tend to sleep out alone from the crowds
and that aspect of their "profile" makes them appealing targets to the
criminal element.

Mueser's study cited a 1992 report in Backpacker Magazine that on the AT
there is "one crime for every 800,000 users, there have been only seven
people killed while backpacking there in the past 50 years.  So
statistically speaking, your 190 times more likely to die in an accident
while driving to the trail head than from a violent act in the wilderness."
(p.134)

Mueser records that in total "nine homicides" have been reported on the AT
as of 1998:

Prior to 1981 - Two victims on the AT
1981 - One victim in VA
1988 - One victim in PA
1990 - Two victims in PA
1996 - Two victims in VA

But the itemized count of his text reveals only eight homicide
victims.  One additional person was shot in the 1988 incident and survived.

Just looking at the thru-hike population does not present an accurate
depiction of the level of activity and presence of people on or adjacent to
the AT.

I don't know if the perspective of 1:800,000 for crime in general is any
more comforting to you - but in my opinion - I am not worried about
homicide when I am on the trail.  I'm usually concerned with petty theft or
armed robbery.  That is why I am typically selective about where I sleep
over and who I associate with.  If the gut tells me to move on . . . I
respect it's opinion and keep on walking.

Bushwacker


At 02:24 PM 1/31/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>>Seven through hikers murdered.  I think that you may be
>>wrong.
>
>I may be wrong.  On this topic my information is limited to what is on the
>internet.
>
> From what I have seen, 7 hikers of any clasification have been killed on the
>AT itself.  Of these, I believe 5 were reported to be thru hikers:  Janice
>Balaza (1975), Susan Ramsey & Robert Mountford (1981) and Molly LaRue &
>Geoffrey Hood (1990).
>
>Most everytime this topic has come up you see a chorus of very experienced
>hikers sharing how safe the AT is.  It is said that one is more likely to be
>murdered in thier home town than out on the Trail.  For some time now I have
>been bothered by those comforting reports when I consider the fact that one
>THRU HIKER has been murdered for every 1500 THRU HIKERS that report to have
>hiked the entire AT.
>
>Rick B
>
>
>
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At 09:00 AM 1/31/2003 -0500, rick boudrie wrote:
>>It looks like they are pulling a fast one - saying that no murders >went
>>unsolved then distancing themselves from by stating that the two >women
>>were on a side trail of the AT and than not including them in >the list...
>>
>>Can anyone enlighten please?
>
>
>Willow--
>
>A man was arrested for those crimes last Spring.  The arrest was big news
>for the obvious reasons, plus the fact that it was going to be the first (I
>think) prosecution under some new Federal Hate Crime legislation.
>
>While the ATC doesn't put a link to regarding those crimes and others on the
>home page of thier web site, I give them credit for including the
>information they now do.
>
>On the otherhand, I have got to admit sharing some of your feelings in the
>past.  I think there is a fine line between getting the facts out and
>putting a spin on them.
>
>In the past the ATC has sought to put these kinds of crimes into perspective
>by reminding us of all the milllions of people who visit the trail every
>year, sugggesting that ones' chances of being murdered on the Trail are
>astronomical, indeed.
>
>That's true, I am sure.  On the other hand, it is a fact that for every 1500
>thru hikers who have spent 6 months or so hiking the AT all the way from
>Maine to Georgia, one thru hiker has been killed by a complete stranger.
>(7500 Registered 2000 Milers/5 THRUHIKERS killed)
>
>Most thru hikers will tell you that even with regard to murder, one is
>statistically safer spending 6 months hiking the AT than living 6 months in
>Mayberry, though.
>
>Rick B
>
>
y