He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder. Although Sean and Scott managed to escape with their lives, they were shot multiple times and had to go through several complex and costly medical procedures that included numerous operations. "I hope before he passed away that he had a chance to make things right with the good Lord," she said. For him, it is still sacred ground. While at the creek, Sean and Scott came across a complete stranger, and although they invited him to dinner, the man suddenly brandished a gun and opened fire on the two unsuspecting campers. Scott Johnston: Yeah. Glatman moved to Los Angeles, California in 1957 and started strolling around modeling agencies looking for potential victims. He served 14 years total before being released from prison. They each drank a Bud Light but didn't offer Smith one. At one point during the flight, Johnston thought he must have died. Tom Lawson tracked Smith down, brought him back here to his home in Pearisburg, and noticed something -- you could walk out Smith's back door and be up on the Appalachian Trail in minutes, and it was just a short hike from the murder scene. In the spring of 1981, hikers Susan Ramsay and Robert Mountford were murdered at the Wapiti shelter -- then buried in sleeping bags by their killer. Shot me in the chest. asked Virginia Smith, a neighbor who is not related to Randall Smith. Smith was arrested that day after attempting to escape in one of the victim's trucks and subsequently crashing. He was pronounced dead at 6 p.m. May 10 at a Pulaski County hospital. Chris Hansen: Now, I'm not a radiologist, (laughter) but that looks awfully darn close to the spine. Scott Johnston: And I guess, he turned and shot me in the back, at that time. 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. Tom Lawson: It was the most brutal thing I'd ever seen. Astonishingly, he would later shoot two more individuals on the trail, although they survived his attack. Randall was born December 10, 1977in Forsyth County, NC. "Saves the taxpayers some money.". In early spring of 2008, concerned neighbors reported Randall Lee Smith suspiciously missing from his Ingram Street residence in Pearisburg. The storied Appalachian Trail passes through the outskirts of town. The surroundings are all basically the same. Smith as he appeared in his 1973 driver's license photo. Chris Hansen: Why the hell did this guy do this to me? Smith was paroled in 1996 after serving 15 years of a 30-year prison sentence. He loved [Virginia] Tech football. When Sean Farmer and Scott Johnston decided to spend a day fishing and camping out in Dismal Creek, Virginia, in 2008, they had no idea of the terror awaiting them there. Farmer, a 33-year-old coal-truck driver, still has a bullet in his skull and a nasty wound in his chest. The pressure was on to find the killer, but police had just one solid piece of forensic evidence -- from a book belonging to murder victim Susan Ramsay. Homeowners struggle with discriminatory homeowners association Q: I read the article you. It's easy to get on the trail here. I said, "These people are going to help us." The woman was stabbed to death near the Glen Boulder Trailhead just south of Pinkham Notch. He tried to kill us," Farmer said as he and Johnston granted their first interview after their May 6 ordeal. Shooting survivors share incredible story with 'Dateline NBC' Scott Johnston: Actually awesome. 3. And - and I bang on the door. Pow." Johnston jumped up and dashed away from Smith, trying to get to a stand of cedar trees 20 feet away. My first thing that I thought about was, you know, how far we are away. And be thankful for all the things you have, because it could be taken from you in a split-second. Bowles' concern for Smith, a Pearisburg resident who was 54 when he died, led her to file a missing-person report April 30 with the Giles County Sheriff's Department. Tom Lawson: It does not penetrate the skull. Paul David Crews was responsible for the double murder of Molly LaRue and Geoff Hood in 1990. Sherman Smith: He's-- it's s-- almost like he's a guardian of the trail, or somethin', I don't know. Tom Lawson: I think his motive with Susan was sexual. Can he take him down before he pulls the trigger again? Scott Johnston: The-- the doctor told that the bullet that went in my neck missed my carotid artery by one millimeter. And the wheels probably come within a foot of going over like a - a 20 or 30-foot embankment. Once Jordan was gone, the victim ran down the trail and ran into two hikers, who assisted her for the next six miles into Smyth County, Virginia, where they called 911, according to the court documents. Following his release from prison, Randall . Scott Johnston: That's a good question. Carlie Roberts (left) of Bethany Beach, Del., and Jordan Price of Atlanta hike toward Pearisburg on Sunday. Ron Hamlin: And another investigator and I went I've and we pulled him out from under the truck. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Chris Hansen: And what was it like when you took that first breath on your own? First, he shot Robert Mountford in the head. Well, when I stopped and got out of my truck, you know, someone walked up out of the creek bank. At some point during the evening, Randall Lee Smith abruptly pulled out a .22 caliber revolver and shot Sean Farmer and Scott Johnston. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Eric Earnhart, a spokesman for Carilion Clinic, could not be reached for comment Sunday. He was executed in the gas chamber of San Quentin State Prison on September 18, 1959". Space Rabbit Coffee among the latest to hop into changing part of Christiansburg, Pearisburg man never shook reputation as AT killer, Analysis: Mom and pop safe as First Republic Bank fails. I mean, you know, we were good to the guy. She said residents told them about Randall Lee Smith, about the murders he committed in 1981 and about the most recent allegations. He was willing to help anyone in need. 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"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. The 1981 murders and 2008 attacks were depicted in the Investigation Discovery series Dead Silent: The Curse of Dismal Creek, season 1, episode 1, broadcast on October 25, 2016. Chris Hansen: That he's comin' to for shootin' two other people on the Appalachian Trail. "It was his second time doing this," he said. Sitting with her granddaughter, Virginia Smith and her husband, Sherman, were neighbors of Randall Smith (not a relative of theirs). Farmer said he then crouched down in his seat, waiting for the inevitable shot to the back of the head. And it comes to a really sharp curve in the road. . Cops: Man Who Killed Hikers Strikes Again - CBS News Chris Hansen: Where are the bullets now inside your body? "My first impression was that maybe his wife had kicked him out of the house and he was living in the woods," Johnston said. I said, "Oh, my goodness, this is not a joke.". Both men were shot at point blank range and critically wounded. Layers of blue mountains on the Appalachian Trail. He had blood on his clothing when he was taken into custody, according to the complaint. Luckily the pair survived, but Smith was charged for attempted murder and murder of two hikers back in 1981. I- I could actually see the blood, like, just squirting, like a foot, every time my heart would beat. Randall Lee Smith - Wikipedia Sean Farmer: Yeah, pretty much the way it is. I think his motive with Bob was self-pr-- self-preservation, because he knew Bob would wring his neck. . Gary Stafford's reaction to the killer's death was typical. On top of it, in 2008, Randall was already out on parole and was reported missing by his neighbor, which further increased worries. Once more it has brought the2,160 mile path that stretches from Georgia to Maine, USA to the publics attention. Scott Johnston: Back in the original case, where-- where was, back in-- in the original case, where was the judicial system? NBC News reports that the men managed to escape in Smith's vehicle and drive 40 miles to the nearest hospital for . How'd you accept that? Virginia Smith agreed. Residents of Bluefield, Virginia, Sean Farmer and Scott Johnston are longtime buddies who often go out fishing and camping together. The slayings became the subject of the 1984 book "Murder on the Appalachian Trail" by author Jess Carr. Farmer, feeling no pain, turned and ran toward his Jeep Cherokee, 20 feet away and parked on the other side of Johnston's pickup. ( Michael Williamson / The Washington Post / Getty Images) The victims Susan Ramsay, 27, and Robert Mountford, 27. Randall Lee Smith was convicted of the death of two hikers in 1981, crimes for which he served 15 years in prison from 1981 to 1996. "Evidently he was not well enough to be released -- nothing against the hospital.". The Gruesome Truth About The Climbers Who Die on Mount Everest, The Darwin Awards: 10 Of The Worst Stupid Death Stories Ever. Sheila called the rescue squad, then Johnston's mother and girlfriend, then Farmer's mother. In May of 1981, social workers Susan Ramsay and Robert Mountford had been hiking the Appalachian Trail. For a split second he thought someone had sneaked into camp and shot him, but he turned and saw a flash of fire from the stranger's hand, which now was stretched out toward Johnston. "It happened so fast, I was just thinking, I've got to get out of here.". Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Sean and Scott say an unwritten rule of the trail is to offer aid and friendship to fellow hikers and fishermen. the Murderpedia project stay alive. Though Tom Lawson may have done everything he could to keep Randall Lee Smith from roaming free, he says he wouldn't have been able to forgive himself if Smith had killed again. ", Scott Johnston: Yeah. Neighbors have described him as a lost soul, accompanied only by his dog, Bo. Mike Reed found a killer campsite in the Giles County national forest. Tom Lawson: We-- we had absolutely no idea. Make sure someone knows where you can. He was arrested, and taken to same hospital where Scott Johnston and Sean Farmer were being treated. First off there is the standing fucking hooray that is Steve Buscemi in Ghost World. "The Randall I knew was not the cold-hearted person the outside world makes him out to be," she said. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Born in the Bronx to a Jewish family and raised in Colorado, Glatman exhibited antisocial behavior and sadomasochistic sexual tendencies from an early age. But just a few hours later, that picture postcard day turned into a night straight out of a horror movie. I couldn't say anything. Smith apparently abandoned his home sometime in February or March, leaving with Bo. There was a handgun laying outside the truck, right in the-- within his reach. Scott Johnson and Sean Farmer had just pulled off something of a miracle: They escaped a gunman, drove down a mountain road while wounded and bLeeding, and found help. But they're alive, thanks to good luck, and some outstanding medical care. Bland County Youtuber believes he's found Appalachian Trail killer's And I would have been dead. I mean, it was-- every time my heart beat, it was just, boom, boom. Randall Lee Smith was sentenced to 15 years in prison -- just seven and a half years for each of the murders. But on the day Smith's murder trial was to begin, Tom Lawson got devastating news. Randall Lee Smith eventually pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case and was sentenced to two 15-year sentences. Bowles said her sadness about Smith's death is tempered by gratitude that his tortured life is done. I mean, we're both shot. Chris Hansen: What do you think saved you guys that night? She played a massive role in saving Scott and Seans lives as she tended to their injuries, offered them first aid, and even called 911 for help. I used to be a Web Developer in the Newsroom, now I spend my time in coffee shops researching murder. And he says, "Is this the guy that shot you?". This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Randall Lee Smith, 43, of Mocksville, NC passed away on March 29, 2021 at his home in Davie County. Randall Lee Smith did go off to prison, and privately, Tom Lawson hoped he would never come out. 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. And I was, like, "Oh, you know." 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. You can read the details of the case here. Former deputy Tom Lawson says the Giles County sheriff's office closed the trail for safety's sake, while they investigated the murders. It's getting dark, we got to go.' Because, I mean, he came up from at a angle behind execution style and popped me. He compared Smith's prints to that print left in the book. And all I could see were, you know, shots of what's looked like fire, which were bullets discharging towards Scott. Johnston was shot in the neck and back. And what did you think you were gonna gain from this, notoriety? Later Glatman began committing robberies, burglaries, and eventually escalated to sexually assaulting the women of the homes he targeted. When he was twelve years old, his parents noticed that he had a red, swollen neck. A motive for the slayings was never established. The man who tried to murder the two lifelong friends was 54-year-old Randall Lee Smith, a Pearisburg native who killed two Appalachian Trail hikers in 1981, a crime so outrageous to the trail town's residents that they all but shunned him when he returned from prison in 1996. On May 6, 2008, Smith attempted to kill two fishermen less than two miles from the site of the 1981 murders. Authorities at the Wythe County joint dispatch center received the first 911 call around 2:30 a.m. Saturday from two hikers, presumably from the initial group, saying that they were being chased by a man with a machete, the complaint states. He pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Robert Mountford Jr. and Laura Susan Ramsay, who were killed while hiking the Appalachian Trail, in May 1981. Those who know Sean and Scott said they were often spotted hanging out together in Bluefield and described them as generous and kindhearted individuals who never hesitated to help out others in need. But the police were able to confirm that the gun was his. And it was even more corroded and damaged. Chris Hansen: I mean, it had to be massive fear out there that some kind of a killer, perhaps a serial killer, was stalking hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Smith, however, did not. [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. Send a Card. We'll hear some-- some more music. Please subscribe to keep reading. I feel like I'm just re-living it all over again. The Appalachian Trail Killer - Randall Lee Smith Chris Hansen: Otherwise, you weren't gonna have Scott Johnston: Yeah. Contents 1 Background 2 1981 Murders and Release 3 Later Crimes and Death 4 Modus Operandi 5 Known Victims 6 On Criminal Minds 7 Sources Background By comparison, the Pacific Crest Trail is longer (2,650 miles) althoughmarkedly younger trail has never seen a single murder. plans and enthusiasm Lawson now feared the worst. 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. Hotel rooms near Something in the Water are still available but they wont be cheap. And - and I can look over, and I can see he's shot in the face. That was - I was just going through pain -. And then I run up, and I get down behind this clump of trees, to protect myself. Melissa Miller: Yeah, it crossed my mind. A True Crime Publication that looks into both new crimes and long lost forgotten crimes. And Scott and Sean -- who somehow survived Smith's brutal attack -- will never get any answers, either. Sean Farmer: He just, you know, walked up. It's-- it's possibly, you know, it's about a quarter inch from my spine or less.