Scott Lilly was murdered on the Appalachian Trail in 2011 and remains unsolved.

On June 15, 2011, Scott Lilly began his Appalachian Trail (AT) section hike. Scott chose to start in Maryland and head south to Springer Mountain, Georgia, the trail's southern terminus. The Appalachian trail is 2190 miles long and attracts thousands of visitors yearly, going from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin Maine.

Scott chose to section hike, and along the way, he planned to visit Civil War battlefields, as he was a civil war history buff, even adapting the trail name ¨Stonewall¨. It is presumed after Thomas ¨Stonewall¨ Jackson, a commander of the Confederate army.

Another section hiker, as thousands of people embark upon this trail each year, some for an adventure and others to find themselves and clarity in their life. Scott was introduced to the trial by his childhood minister, Craig Clapper.

As with any long-distance hike, there are risks, and occasionally missing persons or a murder, but more complete the walk than end up dead or missing. Unfortunately, Scott Lilly was one of those who would not complete his section hike.

The last time Scott was seen alive was believed to be the end of July, when he climbed The Priest, a 4,063-foot mountain located 20.6 miles north of Buena Vista, Virginia. The next time Scott would be seen was when a group of hikers found his body on Friday, Aug 12, 2011.

The hikers reported that they found a body buried in a shallow grave that looked like murder. The body was found on a side hike headed towards Cow Camp Gap Shelter in Georgia Washington-Jefferson National Forest, in the Mount Pleasant Special Management Area.

Since this part of the trial was on federal lands, the case was assigned to the FBI. The autopsy had determined that he had been dead about 12 days before being discovered and died by asphyxiation by suffocation which ruled a homicide.

They did not believe it to be a robbery as a few of Scott's things were missing, not all of them, and most hikers do not carry many valuables. Not the best target for a robbery. The FBI did determine it was a cold-blooded murder.

Scott Lilly was a 30-year-old male from South Bend, Indiana, and it is thought that the killing was random, or maybe not so accidental, as the targets could be AT hikers who were alone. Hiking alone comes with many risks and rewards; however, if you cross paths with that one person who is out for blood, your time could be up, as disappearances and murders in the Appalachian Mountains are not uncommon, and most do go unsolved.

Scott's sister, Alysen, made the following statement:

He was a 30-year-old man living out a dream by traveling the Appalachian Trail and visiting Civil War battlefields," Alysen Lilly said of her brother to WSET-TV. "He was just excited about it, and I told him that I loved him and to be careful. And he was trying to make us proud."

However, Scott was targeted. It is a tragedy, as the FBI interviewed over 83 people, collected over 100 pieces of evidence, and have not concluded what happened, and no arrests have been made. The case remains unsolved. RIP, Scott Lilly.

Unfortunately this crime has not been solved, hopefully one day Scott Lilly´s murderer will receive justice. However the Appalachian trail remains to have its dangers it also has its beauty.

Special Agent Duenas stated:

“I have no reason to believe the Trail is any more dangerous. Hikers just have to be aware and take all the normal precautions."

Originally published here.