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Blairsville — The father of Meredith Emerson made an appeal Monday asking that the public "search their hearts and memories" for anything that might lead to his daughter, the 24-year-old hiker who went missing New Years Day in the North Georgia mountains.

Dave Emerson, 56, made a brief statement to reporters in his first public appearance since Meredith went missing while hiking with her dog. His statement came just a few hours before the man charged with her kidnapping is arraigned in Union County.

Jessica McGowan / AJC

Kimberly Verdone (right) of the Union County Sheriff's Department and Dave Emerson walk arm in arm after Emerson made a statement for the media about the disappearance of his daughter Meredith Emerson.

Police photo (ENLARGE)

Gary Hilton, charged with kidnapping with bodily injury in the case of missing hiker Meredith Emerson, has asked for a court-appointed lawyer

Chris Hunt/AJC (ENLARGE)

GBI director Vernon Keenan speaks to reporters Sunday.

RELATED LINKS • Map: Sites in the Emerson case •Photos: Day 6 of search | The search | 'Person of interest' found • Video: Is Hilton responsible for other missing cases? • Story: Suspect probed for missing Forsyth hairdresser • Story: Former classmates remember missing hiker •More Gwinnett news

Emerson, who was escorted to and from the news conference at Vogel State Park, took no questions. Peggy Bailey, Meredith's godmother, and Kimberly Verdone, an investigator with the Union County Sheriff's Office stood by his side as he spoke. The family continues to keep its distance from the media.

Emerson, a cancer research scientist from Colorado, also thanked those searching for the missing Buford woman.

"The amount of people from professionals and volunteers who have donated their time and effort has been overwhelming," said Emerson, speaking in quiet tones and wearing sunglasses to cover his weary eyes. "This is just a reflection of how much Meredith loves others and how much Meredith was loved. We are thankful that Ella [Meredith's dog] has been found but Meredith is still out there. I appeal to everyone to search their hearts and memories for anything they can remember and do to help us find Meredith and return her home."

Police made no new statements following Emerson's statement.

Police planned to continue to focus their search for Meredith Emerson's body Monday to within a five-mile radius of the state park, said Verdone. Civilians have been called back from the search because the case has become a criminal investigation, officials said.

They are targeting specific areas based on evidence found in the last two days, she said, though she would not elaborate.

Gary Michael Hilton, 61, was denied bond in Union County on Monday afternoon.

Hilton, who police say was the last person seen with Emerson, has been charged with kidnapping and bodily injury in connection with the disappearance.

GBI spokesman John Bankhead said there is "considerable evidence" linking Hilton to Emerson's disappearance. However, he said it would be a week before officials have the results of blood tests from clothing found over the weekend in Forsyth County, where police officials also are conducting a separate search. The tests will show whether the clothing belongs to Emerson.

An assistant public defender, Neil Smith, was appointed to represent Hilton. Smith had no comment Monday morning.

It was warmer Monday morning than it was last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and police who had been working since the early days of the search were grateful for the change in the weather.

Police on Monday were keeping media at a greater distance than on the earlier days of the search. That hadn't been hard to do, since most of the news crews had left the park.

There's been a steady stream of police officers and firefighters and park rangers going to the old mess hall at the camp where they've been cloistered, coordinating the search.

At 8:30 a.m., a camp loudspeaker calling the 120 to 150 police officers and emergency workers making up Monday's search teams to an observation deck on the park's lakefront for an early-morning operational meeting. From across the water, applause could be heard a couple of times as the searchers were given their orders.

Just before 9 a.m., some familiar faces entered the camp: Verdone, who has been updating the public about Emerson's disappearance, Peggy Bailey, who has represented the family to the media, and 1st Lt. Brad Niebrand of the Union County Fire Department, who helped coordinate search teams in early days. These people have been here all day every day for the last six days.