Searching for Meredith Emerson

Metro Atlanta

Searching for Meredith Emerson

Day 5 of search of missing hiker.

Monday, Jan. 7: Steve Segers, a close friend of missing hiker Meredith Emerson, speaks of his relationship with Emerson and the days following her disappearance.

Segers answers media questions.

On Sunday, the fog lifted from the lake at Vogel State Park and authorities gathered to resume the search.

A Georgia State Patrol helicopter lands at Vogel State Park to aid in the continued search.

On Monday, the Georgia State Patrol continued to be on hand at Vogel State Park to help with the 10-team search. Yet authorities announced on Wednesday, normal operations would resume, significantly reducing the number of searchers.

Dave Emerson, Emerson's father (seen here next to Kimberly Verdone of the Union County Sheriff's Department), pleaded for people to "search their hearts and memories for anything they can remember and do" to help find Meredith.

He walked away with Verdone at his side.

Officers resume the search.

Now, the search is focused on a 5-mile radius.

For the past six days, various agencies have worked together to find the hiker.

As dawn broke over Vogel State Park's small lake on Sunday, Day 5 of the search for missing hiker Meredith Emerson got under way.

GBI director Vernon Keenan told reporters just outside of command headquarters on Sunday that a lot of hard decisions would be made on this day in regards to the search for Emerson. "They're still searching today but it's difficult because they don't know which direction to look."

Hilton told investigators he abducted Emerson because she was a woman. Yet, he wasn't prepared for the fight the 5'4, martial arts expert put up. "I had to hand fight her," Hilton said. "She wouldn't stop, she wouldn't stop fighting," he said. "And yelling at the same time.... So I needed to both control her and silence her."

Susan Emerson walks Ella on Monday.

As searching for Emerson continues, Susan and Dave Emerson walk with Ella, their missing daughter's dog, at Vogel State Park on Monday.

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Monday, Jan. 7: Steve Segers, a close friend of missing hiker Meredith Emerson, speaks of his relationship with Emerson and the days following her disappearance.

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