Published: May 16, 2008 09:31 pm            

Giles investigators: Suspect’s camp may hold key

PEARISBURG, Va. — Investigators with the Giles County Sheriff’s Office are continuing their investigation into the double shooting May 6, in the Dismal area of Giles County near the Appalachian Trail even though the primary suspect in the case, Randall Lee Smith, died while in custody a week ago at New River Regional Jail.

“We’ve been out there every day this week, and we’re going back out there (Friday afternoon),” Lt. Ron Hamlin of the Giles County Sheriff’s Office said. “We’re still trying to locate his camp. We think we may have some good information now, so we are optimistic that we’ll find it soon.

“That may help answer some questions,” Hamlin said. “People think because the suspect died, the case has been closed out. We didn’t close it at all. We’re still working this investigation every day.”

Investigators believe that Smith, 54, of Pearisburg, shot two Tazewell County, Va., men — Scott Johnston, 33, of Bluefield, Va., and Sean Farmer, 33, of Tazewell, Va. — at their fishing camp at Walnut Flats in the Jefferson National Forest. Johnston and Farmer were both hospitalized, but both are now out of the hospital, but are continuing to recover from their wounds.

A Johnston family member provided the following statement from the two shooting victims. “We are recovering from this ordeal through the comfort and assistance of our friends and families. We would like to thank everyone in the area for their overwhelming support and kind gestures throughout this difficult time.”

In 1982, Smith pleaded guilty to second degree murder in connection with the May 1981 murders of two Appalachian Trail hikers — Laura Susan Ramsay and Robert Mountford, both 27 and both of Maine. The murder investigation and legal proceedings formed the factual background of a book by Jess Carr titled “Murder on the Appalachian Trail.”

Giles authorities charged Smith with two counts of attempted capital murder, two counts of the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of grand larceny related to the theft of a 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck that belonged to one of the shooting victims.

Smith was found unresponsive in a medical area of New River Regional Jail at about 5 p.m., May 10, and was pronounced dead about one hour later at Pulaski Community Hospital.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com

        

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