Man who killed hikers in '81 suspected in shootings (Giles County, VA)

The Richmond Times-Dispatch ^ | 05/08/2008

[Corin Stormhands]

A Giles County man paroled from prison after serving 14 years for killing two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 now is suspected of shooting two campers just off the trail in Giles on Tuesday.

Randall Lee Smith, 54, was in a Roanoke hospital yesterday after crashing a pickup truck in Giles, Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police said.

[marktwain]

“Agreed, he’s a psycho, I stated that MOST murders are of someone known, a crime of passion.”

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That is where the leap of logic is accomplished. Just because most murders are of someone known, does not mean that they are a random act of passion by the murderer.

Most murderers have a long history of violence. Drug dealers, armed robbers, and muggers all know lots of people and have interactions with them. It is only a very small group of people in society that are likely to be murderers.

[Darnright]

Thanks for the update, Corin. You have to wonder, though, why, if this man was mortally injured, he wasn’t more carefully watched.

I realize his crimes are heinous, but he was, after all, in the custody of the commonwealth.

Wrapping flame suit extra tight...