According to various internet sites (google “Randall Lee Smith”, “Appalachian Trail” ) he “pleaded guilty to lesser charges”, so he probably was never convicted of the murders he did.
Damn.
I think this was during a period when the prosecutors felt that getting a serious first degree murder conviction would be difficult, and there was the unfortunate tendency to let a lot of people plea out.
My memories fuzzy, but I remember the plea bargain pissing off the locals.