Hiker Meredith Emerson fought to stay alive
Hilton was worried about another piece of evidence that might link him to the slaying --Emerson's dog. She had told him the Lab-mix carried a microchip identifying it as her pet. "If I wanted to ensure that no one would associate the dog with her, I would've have killed the dog," Hilton said. "But there's no way I could do that." Jessica McGowan/ AJC
