you know, i would think not. >> meredith emerson went missing new year's day 2008. than a month later gary michael hilton appeared in a georgia courtroom and pleaded guilty to her murder. meredith's parents were there. her mother, susan, addressed hilton. >> i believe he is nothing more than a bully and a weak-minded coward who preys on others. he fancies himself a survivalist. well, anyone can see he's a scared little man on the run. >> the state honored the deal it made with the killer. no death penalty. and he was sentenced to life in prison. hilton admitted nothing beyond the emerson murder. >> is this the first time you've ever done anything like this before? >> i'll let my attorney answer. >> by now investigators from a half dozen southeastern states as well as fbi profilers were rummaging through hilton's past. by the time he was captured he wasn't much more than a vagrant in a van. but his past was more complex. as an army veteran hilton had earned an associate's college degree, gotten a private pilot's license on the g.i. bill, and been married three times