ATLANTA -- Meredith Emerson died from blunt force trauma to the head, according to Georgia's Chief Medical Examiner, who completed an autopsy Tuesday on the 24-year-old.

In a shocking revelation Dr. Kris Sperry indicated that after Emerson was killed, she was decapitated.

In another development WSB-TV Channel 2 has learned the arrest warrant for Gary Michael Hilton said that Emerson, who disappeared on New Year's Day, was not killed until Friday. It appears Emerson was alive and held captive for three days.

"On January 4th, 2008, Gary Michael Hilton did unlawfully and with malice and forethought cause the death of another human being, Meredith Hope Emerson, by blunt force trauma to the head," said Dawson County District Attorney Lee Darragh.

Emerson's family was scheduled to make a statement Tuesday afternoon, but a spokeswoman met with reporters instead, after the family learned how Emerson was killed.

At a separate news conference in Dawson County, officials announced Hilton is being charged with malice murder, in addition to the kidnapping charges already filed. A court appearance on the murder charges is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday.

"At approximately 1:30 today an arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Gary Hilton. Mr. Hilton is being charged with a count of murder of Meredith Emerson," said Dawson County Sheriff Billy Carlisle Tuesday.

Another prosecutor says Hilton led authorities to the body in exchange for an agreement they not seek the death penalty against him for her killing, according to the Associated Press.

District Attorney Stan Gunter in Union County, where Emerson disappeared, said the agreement only covers the prosecution for Emerson's death. Gunter said other jurisdictions in Georgia and other states are free to seek the death penalty for other killings if they find connections.

Gunter says U.S. Attorney David Nahmias was interested in prosecuting the case as a federal death penalty case because the kidnapping is believed to have occurred on U.S. Forest Service land, but Nahmias agreed to the deal if Hilton cooperated.

Hilton has been transferred from the Union County jail to the Dawson County jail.

Hilton Leads Officials To Emerson’s Body

The GBI said Monday night that Hilton led authorities to the body after his court appearance Monday afternoon on kidnapping charges. Agents took Hilton to the heavily wooded area and he helped them locate Emerson's body Monday night.

Officials said her body was found in an area that was searched on Monday. Authorities said they began to search the area after citizens reported seeing Hilton's van there.

"At approximately 7:30 this evening, the body of Meredith Emerson was discovered in a wooded area inside Dawson Forest in Dawson County," GBI Special Agent In Charge John Cagle said. GBI Director Vernon Keenan said Emerson's family was informed immediately after her body was found.

"The body was discovered by GBI agents, DNR rangers and Dawson County deputies," said Cagle. "The specific information given, as to the location of the body, was given to me by Gary Hilton."

The discovery came just hours after a judge denied bond for Hilton.

Hilton made that first court appearance at the Union County Courthouse Monday, appearing in shackles and an orange jail jumpsuit. The suspect glanced around the courtroom during the hearing, but did not speak.

At the end of the eleven-minute hearing, Hilton thanked his attorney, who is a public defender assigned to the case early in an attempt to encourage Hilton's cooperation with authorities to find Emerson.

Family Speaks

A family spokesperson for the Emerson family met with reporters Tuesday in Athens.

"The family of Meredith Emerson would like to extend their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following good people: Union County and Dawson County Sheriff's Departments and Fire and Rescue Departments, The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the 60-plus involved agencies in the search and eventual recovery of Meredith," said spokesperson Peggy Bailey.

Since Meredith's disappearance, friends and strangers have helped in the search for her across a number of counties. They searched, they prayed and they hoped. They held candlelight vigils for Emerson. Now, they plan to memorialize her Friday in Athens.

"We would like to thank the untold number of friends and volunteers and family who helped search and support all of us at this tragic and troubling time," said Bailey.

Family and friends will gather later this week to remember Meredith Emerson.

A special memorial service is planned for Friday at 2 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church in Athens. The church is located at 380 Alps Road.

Clues Added Up

Police said Hilton tried to use the missing hiker's credit card at two ATMs, one in Canton and another in Gainesville on the day she disappeared, according to Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton.

In addition, Paxton said that Hilton made a call at 4:30 Friday afternoon from a public phone at the QuikTrip store in Cumming where bloody clothes and Emerson's wallet were found on Saturday in a dumpster.

A new witness has come forward to say she saw Emerson's dog in that area around 2:30 that same afternoon; leading police to believe Hilton spent at least two hours in the Cumming area.

Police believed Emerson was dead after finding her blood-soaked clothing Saturday.

Shortly after finding the bloody clothes authorities charged Hilton with her kidnapping.

Officers also found Emerson's wallet with her driver's license and her University of Georgia ID, as well as part of a blood-stained seat belt in a trash bin outside a QuikTrip convenience store in Cumming. When police searched Hilton's van they found a seat belt with a section missing.

When Hilton was picked up by police he was washing out his van with a bleach and water solution, according to the arrest warrant.

GBI officials said Hilton led them to her body Monday night in Dawson County.