CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. -- Hunting season had just started October 26, 2007 when Deputy Wil Ballard went to a private hunting preserve to evict a trespassing camper. The exchange was caught on dashcam video.

The two talked for more than 20 minutes, during which the camper, Gary Michael Hilton, was lively, animated and very talkative. Cherokee County stores all the dashcam video and when Hilton’s name came up in the Meredith Emerson case, Ballard remembered it.

“It is some amazing video footage that is very clear and probably as good as anybody has at this point,” said Cherokee County Sheriff Roger Garrison.

VIDEO: Dashcam Video Shows Gary Hilton

The video shows Hilton telling Ballard he was a former paratrooper. “What I’m doing now is I’m on perpetual field maneuvers,” said Hilton. Hilton also told the deputy hunters had warned him if he stayed there he could get shot. “I’m leaving. I’m getting out of here, God almighty!”

Hilton was camping down two miles of dirt roads. Ballard checked Hilton out carefully, noticing a fanny pack and asked if he had any weapons. “Absolutely not and I’m gonna bring it to you,” Hilton said. After the deputy persisted, Hilton told the deputy he had an expandable baton and not to get nervous.

Investigators found a baton near where Emerson disappeared.

After the deputy ran Hilton’s ID and found no warrants on him, he let him leave. Hilton can be heard saying as he drives away, “Hey, I love ya,” to the deputy.

Hilton Charged With Meredith Emerson's Murder

Hilton was charged with murder Tuesday in the death of Meredith Emerson, who disappeared while hiking in north Georgia on New Year's Day.

Authorities say the 24-year-old Emerson died three days later from a blow to the head -- on Friday -- as searchers scanned the woods of Blood Mountain looking for her. The GBI says she was decapitated after the lethal injury.

District Attorney Lee Darragh in Dawson County, where Emerson's body was found, said today that the 61-year-old Hilton is charged with malice murder.

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.

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.

The 61-year-old Hilton was charged Saturday with kidnapping with intent of bodily injury. He appeared yesterday before a magistrate in Union County and was denied a request for bail.

Hilton was the last person seen with Emerson on the hiking trail and had tried to use her credit card, according to his arrest warrant.

Other Murders Investigated

Dawson County deputies told Channel 2's John Bachman Emerson's body was found just a mile and a half away from where 11-year-old Levi Frady's body was found in 1997. His murder was never solved. The Georgia Amber Alert system -- Levi's call -- was named after him.

Investigators are looking for connections between Hilton and a number of unsolved murders -- including the murder of Patrice Endres.

Endres disappeared from her Forsyth County beauty shop nearly four years ago. Her remains were discovered 20 months later in Dawson County. Police have never charged anyone.

"I don't know the man but if he truly is responsible for Patrice that will be wonderful, because there needs to be justice brought to the person who did such a vile thing to such a beautiful and caring woman," said Patrice's husband Rob Endres.

One thing investigators are looking into is the fact some of the locations in the Emerson case and the Endres murder are relatively close.

Sheriff Billy Carlisle of Dawson County told Channel 2's Ross Cavitt Tuesday he sees no link between Hilton and the cases involving Endres and Frady.

Emerson's case is having an impact on murder investigations in at least two other states. Investigators believe John and Irene Bryant were killed while hiking near Asheville, North Carolina in October. North Carolina investigators were at the GBI's investigative office in White County Monday to talk about the case.

Now, Florida agents will be heading to the GBI's office to discuss the case of a woman found murdered last month in a north Florida forest. Tallahassee officials said someone found Cheryl Dunlap's body in the Appalachicola National Forest two weeks after her car was found with a flat tire.