Hiker Responds To The Violent, Yet Rare, Attack On Appalachian Trail

A 30-year-old West Yarmouth man accused of hacking a hiker to death with a large knife on the Appalachian Trail will not seek the insanity defense, multiple Virginia news outlets reported Wednesday.

James Jordan was arrested Saturday for attacking two hikers in Southwest Virginia. In the months before the deadly violence, Jordan had earned a reputation for erratic behavior within the Appalachian Trail community.

Jordan had been arrested last month, in Tennessee, where he was accused of threatening hikers. He pleaded guilty to charges, including drug possession and public intoxication, but was released on probation.

The recent murder is the tenth on the trail in the past 45 years, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservatory. So, are hikers feeling safe?

Amy Lacey Plumley, digital marketing director with the Appalachian Mountain Club. She also hiked the entire Appalachian Trial, solo, in 2016.