ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, June 7, 1996 TAG: 9606070057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: LURAY
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
MEMO: shorter in metro
The FBI and Park Service offered a $25,000 reward Thursday for information that cracks the case of two female hikers who were slain at their campsite in the Shenandoah National Park.
After spending six days collecting evidence, investigators on Thursday opened the rocky horse trail passing by the campsite, which was about a tenth of a mile from Skyline Drive and a half-mile from Skyland Lodge.
The women's tent had been pitched within sight of the trail, just beyond some saplings in a stand of hardwood trees, according to Tim Woosley, a ranger in charge of back-country camping.
The trail near the Skyland stables leads to a fire road that makes its way to the area's other main attraction, Big Meadows.
The rugged terrain complicated the work of investigators, Park Service spokeswoman Robbie Breckwehl said. ``It was difficult to gather evidence at the scene.''
FBI agents were unable to get their mobile crime lab truck, a standard resource in such cases, to the scene.
Park officials revealed no new details about their investigation and said they had no suspects.
Rangers began distributing nearly 600 reward posters that include three pictures of Julianne Williams, 24, of St. Cloud, Minn., and Lollie Winans, 26, of Unity, Maine. A fourth picture shows the dog they were hiking with, a golden retriever mix that was unharmed, in a woodland setting.
The bespectacled, smiling women are shown sitting on rocks during a hiking trip. Breckwehl was unsure where the photos were taken.
The FBI put up $15,000 and the Park Service contributed $10,000 of the reward offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who killed the women by slashing their throats.
Rangers and members of the Appalachian Trail Conference already have been circulating fliers telling where the women were killed and giving a toll-free phone number for people who may have seen them to call, information that is repeated on the reward posters.
Their bodies were found Saturday and the women were last seen on May 23, according to the Park Service.
Anyone with information may call (888) 856-2467.
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB