WYTHEVILLE, Va. — A vigil was held Thursday evening for a Nova Scotia woman who survived a knife attack on the Appalachian Trail and for the man who died in the incident.
James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Mass., is charged with murder and assault with intent to commit murder in the attack, which left an Oklahoma man dead.
Wythe County police have said 43-year-old Ronald Sanchez Jr., 43, was found dead early Saturday, about 100 metres from where the suspect was arrested.
Foster did not have the name of the injured woman but said it was his understanding that she was from Nova Scotia.
The president of the Appalachian Trail, Suzanne Dixon, said Thursday that users of the popular hiking trail are hoping for a full recovery of the injured woman and are reaching out in sympathy to Sanchez's family.
The group held a vigil Thursday evening at a baseball field in Damascus, Va.
Hiking groups have said the entire event came as a shock, as the Appalachian Trail has a reputation for being safe even for people who hike alone.
According to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, it is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, stretching roughly 3,500 kilometres from Georgia to Maine.
More than 3 million people visit the trail every year and over 3,000 people attempt to hike the entire footpath in a single year.