Randall Lee Smith

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Various sources have confirmed that Randall Lee Smith, who is on a respirator at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, is the alleged suspect in Tuesday night’s shooting.

Smith, who is being guarded by a deputy at Roanoke Memorial, is facing two counts of attempted capital murder and charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and grand larceny.

Smith was convicted in 1982 in Giles County for second-degree murder following the May 1981 stabbing and shooting of two hikers from Maine along the Appalachian Trail in Giles County.  He accepted a plea-bargain right before his trial and pled guilty to the second-degree murder charges. Smith was given 30 years in prison. He was paroled in 1996 after serving 14 years.

Smith was apprehended Tuesday night after he crashed a black 2000 Ford Ranger pickup truck that matched the description of one possibly involved in the shooting. A trooper patrolling on Sugar Run Road in the Eggleston area saw the vehicle about 9:42 p.m. and pulled out behind it. The vehicle ran off the left side of the road, hit an embankment, and overturned, according to Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police.

Officers had been looking for Smith since Friday, as he was reported as a missing person.

According to investigators, Smith befriended the two men at a campsite near Dismal Falls. One of the victims was shot in the neck, while the other was shot in the face and chest.

Authorities have not officially released the names of the victims. However, various sources say that the two men were Sean Farmer of Tazewell and Scott Johnston of Bluefield.

The Appalachian Trail from Hollybrook to Pearisburg is still closed at police continue their
investigation.

Ironically, Tuesday night's shooting took place about two miles from where the May 1981 murders occured on the AT.

The following information is listed on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website.

“The Appalachian Trail in Giles County, Virginia, from Va. 606 north for about 25 miles to Pearisburg is closed until further notice to allow local and federal law-enforcement authorities to investigate a shooting Tuesday of two fishermen at a campground near the Trail. A suspect is in custody, and he and the victims are all in hospitals in serious condition.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Trail neighbors are arranging shuttles for hikers around the 24-mile stretch. The northern closure is at the crossing of Va. 100.

Hikers and others, such as Trail maintainers, who have been in this area during the last six weeks and encountered suspicious person’s are urged to contact the Giles County sheriff’s office (540-921-3842) or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . The suspect in custody is a white man in his mid-50s with dark-brown hair and a salt-and-pepper beard.

The shooting occurred about a half-mile from the A.T. at a Forest Service campground. At this time, it is not known if any of those involved had been on the Trail itself.”

EverythingNRV.com will continue to follow this story and will post any new updates at they become available.

Click here to see photos from the investigation in our photo gallery.

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