Emerson Valley resident William Hollister, 55, was found dead earlier today in his pickup truck in the parking lot outside the trail entrance to Blackwood Forest. Chief Ranger Samantha Bellinger found Mr. Hollister when she arrived for work. She immediately contacted the authorities, who arrived and quickly determined that he had been shot in the chest at close range. Based on the lack of blood in the vehicle, they believe he was most likely killed somewhere else and moved to the spot where he was found.

“Typically, a shot at close range like that would leave a big mess,” explained Sheriff Victor Grayson. “It would be all over the seats and pooling on the floor. We don’t see any of that. As far as CSU can tell, there’s almost no blood in that truck at all. No sign of a bullet or bullet hole in the seat, either.”

Mr. Hollister’s name might be familiar to regular readers of the Gazette. He went missing in Blackwood Forest near the end of 2019. His car was found abandoned in much the same spot he was found murdered. About one month later, he was discovered wandering in a daze in the forest, and reportedly had no memory of the month he was missing.

The investigation into Mr. Hollister’s death is still in its early stages, but the sheriff says they’re already treating it as a murder. Based on the angle of entry of the bullet wound, it would have been very difficult for the victim to have fired the shot himself.

“Is it possible he could’ve killed himself? Sure,” Sheriff Grayson said. “It’s not very probable, though. Not to mention that if he did kill himself, we’re still looking at someone who committed a crime by moving the body from where he died to the forest trail parking lot. But in all likelihood, we’re looking for a cold-blooded murderer.”

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette