Cherokee Detective Testified in Gary Hilton Trial | Crime

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- A Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy was called last week to testify in the murder trial of Gary Michael Hilton.

Detective William Ballard encountered Hilton, 64, near Lake Allatoona shortly after the latter decapitated a Crawfordville, Florida woman in December of 2007.

Ballard captured images of Hilton on his in-car camera. He was summoned to testify about the encounter.

On Tuesday, Feb. 15, Hilton was convicted of murder in the Florida case. Jurors are currently deciding whether to sentence him to life in prison or death.

Hilton is already serving a life sentence in Georgia for the January 2008 murder of University of Georgia graduate Meredith Emerson.