Soon after Meredith Emerson's body was found, an autopsy revealed her condition and now WSB-TV says Georgia investigators have confirmed details in Cheryl Dunlap's death as well.

Ross Cavitt, a reporter with WSB-TV in Atlanta said, "The Leon County Sheriff's department, as you know, is painfully avoiding characterizing the way the Cheryl Dunlap was found here, but investigators have told us all along that there are similarities in that, that make those two cases very close."

With the two cases linking into a larger investigation, two communities share similar emotions. Cavitt also said, "In that neighborhood, in that community, it really traumatized the folks and we've heard over and over again if you can't just go hiking up in the north GA mountains and be safe, where can you be safe? And it affected a lot of people in that way."

People like those who live minutes from the outdoors in Tallahassee.
Kelly Craft, a Tallahassee resident said, "I do a lot of hiking with my fiance and it does, it was a concern of ours, you know, I was talking to him recently about, you know, maybe we should take extra precautions. And it's just, just very sad what happened to these women."

Products for personal defense are being swept from store shelves are just some indications of fear in this community. Now people are looking for indications as to when this will all be over.