Appalachian Trail Killing: Suspect James Jordan Arrested For Deadly Machete Attack

Authorities in Virginia announced Sunday the arrest of a man in an attack on the Appalachian Trail that left one man dead and a woman seriously injured. James Jordan, 30, of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, was arrested earlier on a federal complaint.

According to the Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia, Jordan was charged with one count of murder and one count of assault with the intent to murder. The suspect was expected to make his first court appearance Monday and formal charges will be placed in the District Court in Abingdon at the time, CNN reported.

“The whole Appalachian Trail community of hikers and volunteers is profoundly sickened by the horrific and deadly attack Saturday morning,” Suzanne Dixon, president of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, said.

Jordan was known to hike the Appalachian Trail under the moniker “Sovereign,” local media WCYB-TV reported. In April, he was arrested for threatening hikers on the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation.

“I commend local law enforcement in Wythe and Smyth Counties for mobilizing successful rescue and tactical operations in this remote region,” Attorney Thomas T. Cullen said. “Thanks to their efforts, the suspect was safely apprehended and a seriously wounded victim received critical medical care.”

Local media reported that Jordan faces federal charges as the deadly stabbing occurred on federal land in the southwestern corner of Virginia. The victims were a male and female, Wythe County Sheriff Keith Dunagan said. However, neither their identities nor other details about the attack were provided.

Authorities said the deputies used GPS to find the man who was attacked in Wythe County after he sent out an emergency notification on his cellphone. Two hikers helped the woman after she walked six miles injured and bleeding.

In April, Jordan also pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation, drug possession and public intoxication, WJHL reported. He also was fined as part of his sentence.

Jordan's arrest on Sunday came after officials learned that a hiker calling himself "Sovereign" had brandished a knife and machete at hikers on the Appalachian Trail in Unicoi County and Madison County, North Carolina.

"You had a lot of miscommunication on social media (on Monday) and people wondering if this guy was a threat. He is a threat," Unicoi Sheriff Mike Hensley told WCYB-TV at that time. "We have thousands of people come through Unicoi County on the Appalachian Trail and when we get a report of suspicious activity, we take those seriously because we want people to be safe."