# cyclist brutally murdered - silver comet trail



## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

it's on CNN headline prime.. 

http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=82573

Jennifer Ewing was brutally murdered along the Silver Comet Trail in Paulding County as she rode her bike on a 50 mile ride that had become routine for her.

The man police are questioning about the crime is a convicted rapist who lives in the area.

Paulding Police are questioning 43-year-old Michael William Ledford, who lives near where Ewing’s body was found Wednesday morning.

Investigators spent Thursday combing the woods for more evidence.

The attack has many who ride and bike along the popular trail rethinking safety.

Many who normally pass along the stretch where Ewing was found said they were shocked. The cyclists who frequent the Silver Comet Trail know each other by their bikes.

Reginald Boone often passed Jennifer Ewing on her Cannondale.

“She was friendly,” said Boone. “She would always wave.”

Cobb Police patrol the 13 miles of the trail that are inside the county. They say the do it every day. So do Paulding County authorities. But they are not on the trail all day.

Still, trail users say they are never alone.

“The thing that amazed me about it, is that there are so many people out there,” said walker Reginald Boon. “It’s just so surprising for something like that to happen.”

But, Boone says, riding so far out at the time Ewing was out on Monday, it’s sparse.


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## Kennedy (May 17, 2006)

This is a major story here. Terrible terrible tragedy. 

I try to ride the SCT once a week (mostly becuase its relatively flat - a rarity in Atlanta - and I'm still a clydesdale with 200 miles on his first real ride). There are typically dozens of people - dog walkers, roller bladers, cyclists, bent riders - out and about, so I never feel unsafe for me or my wife. But we ride on weekends, during high traffic times. Its hard to say how many people are out on a Tuesday at 1 pm. I doubt very many, especially as far out as she was. The trail starts in a highly populated area, but once you get 10-12 miles out, its rural and somewhat deserted. 

Its a horrible tragedy and it looks like, thankfully, they caught the bastard who did this.


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## kayakado (Aug 23, 2004)

I rode it on a Friday after Thanksgiving from Rocksmart to Smyrna and we only saw three people in the first 30 miles, after that it was so crowded we were ready to turn around and ride back the way we came.


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