Share now: Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn more. Home » News » Insanity Plea Hands Appalachian Trail Killer ‘Not Guilty’ Verdict Two years after he attacked two hikers on the Appalachian Trail with a machete — killing one — James Jordan was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Last week, a Virginia judge remanded James Jordan to a psychiatric institution indefinitely after finding him not guilty of murder, by reason of insanity. The case, one of the grimmest incidents in the famed hiking trail’s history, stemmed from a 2019 encounter in which Jordan attacked two hikers with a machete, killing one and seriously wounding another.