The words of a killer are caught on tape as Georgia authorities release audio of Gary Hilton confessing to the abduction and murder of 24-year-old Meredith Emerson in January.

The young woman encountered Hilton on a North Georgia hiking trail on New Year's Day. The two hiked together for a time, then Hilton pulled a knife on her. He told authorities how she used her martial arts skills to fight back.

"She grabbed the knife and fought. Okay. And, then I produced the baton. She fought that and I lost control of the baton, and I'm good, too! This girl, I think it was you, probably, said 'That little 120-pound girl about probably close to whipped your ***,' so she about did."

Hilton said he tried to use Emerson's ATM card to steal her money. Police say she kept giving him false pin numbers to buy time. But after four days; time ran out. Hilton says he killed Emerson with a tire iron, while she was chained to a tree.

"And, I walked up and made as if to unsecure the chain, uh, struck her with the bar, uh, she said, 'No, let me go,' put her hands up, uh, I kept striking her. You'll see some defensive wounds to her hands. Okay. She lost consciousness and I kept striking her, uh, to ensure she was dead."

Hilton also admitted that he abducted Emerson with the intention of killing her.

"I'm gonna tell you right now, there was never any plan to let her go."

Gary Hilton is serving a life sentence for Meredith Emerson's murder. His detailed confession came only after prosecutors promised not to seek the death penalty.

Hilton is also the prime suspect in the murders of John and Irene Bryant last October in Transylvania County, and in the murder of a North Florida woman in December. He has not been charged in either of those cases.