The bodies of Julianne “Julie” Williams, 24, and her partner, Laura “Lollie” Winans, 26, were found bound and gagged at their campsite in the park in 1996.

The killings sent a wave of fear through the LGBTQ+ community, but the FBI said during a news conference on Thursday that there is no evidence that the women were targeted because of their sexual orientation.

Rice had pleaded guilty in 1998 in the attempted abduction of a female bicyclist he tried to force into his truck, also in Shenandoah National Park.

He was serving an 11-year prison sentence when he was charged with killing WIlliams and Winans.

The charges were eventually dropped after forensic testing showed that hairs found at the crime scene ruled him out as a possible suspect.

Williams, who was from St Cloud, Minnesota, and Winans, who grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, were both experienced hikers and were passionate about environmental issues, Kavanaugh said.

They were hiking with a golden retriever named Taj when they were last seen by park personnel on May 24, 1996.

Their bodies were discovered on June 1, 1996, at their campsite near Skyline Resort.

Meador said the FBI is continuing to work with other law enforcement agencies to determine if Jackson is responsible for other unsolved crimes.

“Our investigation will not stop,” he said.