Buncombe County trail attack suspect faces kidnapping charge in Bent Creek

Buncombe County prosecutors added a second-degree kidnapping charge against Dillion James Curtis, 29, of Etowah, after the May 21 attack on runner Emily Sutherland in Bent Creek Experimental Forest south of Asheville. The new filing came as Curtis was being held without bond, signaling that deputies and prosecutors now view the case as more serious than a simple assault.

Sutherland, an Asheville-based outdoor content creator, said Curtis followed her in a car while she was finishing a 13-mile run. She said he parked, got out, and tried to punch her multiple times. Curtis was arrested on May 23, and Buncombe County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Matt Marshall said the kidnapping charge was added May 24. The sequence of events, first a vehicle following, then a stop, then a face-to-face confrontation, appears to be what pushed investigators to seek the higher felony charge.

The case has resonated far beyond one runner because Bent Creek is one of Buncombe County’s most heavily used trail systems. The U.S. Forest Service describes Bent Creek as the oldest federal experimental forest east of the Mississippi River. It was established in 1927, covers nearly 6,000 acres inside Pisgah National Forest, and serves both recreation and research. Trailheads carry signs about designated trail usage and protecting research sites, a reminder that the forest is shared by runners, cyclists, hikers, riders, campers, anglers, and people using it for outdoor science and learning.

That heavy use is part of why the assault and kidnapping filing has drawn such wide attention locally. Forest Service research has found recreation has increased markedly in Bent Creek since it was created, and one core study from 2005 to 2007 counted 4,170 vehicles entering the experimental forest. For people who use the trails regularly, the case is a sharp reminder that even familiar public lands can turn dangerous in an instant.

The upgraded charge also shows how quickly an encounter in a trail corridor can become a major criminal case when a driver, a parked vehicle, and attempted strikes are involved. For Bent Creek users, the immediate lesson is to treat suspicious vehicles, unwanted following, or threatening behavior as urgent and report it right away, because the forest’s popularity does not make it immune from serious violence.