1:09 p.m. August 30, 2014
National Park attacker, William Seevers, gets 27 year prison sentence

KNOXVILLE - On Aug. 28, 2014, Atmore, Alabama resident William E. Seevers, 48, was sentenced to serve 27 years in prison by the Honorable Thomas Varlan, U.S. District Judge. Seevers pleaded guilty in April 2014 to attempted murder and one count of aggravated sexual abuse by force.

In June 2012 Seevers attacked a woman on the Gatlinburg Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seevers used a knife during the attack, stabbed the victim several times, and raped her. The victim ultimately was able to crawl to a road where she hailed people for assistance. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital for treatment of her injuries. A DNA sample was obtained from the victim at the hospital, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was able to analyze and determine that Seevers had committed these crimes. He was later found in an Alabama prison serving time for other crimes\ and was returned to Tennessee to stand trial.

The victim appeared in court, provided a victim impact statement to the court, and told Judge Varlan about the trauma she suffered and the impact the crime was still having on her life. She also indicated that she was satisfied with the resulting sentence and that she was grateful that Seevers can never hurt anyone again.

This investigation was conducted by the National Park Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Published August 30, 2014