The body of Meredith Emerson, who dissappeared while hiking in Georgia will be returned to rest in Longmont, Colorado.

By Heath Urie of the Boulder Daily Camera

The remains of a former Longmont woman who was found slain Monday in the mountains of northern Georgia will be brought back to Boulder County to be laid to rest, a spokesman for Meredith Emerson's family said Wednesday.

Family friend Doug Bailey said from his home in Athens, Ga., that a memorial service for Emerson is scheduled to take place there Friday, and the 24-year-old woman's remains will be flown to Longmont for a second service and burial sometime in the coming days.

"(Emerson's parents) do intend to have a service (in Longmont), they're just taking it one day at a time," Bailey said. "They'll make those decisions when they come back totown."

The body of the Niwot High School graduate was found six days after she went missing while hiking with her dog. Police have arrested Gary Hilton, 61, in connection with her disappearance and death. A Georgia judge on Wednesday denied Hilton bail.

Bailey said Emerson's parents also will bring back to their home in Longmont her 1-year-old black Labrador mix. Emerson adopted the dog, Ella, from an animal-rescue center in Georgia.

The dog will live with Emerson's parents, who moved to Longmont with Meredith in 1997 before she moved to Georgia to attend college.

Authorities found the dog when it wandered into a Kroger store about 50 miles away from where it had been last seen walking with Emerson.

Emerson's parents are asking supporters to make a donation to the Longmont Humane Society rather than send flowers to her services, Bailey said, in memory of Emerson's deep love for animals.

"They thought that would be a nice tribute to Meredith's memory," Bailey said.

On Wednesday, the Longmont Humane Society posted a link on its Web site, www.longmonthumane.org, where people can make donations electronically and leave short messages.

By Wednesday evening, at least 13 people had contributed nearly $1,000 to the fund.

One person who made a donation posted a note to the family saying: "Hopefully, you can find some comfort with Ella."

Clay Evans, development director for the Longmont shelter and a Camera columnist, said there are tentative plans to dedicate a permanent memorial to Emerson at the facility once an $8.2 million renovation project is complete.

"Meredith is the kind of person that we love because she was a person who had concern for animals," Evans said. "We think this is a very fitting way to connect to her."