A convicted serial rapist was responsible for the unsolved murders of two women hikers 28 years ago in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, authorities announced Thursday.

The bodies of Laura Lollie Winans , 26, and her girlfriend, Julianne Julie Williams , 24, were found at their remote campsite on June 1, 1996, by park service rangers after they were reported missing. The mysterious deaths of the women, who were experienced hikers, had long raised fears for others seeking to tackle the Appalachian Trail as well as questions about whether they were targeted because they were gay.