Gary Ridgway

Name

Gary Leon Ridgway

Personal details

Ridgway was born 18-February-1949 in Salt Lake City, UT. He was male and Baptist. He was described as White and straight. His occupation included painter and spray painter; he worked at Paccar/Kenworth Truck in Renton, Wash. His address included Auburn, Wash. He was married and had one son.

Military service

Ridgway served in the US Navy (1970-71).

Family

Ridgway’s father was Tom Ridgway (d.). His mother was Mary Rita Ridgway (d. 15-Aug-2001, cancer). He had two brothers: Gregory L. (older) and Thomas Edward (known as Ed, younger). He had wives including Claudia Kraig Barrows (m. 15-Aug-1970, div. 14-Jan-1972), Marcia Lorene Brown (m. 14-Dec-1973, div. 27-May-1981, later Marcia Winslow), and Judith Lorraine Lynch (m. 12-Jun-1988, div. 5-Sep 2002). His son was Matthew (b. 1975).

Risk factors and other descriptors

A stated risk factor was gonorrhea. A listed history detail included loitering (for the purpose of prostitution). He was also described as having a history of mental illness and being a former mental patient in some characteristics; he also had a record for wetting the bed as a boy and a stated I.Q. of 82 with poor academic performance. He stabbed a six-year-old boy at age 16; the boy survived the attack, and Ridgway walked away laughing and said, "I always wondered what it would be like to kill."

The offence

Ridgway was known as the Green River Killer. He murdered numerous women in Washington during the 1980s and 1990s. His killings were linked to victims discovered near the Green River and in King County and included victims found in Maple Valley, and in and around areas near Portland, Oregon. His nickname was earned when the first five victims were found in the Green River.

He strangled victims, usually with his arm and sometimes using ligatures, and dumped bodies throughout forested and overgrown areas in King County. Some bodies were left in clusters, and he sometimes returned to victims’ bodies and had intercourse with them (necrophilia). The bodies were often left nude.

Bodies were discovered with advanced decomposition in some cases, and he also transported some victims’ remains across state lines into Oregon to confuse police. The narrative also stated that he sometimes contaminated dump sites with gum, cigarettes, and written materials belonging to others.

Victims named in the 48-count plea and sentencing

At the time of his December 18, 2003 sentencing, authorities had found 48 sets of remains, and Ridgway was sentenced for the deaths of 48 victims after pleading guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder.

The 48 victims listed included the following (as provided): Wendy Lee Coffield; Gisele Ann Lovvorn; Debra Lynn Bonner; Marcia Fay Chapman; Opal Charmaine Mills; Terry Rene Milligan; Mary Bridget Meehan; Debra Lorraine Estes; Linda Jane Rule; Denise Darcel Bush; Shawnda Leea Summers; Shirley Marie Sherrill; Colleen Renee Brockman; Alma Ann Smith; Delores LaVerne Williams; Gail Lynn Mathews; Andrea M. Childers; Sandra Kay Gabbert; Kimi-Kai Pitsor; Marie M. Malvar; Carol Ann Christensen; Martina Theresa Authorlee; Cheryl Lee Wims; Yvonne Shelly Antosh; Carrie A. Rois; Constance Elizabeth Naon; Kelly Marie Ware; Tina Marie Thompson; April Dawn Buttram; Debbie May Abernathy; Tracy Ann Winston; Maureen Sue Feeney; Mary Sue Bello; Pammy Avent; Delise Louise Plager; Kimberly L. Nelson; Lisa Yates; Mary Exzetta West; Cindy Anne Smith; Patricia Michelle Barczak; Roberta Joseph Hayes; Marta Reeves; Patricia Yellowrobe; an Unidentified White Female 12-17; an Unidentified White Female 17-19; an Unidentified Black Female 18-27; and an Unidentified White Female 14-18.

Specific named victims in the indictment and additional charges were also listed:

• Marcia Chapman, 32; Cynthia Hinds, 17; Opal Mills, 16; Carol Ann Christensen, 21.
• Debra Bonner, 23; Wendy Coffield, 16; Debra Estes, 15.

The 49th murder conviction added later

Ridgway was later formally charged with Rebecca "Becky" Marrero’s murder on February 11, 2011, after a skull was found in the vicinity of where Marie Malvar’s remains were found in 2003. Ridgway entered a guilty plea in the murder of Rebecca Marrero on February 18, 2011, adding a 49th life sentence to his existing 48.

The narrative also stated that Ridgway confessed to murdering Marrero in his original plea bargain, but due to insufficient evidence, charges could not be filed. Therefore, it stated there was no change in his current incarceration status.

Investigation

Investigators attributed killings to Ridgway, and the investigation involved the Green River Task Force.

Green River Homicides Investigation Team

In December of 2001, Sheriff Reichert directed the formation of the Green River Homicides Investigation Team, described as comprised of one Captain, one Sergeant, twelve detectives from the King County Sheriff's Office, one detective from the Port of Seattle Police Department, one detective from the Seattle Police Department and one detective from the Bainbridge Police Department. The team also included two Administrative Specialists, one Evidence Specialist, and one Information Technology support person. Remaining cases were assigned to detectives for review.

Major evidence and forensic developments

The narrative described that Detective Dave Reichert was assigned as the lead homicide investigator after the body of Wendy Lee Coffield was found in the Green River on July 15, 1982. Later investigations included collection of hair and saliva samples from Ridgway, and later DNA analysis that linked saliva sample evidence to bodies.

Evidence also included semen samples supposedly taken from the killer, DNA testing method, and comparisons with samples taken from Ridgway in April 1987. The narrative also described an investigation using microscopic spray paint spheres and a specific brand and composition of paint used at the Kenworth factory during the time frame of certain victims’ killings.

George Johnston of the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab gathered a key evidence item described as a saliva sample taken from the suspect by having him bite down on a piece of gauze.

Names tied to the investigation (task force or related)

The narrative included multiple named people connected to the investigation: Robert Keppel and Dave Reichert (noted as task force members who periodically interviewed Ted Bundy), John E. Douglas, Larry Gross, Ben Colwell, Pat Ferguson, Liz Druin, and Detective Tom Jensen, Detective Fae Brooks, Captain Frank Adamson, Captain James Pompey, Captain Greg Boyle, and Bob Evans, as well as Detective Jim Doyon and others.

Chief Medical Examiner Donald Reay determined causes of death for certain bodies found along the Green River.

Arrest

Ridgway was arrested on November 30, 2001 as he was leaving the Renton, Washington Kenworth Truck factory where he worked. He was arrested on suspicion of murder of four women nearly 20 years after first being identified as a potential suspect when DNA evidence linked semen left in the victims to saliva swabs taken by police.

The narrative also stated that Detective Dave Reichert remained lead until March 1983 when he was joined by Detective Fae Brooks and that later further detectives joined, but those details were part of investigation rather than arrest.

Trial and plea proceedings

Initial charges and pleas

The initial charges were four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Marcia Chapman, 32; Cynthia Hinds, 17; and Opal Mills, 16; and the death of Carol Ann Christensen, 21. Those deaths were described as discovered near the Green River (for the first group) and in Maple Valley (for Christensen). Ridgway pleaded not guilty at the Dec. 18, 2001 arraignment.

A second round of charges occurred on March 27, 2003, described as three counts of murder in the deaths of Debra Bonner, 23; Wendy Coffield, 16; and Debra Estes, 15. Ridgway pleaded not guilty at the April 3, 2003 arraignment.

Plea agreement and guilty plea

The King County plea agreement was described as a deal in which Ridgway pleaded guilty on Nov. 5, 2003 to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder, with the deal sparing him from execution and bringing answers to the long-unsolved slayings.

A statement accompanying his guilty plea was described as explaining that all of his victims had been killed inside King County, Washington, and that he transported and dumped the remains of the two women near Portland to confuse police.

The narrative also included a deputy prosecutor quote and a prosecutor quote about the plea deal:

• Deputy prosecutor Jeffrey Baird noted in court that the deal contained "the names of 41 victims who would not be the subject of State v. Ridgway if it were not for the plea agreement."
• King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng explained his decision to make the deal with the following quoted passage:

We could have gone forward with seven counts, but that is all we could have ever hoped to solve. At the end of that trial, whatever the outcome, there would have been lingering doubts about the rest of these crimes. This agreement was the avenue to the truth. And in the end, the search for the truth is still why we have a criminal justice system ... Gary Ridgway does not deserve our mercy. He does not deserve to live. The mercy provided by today's resolution is directed not at Ridgway, but toward the families who have suffered so much...

Confession excerpts read in court

The narrative included excerpts from a confession read in court by prosecutor Jeff Baird. The confession included the following verbatim statements attributed to Gary Ridgway:

I killed the 48 women listed in the state's second amended information. In most cases when I killed these women I did not know their names. Most of the time I killed them the first time I met them and I do not have a good memory of their faces. I killed so many women I have a hard time keeping them straight. I have reviewed information and discovery about each of the murders with my attorneys and I am positive that I killed each one of the women charged in the second information. 'Common scheme' I killed them all in King County. I killed most of them in my house near Military Road and I killed a lot of them in my truck not far from where I picked them up. I killed some of them outside. I remember leaving each woman's body in the place where she was found. I have discussed with my attorneys the common scheme or plan, aggravating circumstance charged in all of these murders. I agree that each of the murders I committed was part of a common scheme or plan. The plan was I wanted to kill as many women I thought were prostitutes as I possibly could. I picked prostitutes as my victims because I hate most prostitutes and I did not want to pay them for sex. 'Clusters' I also picked prostitutes as victims because they were easy to pick up without being noticed. I knew they would not be reported missing right away and might never be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught. Another part of my plan was where I put the bodies of these women. Most of the time I took the women's jewellery and their clothes to get rid of any evidence and make them harder to identify. I placed most of the bodies in groups which I call clusters. I did this because I wanted to keep track of all the women I killed. I liked to drive by the clusters around the county and think about the women I placed there. I usually used a landmark to remember a cluster and the women I placed there. Sometimes I killed and dumped a woman intending to start a new cluster and never returned because I thought I might get caught putting more women there.

A later quote attributed to Ridgway stated:

I would talk to her... and get her mind off of the, sex, anything she was nervous about. And think, you know, she thinks, 'Oh, this guy cares'... which I didn't. I just want to, uh, get her in the vehicle and eventually kill her.

A later statement in the narrative attributed to Ridgway said:

I picked prostitutes as my victims because I hate most prostitutes and I did not want to pay them for sex. I also picked prostitutes as victims because they were easy to pick up without being noticed. I knew they would not be reported missing right away and might never be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught.

Another quote attributed to Ridgway said:

I killed some of them outside. I remember leaving each woman's body in the place where she was found.

A further quote attributed to Ridgway said:

I killed most of them in my house near Military Road , and I killed a lot of them in my truck not far from where I picked them up.

In his plea bargain statement in the narrative, he said:

I killed so many women I have a hard time keeping them straight. (included in the confession excerpts above)

Sentencing

December 18, 2003 sentencing

On Dec. 18, 2003, King County Superior Court Judge Richard Jones sentenced Gary Ridgway to 48 life sentences with no possibility of parole and one life sentence to be served consecutively. The narrative also stated that he received an additional 10 years for tampering with evidence for each of the 48 victims, adding 480 years to his 48 life sentences.

The narrative stated that Judge Richard Jones was the sentencing judge.

February 18, 2011 plea and 49th life term

The narrative stated that after the guilty plea on February 18, 2011 to the murder of Rebecca Marrero, Ridgway was sentenced to a 49th consecutive life term. The narrative also included a quote attributed to Superior Court Judge Mary E. Roberts:

I can find no compassion and stated that she sentenced him to a 49th consecutive life term.

It also included quotes attributed to Marrero’s sister Mary Marrero:

I don't agree with this plea deal to spare his pathetic life,
It makes me sick to my stomach that he beat the system.
She called them "his trophies."
If I had one thing to ask today, it would be to kill him.

A quote was attributed to Ridgway’s family interaction and a man in the audience:

Shut your mouth

And it included a quote attributed to Judge Mary E. Roberts:

I'm sorry you had to wait this long for some truth and some justice, Roberts said to the family.

Appeals

No appeals were described in the provided material.

Outcome

Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first-degree murder on Nov. 5, 2003 and was sentenced on Dec. 18, 2003. He later entered a guilty plea on Feb. 18, 2011 for the murder of Rebecca "Becky" Marrero, adding a 49th consecutive life term.

Aftermath and incarceration

Ridgway was incarcerated at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington. The narrative also stated he was serving life without release in solitary confinement at the state prison, allowed out of his cell one hour a day four times a week.

The narrative included that Ridgway led prosecutors to three bodies in 2003: remains of Pammy Annette Avent pronounced as belonging to Avent near Enumclaw, and remains of Marie Malvar and April Buttram found in September.

The narrative included details about later identification and discoveries:

• On Tuesday, December 21, 2010, hikers near the West Valley Highway in Auburn, WA found a skull in the vicinity of where Marie Malvar's remains were found in 2003. The skull was identified as belonging to Rebecca "Becky" Marrero, last seen on December 3, 1982. The King County Prosecutor confirmed Ridgway would be formally charged on February 11, 2011.
• On November 23, 2005, The Associated Press reported a weekend hiker found the skull of Tracy Winston, who was 19 when she disappeared from Northgate Mall on September 12, 1983. The skull was found near Highway 18 near Issaquah, southeast of Seattle.

Other details

Prosecutors and defense counsel named

Defense attorneys listed were Tony Savage and Mark Prothero. The lead prosecutor listed was Jeffrey Baird.

Additional case list items and procedural terms

A plea agreement required Ridgway to "plead guilty to any and all future cases (in King County) where his confession could be corroborated by reliable evidence." The narrative also described a June agreement for the plea bargain and a Nov. 5, 2003 guilty plea.

Task force and investigation structure (named operations and people)

The narrative described that in the early 1980s, the King County Sheriff's Office formed the Green River Task Force to investigate the murders and described contributions and interview efforts, including interviews with Ted Bundy and involvement of John E. Douglas.

It also described that detectives collected birds’ nests and animal feces, searched on hands and knees with magnifying glasses and tweezers, and that the case might hinge on a microscopic fragment.

List of task force victims suspected but not charged (detailed list)

The narrative provided a list of victims that Ridgway was suspected of — but not charged with — murdering: Amina Agisheff (35; disappeared July 7, 1982; found April 18, 1984); Kasee Ann Lee (Woods) (16; disappeared August 28, 1982; not yet found); Tammie Liles (16; June 9, 1983; April 1985); Keli Kay McGinness (18; June 28, 1983; not yet found); Angela Marie Girdner (16; July 1983; April 22, 1985); and Patricia Osborn (19?; October 20, 1983?; not yet found).

The narrative stated that Ridgway denied killing Amina Agisheff and that Agisheff did not fit the profile because of age and that she was not a prostitute or teenaged runaway. It stated that Ridgway confessed to killing Kasee Ann Lee. It stated that as of October 2008 law enforcement officials had been unable to locate Lee’s remains at the dump site Ridgway indicated.

The narrative also stated that Ridgway was a suspect in the death of Tammie Liles and that her body was discovered within a mile of bodies of known victims Shirley Shirell and Denise Bush; it stated that Liles remained unidentified until 1998. It stated that evidence existed to suggest Ridgway murdered Keli Kay McGinness, including that she was questioned by a Port of Seattle police officer while “dating” Ridgway near the SeaTac Strip, and that during summer 2003 Ridgway led authorities to the bodies of several victims and initially identified one body later turned out to be April Buttram as being Keli Kay McGinness.

The narrative stated Ridgway was a suspect in the death of Angela Marie Girdner and that her body was discovered within a mile of the bodies of known victims Shirley Shirell and Denise Bush, and that Girdner remained unidentified until October 2009.

The narrative stated that suspected Ridgway was considered a suspect in disappearances/murders of five other women not attributed at the time to the Green River Killer, with no charges filed. The list included: Kristi Lynn Vorak (13; disappeared October 31, 1982; not yet found); Patricia Ann Leblanc (15; disappeared August 12, 1983; not yet found); Rose Marie Kurran (16; disappeared August 26, 1987; found August 1987); Darci Warde (16; disappeared April 24, 1990; not yet found); and Cora McGuirk (22; disappeared July 12, 1991; not yet found).

Popular culture references

The narrative listed multiple popular culture references including Lifetime Movie Network aired The Capture of the Green River Killer in 2008; the movie Green River Killer released in 2005; and Green River released on May 8, 2008, directed by Sam Taybi. It also listed that the TV series Crimes That Shook the World featured Gary Ridgway in a biography and that the Seattle grunge band Green River was named after the Green River Killer, with Green River song "Ozzie" referencing the killer directly.

The narrative also listed songs referencing the killer including The Julie Ruin song "I Wanna Know What Love Is" and Aggrotech group Combichrist song "God Bless", and The Jakprogresso song "Dumpsites", and that Neko Case’s "Deep Red Bells" was inspired by her growing up in the area during the time of the murders.

The narrative also listed a range of books, including those by Ann Rule, Robert D. Keppel, Sheriff David Reichert, Diane Yancey, Mark Prothero with help from Carlton Smith, Carlton Smith with help from Tom Guillen, Pennie Morehead, and King County Journal Staff, among others.

Timeline

Jul 15, 1982 — The body of Wendy Lee Coffield was found in the Green River in a rural area of the City of Kent in King County, Washington. Aug 15, 1982 — During surveying near bodies on August 15, another body was discovered. Aug 15, 1982 — Marcia Fay Chapman, 31, and Opal Charmaine Mills, 16, were among bodies found in the Green River area described in the narrative. Nov 30, 2001 — Ridgway was arrested and subsequently charged with murders of Cynthia Jean Hinds, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Carol Ann Christiansen. Dec 18, 2001 — Ridgway pleaded not guilty at arraignment. Apr 3, 2003 — Ridgway pleaded not guilty at arraignment for the second-round charges. Nov 5, 2003 — Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated first degree murder as part of a plea bargain. Dec 18, 2003 — Judge Richard Jones sentenced Ridgway to 48 consecutive life sentences. Nov 23, 2005 — The Associated Press reported a skull of Tracy Winston was found. Feb 9, 2004 — County prosecutors began releasing videotape records of Ridgway’s confessions. Aug 16, 2003 — Remains of Pammy Annette Avent were found near Enumclaw, Washington. Dec 21, 2010 — Hikers near West Valley Highway in Auburn, WA found a skull identified as belonging to Rebecca "Becky" Marrero. Feb 11, 2011 — Ridgway was confirmed to be formally charged with Marrero’s murder. Feb 18, 2011 — Ridgway entered a guilty plea in the murder of Rebecca Marrero and received a 49th consecutive life term.