The definition of a serial killer:
--a murderer with multiple victims
(+2)
--victims are usually chosen at
random
--no emotional connection to victims
--always has a pattern involving
actual
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The Green River Killer is a serial killer who reportedly killed over 50
women over the past 20 years
The Green River Killer killed these all of these women within the cities
of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington
His target victims were prostitutes, but a few young teenage girls were
murdered as well
He always strangled his victims and disposed of them in or around the
Green River area, in parking lots, playgrounds, and woods
He liked to group the bodies together so he would know where they
were to ‘visit them’
No one knows for sure who the Green River Killer is/was, some
believe it was a group of people
There have been two main suspects over the years, William Stevens
and Gary Ridgeway (only convicted suspect)
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Born February 18, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah
He was then raised in McMicken Heights, Washington
Has been reported that his mother was extremely
dominate and never satisfied with the actions of her son
growing up
 Ridgeway was described by family and friends as nice but
strange
 He was involved with his church but also obsessed with
prostitutes
 Constantly had dysfunctional relationships with women
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First two marriages were broken up by infidelity
by both him and his wives
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Some women, including his second wife and a
prostitute testified that he had placed them in chokeholds
• Gary Ridgeway first became a suspect in the late 1980’s
• A pimp suspected him of killing one of his prostitutes, the police
investigated and found nothing suspicious or guilty
• He continued to be a suspect, but was never arrested until
November 30, 2001
• In 2001 he was linked to the murders of 7 women through his
DNA and paint that he used for his job
• Two years later, he confessed to being the supposed Green
River Killer and pleaded guilty to 48 counts of aggravated
murder
“I killed the forty-eight women listed in the
State's second amended information.
In most cases, when I murdered 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 for their faces. I
killed so many women I have a hard time
keeping them straight.
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 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.”
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Name
Wendy Lee Coffield
Gisele Ann Lovvorn
Debra Lynn Bonner
Marcia Faye Chapman
Cynthia Jean Hinds
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 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 Yellow Robe
Age
16
19
23
31
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18
15
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24
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26
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25
16
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Date of Murder Date Body Discovered
July 8, 1982
July 15, 1982
July 17, 1982
Sept. 25, 1982
July 25, 1981
Aug. 12, 1982
Aug. 1, 1982
Aug. 15, 1982
Aug. 11, 1982
Aug. 15, 1982
Aug. 12, 1982
Aug. 15, 1982
Aug. 29, 1982
April 1, 1984
Sept. 15, 1982 Nov. 13, 1983
Sept. 20, 1982 May 30, 1988
Sept. 26, 1982
Oct. 8, 1982
Oct. 9, 1982
Aug. 11, 1983
between Oct. 20 and Nov. 7, 1982 about Dec. 24, 1982 May 26, 1984
March 3, 1983
April 2, 1984
March 8, 1983
March 31, 1984
April 10, 1983
Sept. 18, 1983
April 16, 1983
Oct. 11, 1989
April 17, 1983
April 1, 1984
April 17, 1983
April 30, 1983
Sept. 29, 2003
May 3, 1983
May 8, 1983
May 22, 1983
Nov. 14, 1984
May 23, 1983
March 22, 1984
May 31, 1983
Oct. 15, 1983
May 31 to June 13, 1983 March 10, 1985
June 8, 1983
Oct. 27, 1983
July 19, 1983
July 25, 1983
April 20, 1984
Aug. 18, 1983
Aug. 30 and Sept. 2, 2003
Sept. 5, 1983
March 31, 1984
Sept. 12, 1983 March 27, 1986
Sept. 28, 1983 May 2, 1986
Oct. 11, 1983
Oct. 12, 1984
Oct. 26, 1983
Aug. 16, 2003
Oct. 30, 1983
Feb. 14, 1984
Nov. 1, 1983
June 14, 1986
Dec. 23, 1983
March 13, 1984
Feb. 6, 1984
Sept. 8, 1985
March 21, 1984 June 27, 1987
October 1986
Last seen leaving a Portland, Ore., jail in 1987
Disappeared 1990
Disappeared 1998 Aug. 6, 1998
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• The Green River Killer is considered to be
one of the most prolific serial killers ever
• Although we cannot be for sure who the
killer/killers were, Gary Ridgeway confessed
and was convicted
• He was convicted to 48 life sentences with no
chance of parole and 1 consecutive life
sentence
Bibliography
• http://www.greenriverkiller.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Ridgway
• http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/gr
eenriver/index_1.html
• http://images.google.com/images?q=green+river+kill
er&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi