The Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway, is one of America’s most prolific serial killers whose turpitude and evilness can be rivaled by only a few. During his 19-year reign of terror, Ridgway sexually assaulted and brutally murdered 48 females and was linked to many more. His primary dumping ground was Seattle’s Green River where he liked to flush away his victims.
He would occasionally put the bodies of his victims on display at other spots too – usually in disgusting manners. Ridgway lacked morals and humane elements in such a great manner that he didn’t have any feelings about what he was doing.
How did it start?
Gary Ridgway didn’t grow up in a safe environment. His mother would wear skimpy clothes, and wash his genitals until he was 13. His father would openly talk about prostitutes with Ridgway, and there were occasions when he left his son in the vehicle to go and have sex with a prostitute.
According to Ridgway, he began having conflicting feelings of hatred and attraction for his mother, and he fantasized about killing her. At 16 years old, he stabbed a boy from his school.
Graduating to murders
During his time in the US Navy, Gary Ridgway became addicted to sex. He would regularly visit brothels, and later, he started having unprotected sex. His partners have said that his appetite for sex was absolutely insatiable – in other words, he always had sex in his mind. After returning home, his fantasies took a deadly turn and he began killing women during sex.
He would go for women living on the edge – working the streets of Seattle, doing odd jobs, and runaways. Sometimes, in order to trick women into trusting him, he would show them the picture of his son. He was killing on a regular basis and has admitted to performing necrophilia. According to investigators, he used to return to his dumping sites and would have sex with decaying bodies.
However, after his third marriage he slowed down – but not for long.
How many women did Gary murder?
The investigators could conclusively link Gary to 49 cases. However, as per Gary, the total toll is way higher – so much he has lost count. Those who have studied his case also believe the real number of victims could be close to 100, and he might have started killing as early as when he was on duty in Vietnam.
How was Gary Ridgway arrested?
DNA profiling helped link Ridgway to a murder he had committed some 20 years back. Later, other unsolved cases involving women and Gary’s MO were also reopened, and as expected, Gary was the slayer in most of them.
Where is Gary Ridgway now?
Gary Ridgway was apprehended on November 30, 2001. Since then, he has been incarcerated at Washington State Penitentiary. The killer who is 74 now never showed any signs of remorse or regret over his actions. However, it was love and sympathy of one of the members of a victim’s family that broke him to tears.
During his trial, the judge allowed victims’ family members to speak their hearts out in a bid to ensure Ridgway became aware of the depth of his sins. Though most of them cursed Ridgway, a victim’s father, an old man said, “There are people here that hate you. I’m not one of them. What God says to do that’s to forgive all. So, you’re forgiven, sir.”
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