The Green River Killer

1. The Green River Killer

2. Serial Killer 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

3. Green River Killer • 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)

4. Gary Ridgeway • 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 • First two marriages were broken up by infidelity by both him and his wives • Some women, including his second wife and a prostitute testified that he had placed them in choke-holds

5. Confessions of a Serial Killer • 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

6. Gary Ridgeway's Testimony “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.”

7. Victims # Name Age Date of Murder Date Body Discovered 1 Wendy Lee Coffield 16 July 8, 1982 July 15, 1982 2 Gisele Ann Lovvorn 19 July 17, 1982 Sept. 25, 1982 3 Debra Lynn Bonner 23 July 25, 1981 Aug. 12, 1982 4 Marcia Faye Chapman 31 Aug. 1, 1982 Aug. 15, 1982 5 Cynthia Jean Hinds 17 Aug. 11, 1982 Aug. 15, 1982 6 Opal Charmaine Mills 16 Aug. 12, 1982 Aug. 15, 1982 7 Terry Rene Milligan 16 Aug. 29, 1982 April 1, 1984 8 Mary Bridget Meehan 18 Sept. 15, 1982 Nov. 13, 1983 9 Debra Lorraine Estes 15 Sept. 20, 1982 May 30, 1988 10 Linda Jane Rule 16 Sept. 26, 1982 - 11 Denise Darcel Bush 22 Oct. 8, 1982 - 12 Shawnda Leea Summers 17 Oct. 9, 1982 Aug. 11, 1983 13 Shirley Marie Sherrill 18 between Oct. 20 and Nov. 7, 1982 - 14 Colleen Renee Brockman 15 about Dec. 24, 1982 May 26, 1984 15 Alma Ann Smith 18 March 3, 1983 April 2, 1984 16 Delores LaVerne Williams 17 March 8, 1983 March 31, 1984 17 Gail Lynn Mathews 24 April 10, 1983 Sept. 18, 1983 18 Andrea M. Childers 19 April 16, 1983 Oct. 11, 1989 19 Sandra Kay Gabbert 17 April 17, 1983 April 1, 1984 20 Kimi-Kai Pitsor 16 April 17, 1983 - 21 Marie M. Malvar 18 April 30, 1983 Sept. 29, 2003 22 Carol Christensen 21 May 3, 1983 May 8, 1983 23 Martina Theresa Authorlee 18 May 22, 1983 Nov. 14, 1984 24 Cheryl Lee Wims 18 May 23, 1983 March 22, 1984 25 Yvonne Shelly Antosh 19 May 31, 1983 Oct. 15, 1983 26 Carrie A. Rois 15 May 31 to June 13, 1983 March 10, 1985 27 Constance Elizabeth Naon 21 June 8, 1983 Oct. 27, 1983 28 Kelly Marie Ware 22 July 19, 1983 - 29 Tina Marie Thompson 22 July 25, 1983 April 20, 1984 30 April Dawn Buttram 17 Aug. 18, 1983 Aug. 30 and Sept. 2, 2003 31 Debbie May Abernathy 26 Sept. 5, 1983 March 31, 1984 32 Tracy Ann Winston 19 Sept. 12, 1983 March 27, 1986 33 Maureen Sue Feeney 19 Sept. 28, 1983 May 2, 1986 34 Mary Sue Bello 25 Oct. 11, 1983 Oct. 12, 1984 35 Pammy Avent 16 Oct. 26, 1983 Aug. 16, 2003 36 Delise Louise Plager 22 Oct. 30, 1983 Feb. 14, 1984 37 Kimberly L. Nelson 26 Nov. 1, 1983 June 14, 1986 38 Lisa Yates 26 Dec. 23, 1983 March 13, 1984 39 Mary Exzetta West 16 Feb. 6, 1984 Sept. 8, 1985 40 Cindy Anne Smith 17 March 21, 1984 June 27, 1987 41 Patricia Michelle Barczak 19 October 1986 - 42 Roberta Joseph Hayes 21 Last seen leaving a Portland, Ore., jail in 1987 - 43 Marta Reeves 37 Disappeared 1990 - 44 Patricia Yellow Robe 38 Disappeared 1998 Aug. 6, 1998

9. Green River Killer • 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

10. Bibliography • http://www.greenriverkiller.com/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Ridgway • http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/greenriver/index_1.html • http://images.google.com/images?q=green+river+killer&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi