Gary Ridgway: The Green River Killer
Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, is a serial killer from Washington who committed an estimated amount of murders ranging between 48-90 female prostitutes or runaways throughout the 1980’s - 1990’s. He lived a fairly normal life with a wife and son, as a truck painter with a military background. He came off to many people as a good natured man, easy to talk too, and religious. He would constantly read the bible at work and evangelized throughout his hometown. Some of his interest and hobbies included hunting, fishing, working in the yard, chopping wood, and getting away with his wife in their RV.
However some nights for Gary Ridgway, consisted of driving down the Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and picking-up female
prostitutes or runaways. After having sexual relations with them, he would then strangle and dump there bodies in or around the Green River area, (hence the name Green River Killer), except for two that were found and another two that were suspected outside of Oregon State lines. He would at first us his arm to strangle the women, but after bruising and wounds would appear from the victims putting up a fight he would then start to use ligatures. He usually killed the women in his home, truck, or secluded area. After discarding of the bodies, he would come back and continue to have sexual relations with the females after they have been dead for quite sometime (Necrophilia). He would then place pyramid shaped rocks inside the vaginal cavity, thinking it would prevent other men from having intercourse with the corpses, when in reality he was actually preserving his DNA.
Gary Ridgway first became a man of interest in 1980 when he was accused of choking a prostitute, but police let him go. In 1982 he was interview by Port Seattle police with a prostitute named Kelli McGinness, who later disappeared in June 1983. No arrests were made. In 1983 He became a prime suspect in the disappearance of Maria Malvar, who was last seen struggling in his truck. But it wasn’t until 1984 did Gary become a suspect in the Green River Killings, his home and work was searched, but once more no arrest were made. He took and passed a polygraph test in 1986, which cleared him of the charges. Thanks to the present day technology of DNA, he was officially arrested on November 30 2001 on the charges of 3 murders linked to the Green River victims and possible evidence in another.
However some nights for Gary Ridgway, consisted of driving down the Pacific Highway South (State Route 99) and picking-up female
prostitutes or runaways. After having sexual relations with them, he would then strangle and dump there bodies in or around the Green River area, (hence the name Green River Killer), except for two that were found and another two that were suspected outside of Oregon State lines. He would at first us his arm to strangle the women, but after bruising and wounds would appear from the victims putting up a fight he would then start to use ligatures. He usually killed the women in his home, truck, or secluded area. After discarding of the bodies, he would come back and continue to have sexual relations with the females after they have been dead for quite sometime (Necrophilia). He would then place pyramid shaped rocks inside the vaginal cavity, thinking it would prevent other men from having intercourse with the corpses, when in reality he was actually preserving his DNA.
Gary Ridgway first became a man of interest in 1980 when he was accused of choking a prostitute, but police let him go. In 1982 he was interview by Port Seattle police with a prostitute named Kelli McGinness, who later disappeared in June 1983. No arrests were made. In 1983 He became a prime suspect in the disappearance of Maria Malvar, who was last seen struggling in his truck. But it wasn’t until 1984 did Gary become a suspect in the Green River Killings, his home and work was searched, but once more no arrest were made. He took and passed a polygraph test in 1986, which cleared him of the charges. Thanks to the present day technology of DNA, he was officially arrested on November 30 2001 on the charges of 3 murders linked to the Green River victims and possible evidence in another.