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What Is Gary Ridgway A Serial Killer

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Male Serial Killers: Gary Ridgeway In the summer of 1982, one of the nation’s worst and deadliest serial killers would start a killing spree that would last for almost 2 decades. This killer was known as the “Green River Killer,” but his real name was Gary Leon Ridgway. Ridgeway would murder numerous women in and around the Seattle, Washington area during the 1980s and the 1990s. When he was captured in 2001, Ridgway had admitted to killing 48 plus women. (Rule, 2004) Though, it is still believed that there are other victims that have not been identified. In the following, I will describe who Ridgway is, how he committed his crimes, what makes him unique, and how he was finally caught. I will also describe the mistakes the …show more content…

The task force would go on to interview several other suspects, including an unemployed cab driver named Melvin Wayne Foster. (Rule, 2004) Foster, just like Tackley, had no connection to the murders. All the suspects investigated during the fall of 1982 showed no connection to the Green River murders. The first real evidence came in February 1984. Mike Barber, a reporter for the Post-Intelligencer, received a letter that contained information about the Green River murders that was not released to the public. (Rule, 2004) The letter was written with no spaces between the words and was intended to help the investigators learn who the killer was. (Rule, 2004) The letter never did lead investigators in the right direction, but it did give them insight into how he thought. The investigators also spoke with Ted Bundy. (Rule, 2004) Though, the information given by Bundy did not help, nor did it have any real impact on the investigation at all. In the late 1980s, the Green River Task Force had no leads or suspects wanted in connection with the Green River murders. The investigation started to slow and many investigators started to lose interest into finding who the killer was. Though, the investigators did take one last look at suspects, which Ridgway caught their eye. Ridgway was someone who liked to have sex with prostitutes and the investigators searched his home, work locker, and three vehicles he owned at the time. (Rule, 2004) The

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