Gary Leon Ridgway, better known as the Green River Killer, was one of the most prolific serial murderers in American history. Born in 1949 in Salt Lake City, Ridgway terrorized the Seattle-Tacoma area throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His victims were primarily vulnerable women — many of them sex workers or runaways — whom he lured into his truck before strangling them and dumping their bodies in remote wooded areas or near the Green River, which gave him his nickname. Ridgway maintained a steady job at a truck manufacturing plant, lived a seemingly ordinary suburban life, and even volunteered at church — all while carrying out a years-long killing spree that confounded investigators and horrified the nation.

In 2003, Ridgway entered a plea deal that spared him the death penalty in exchange for full cooperation with authorities. He confessed to 48 murders but claimed the real number was closer to 70, saying, “I killed so many women I have a hard time keeping them straight.” Ridgway provided grisly details of his crimes — including necrophilia — and helped investigators locate remains of his victims years after their disappearances. His confessions revealed a cold, methodical predator who targeted women he believed would not be missed quickly, often returning to the scenes to relive his crimes. Ridgway was sentenced to 48 consecutive life sentences without parole, ensuring he would die behind bars.


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