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November 01, 2003
'Green River Killer' likely to admit guilt in exchange for a plea
What has long been the largest unsolved serial murder case in America is now one step closer to being solved. The BBC is reporting that Gary Ridgeway, 54, will admit to being the "Green River Killer" and plead guilty to 48 counts of murder in exchange for a life sentence, rather than being put to death.
The Green River case is one that has long fascinated me. I have no idea why, but I've always had a thing for reading about true crimes - serial killers in particular. I don't like to read things from the killer's perspective or that paint them as some kind of folk hero - instead, I prefer the kind of true crime books that look at the crime and the psychology of the criminal - including what might have gone wrong that allowed him to choose to become a killer - but do so without trying to create sympathy for the bastards.
But back to the Green River case. I had lived in Seattle from the mid- to late- 80's, during a time when the case was still getting some publicity. I remember one night there was a large-scale search being done at the home of a suspect, which, sadly, didn't lead to anything at the time. Even after leaving Seattle, I've keep an ear out for updates on the case and was quite pleased when Ridgeway was arrested. I had long ago given up hope that the culprit would be caught.
I think, for me, one of the most fascinating aspects of this case is that Ridgeway had been a suspect back in the 80's, and in 1987, the police had him bite down on a swab to get a sample of his saliva - and 14 years later, that sample was matched to DNA taken from the victims, and Ridgeway was arrested. Whoever had the foresight to save that sample deserves to be given a medal - because that was the key that finally unlocked the mystery.
I'm sure many people are quite disappointed that Ridgeway will be allowed to live out his full life - whatever that may be - rather than being killed by the state, but as much as I think he deserves to die for what he did, being able to get a confession - giving that final knowledge to the victims' families that their loved ones' killer has been caught, and the certainty that Ridgeway will be punished for his crimes (since there is always a bit of uncertainty in any rial situation) make it a wise decision on the part of the prosecutors. The rest of his life won't be pleasant, and, I suspect, it may not be long. Prisons aren't always known to be hospitable places to notorious criminals - look at Father Geoghan and Jeffery Dalhmer for examples of that.
So, tonight, I raise my horn to Tyr, for seeing to it that a measure of his justice has been meted out after all these many years, and to the many men and women who have carried the burden of this case for so long, and who have built it strong enough that Ridgeway decided it was wiser to confess than try to fight the charges in court. Hail!
Posted by thorswitch at November 1, 2003 04:27 AM
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