Gary Ridgway
American serial killer convicted of 49 murders in the Pacific Northwest.
Gary Leon Ridgway was born on February 18, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second of three boys. His mother was described by relatives as domineering and physically punishing toward her sons for small mistakes; she worked at JCPenney and often complained about rude customers. Ridgway later told psychologists that as a teenager he felt both anger and sexual attraction toward her and fantasized about killing her. His father, a bus driver who frequently griped about prostitutes on his route, had a volatile marriage to Ridgway’s mother. Ridgway had dyslexia, was held back a year in high school, and scored an IQ in the low eighties. At age sixteen, he lured a six-year-old boy into the woods and stabbed him through the ribs into his liver; the boy survived.
After graduating from Tyee High School in 1969, Ridgway married his 19-year-old high school sweetheart, Claudia Kraig. He joined the Navy and served on a supply ship in Vietnam, but did not see combat. While in the military, he frequently had unprotected sex with prostitutes and contracted gonorrhea, angering his wife; the marriage ended within a year. Friends and family later described him as friendly but odd. His second marriage, to Marcia Winslow, ended in divorce after infidelities on both sides; Winslow claimed he once put her in a chokehold. During that marriage, Ridgway became religious, reading the Bible aloud, proselytizing door-to-door, and insisting his wife follow strict church teachings. He often cried after reading scripture or hearing sermons, yet he continued to hire prostitutes and asked his wife to have sex in public or inappropriate places, sometimes near where his victims’ bodies were later found. His three ex-wives and several girlfriends said he demanded sex multiple times a day, often in the woods or public areas. Ridgway had a son with his second wife.
Ridgway admitted he was fixated on prostitutes, describing a love/hate relationship: he complained about their presence in his neighborhood but regularly used their services. At his plea hearing, he said he hated prostitutes and did not want to pay them for sex. Some have speculated he was torn between his lusts and his religious beliefs.
Between 1982 and 1998, Ridgway was convicted of murdering forty-nine women in the northwestern United States, though he later said he killed so many he lost count.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Gary Leon Ridgway
- Other Names
- The Green River Killer / The Green River Strangler
- Birth Date
- 1949-02-18
- Birth Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
- Children
- 1
- Fatalities
- 49 confirmed, 22 others suspected
- Country
- United States
- States
- Washington, Oregon
- Beginyear
- 1982
- Endyear
- 1998 confirmed (possibly as recent as 2001)
- Apprehended
- November 30, 2001
- Conviction
- Aggravated first degree murder (49 counts) / Tampering with evidence (48 counts) / Solicitation
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Gary Ridgway was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the second of three sons. His childhood was troubled, with a domineering mother who inflicted corporal punishment. As an adolescent, he had conflicting feelings of anger and sexual attraction toward his mother and fantasized about killing her. At age 16, he lured a six-year-old boy into woodland and stabbed him; the boy survived. Ridgway graduated high school in 1969, married his high school sweetheart, and joined the Navy, serving as a supply ship crewman in Vietnam without seeing combat. He contracted gonorrhea from prostitutes and his first marriage ended within a year. His second wife claimed he placed her in a chokehold; he became religious, reading the Bible aloud and proselytizing, yet continued soliciting prostitutes.
Reader's Guide
Gary Ridgway's significance lies in his status as one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history, with a confirmed count of 49 murders and an estimated total of at least 71. His case highlighted the vulnerability of marginalized women—prostitutes and runaways—and the challenges of investigating serial crimes before advanced DNA profiling. The Green River Task Force, formed after the first five victims were found, benefited from insights from incarcerated serial killer Ted Bundy, who accurately suggested the killer revisited dump sites for necrophilia. Ridgway's ability to evade capture for nearly two decades, despite being a suspect early on, underscored the limitations of 1980s forensic technology. His plea bargain, which traded disclosure of victim locations for a life sentence, sparked debate about justice for victims' families versus the value of closure. The case also exposed the intersection of religious hypocrisy and violent compulsion, as Ridgway maintained a devout Christian facade while committing murders. His legacy endures as a cautionary tale about the gaps in law enforcement response to crimes against society's most vulnerable.
Did You Know?
- Ridgway was a suspect in the Green River case since 1982, but investigators could not link him until DNA profiling advanced.
- He sometimes showed victims a picture of his son to trick them into trusting him.
- Ridgway passed a polygraph test in 1984 despite being a suspect.
- His third wife, Judith Mawson, said she felt she saved lives by being his wife and making him happy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gary Ridgway?
Gary Leon Ridgway, born February 18, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah, is an American serial killer widely known by the moniker 'Green River Killer.' He was convicted of strangling 49 women in the Pacific Northwest over a roughly sixteen-year span in the 1980s and 1990s.
What was Gary Ridgway's modus operandi?
Ridgway generally lured sex workers into his work truck, killed them by strangulation—either with his bare hands or a ligature—and discarded their bodies in wooded areas near the Green River in Washington. He later admitted to returning to some of those sites to commit necrophilic acts.
How many victims did Gary Ridgway have?
He was formally convicted of 49 murders, though investigators and prosecutors believe the actual toll is at least 71. Several unsolved disappearances of women in the Seattle–Tacoma corridor during that era remain linked to his case.
How was Gary Ridgway identified and arrested?
In 2001, forensic DNA recovered from crime scenes was matched to a cheek swab Ridgway had given years earlier while cooperating as a witness in an unrelated investigation. He was arrested in November 2003 and, in a plea agreement, confessed to all 49 confirmed killings in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.
What is Gary Ridgway's current status?
Ridgway is serving 49 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole at a maximum-security facility in Washington state. He has been repeatedly denied release and is expected to remain incarcerated until his death.
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