Gary Ridgway
American serial killer convicted of 49 murders; second most prolific in U.S. history by confirmed murders.
Gary Ridgway, born February 18, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah, was the second of three sons. His childhood was marked by a domineering mother who physically punished her sons for minor offenses and frequently complained about the behavior of customers at the department store where she worked. Ridgway later told psychologists he had conflicted feelings of anger and sexual attraction toward her, fantasizing about killing her. His father, a bus driver, often complained about prostitutes on his route. Ridgway, who was dyslexic, had a low-eighties IQ and was held back a year in high school. At age sixteen, he lured a six-year-old boy into woods and stabbed him; the boy survived.
After graduating high school in 1969, Ridgway married his teenage sweetheart and joined the Navy, serving on a supply ship in Vietnam. He frequently had unprotected sex with prostitutes, contracting gonorrhea, which angered his wife; the marriage ended within a year. His second wife said he once placed her in a chokehold. During that marriage, Ridgway became religious, reading the Bible aloud, proselytizing, and insisting his wife follow strict teachings, yet he continued soliciting prostitutes and asked her to have sex in public or in areas where victims’ bodies were later found. He had a son with this wife. Friends and family described him as friendly but strange. His three ex-wives and girlfriends reported he demanded sex multiple times daily, often in woods or public places.
Ridgway admitted a fixation with prostitutes, hating them yet regularly using their services. He killed at least 71 teenage girls and women, mostly between 1982 and 1984, though murders continued through 1998. He picked up victims, often prostitutes or runaways, along Pacific Highway South, sometimes showing a photo of his son to gain trust. After sex, he strangled them from behind, usually by hand or with a ligature. He dumped bodies in wooded areas near the Green River, Seattle-Tacoma Airport, and other sites in South King County, often returning to engage in necrophilia, which he said reduced his need for living victims. Two confirmed and two suspected victims were found near Portland, Oregon. Arrested in 2001 after DNA evidence linked him to the murders, Ridgway pleaded guilty to 49 murders, receiving life without parole in exchange for disclosing locations of missing women.
- field
- Serial murder
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Green River Killer; convicted of murdering 49 women; believed most prolific U.S.
Lore & Background
Gary Ridgway was a serial killer who targeted vulnerable women, primarily prostitutes and underage runaways, in the northwestern United States. He typically strangled his victims by hand or with ligatures, then dumped their bodies in forested or overgrown areas, often returning to the corpses to commit acts of necrophilia. Most murders occurred between 1982 and 1984, though his known killing spree extended into 1998. He frequently picked up women along Pacific Highway South, sometimes showing them a picture of his son to gain trust. After engaging in sex from behind, he would wrap his arm around their neck and pull back tightly to strangle them. Killings took place in his home, truck, or secluded spots, with bodies left in clusters, often nude and posed, around the Green River, Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, and other dump sites in South King County. Two confirmed and two suspected victims were found near Portland, Oregon. Ridgway had a fixation with prostitutes, expressing hatred for them while regularly soliciting their services. He demanded sex multiple times daily from wives and girlfriends, sometimes in public or wooded areas where bodies were later discovered. Despite becoming religious during his second marriage—reading the Bible aloud and proselytizing—he continued his violent behavior. He was described as friendly but strange by acquaintances, and his second wife reported he placed her in a chokehold.
Reader's Guide
Gary Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, is a significant figure in Oregon crime history due to his extensive killing spree that included victims in the Portland area. Operating primarily in the 1980s and 1990s, he targeted vulnerable women, particularly prostitutes and teenage runaways, whom he would pick up along highways. He strangled his victims, often by hand or with ligatures, and then disposed of their bodies in wooded or overgrown locations, frequently returning to engage in necrophilia. His crimes extended into Oregon, with two confirmed and two suspected victims found near Portland. Ridgway’s case is notable for the sheer scale of his murders—he confessed to killing so many that he lost count, though he was convicted of 49—and for the investigative breakthrough that finally led to his arrest in 2001: advances in DNA profiling linked him to the crimes after he had been a suspect since 1982. His behavior reflected a deep-seated hatred for prostitutes, whom he simultaneously solicited, and a pattern of returning to dump sites to reenact sexual acts with the deceased. The case remains a landmark in forensic science and criminal profiling, illustrating how evolving technology can solve long-cold cases. Ridgway’s life sentence, spared the death penalty in exchange for revealing burial locations, underscores the legal and ethical complexities of prosecuting prolific serial killers.
Did You Know?
- Gary Ridgway is the second most prolific serial killer in U.S. history in terms of confirmed murders.
- He was convicted of murdering 49 women.
- He is known as the Green River Killer.
- He is one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history known for killing or operating in Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gary Ridgway?
Gary Leon Ridgway is an American serial killer who earned the monikers 'Green River Killer' and 'Green River Strangler' after being convicted of killing forty-nine women in the northwestern United States between 1982 and 1998.
What makes Gary Ridgway notable in criminal history?
At the time of his 2001 arrest, he was regarded as the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history based on confirmed murder counts. His victims were predominantly women in vulnerable circumstances, including sex workers and underage runaways.
How does Gary Ridgway's story end?
His decades-long killing spree was brought to a close when he was arrested in 2001, after which he was convicted of forty-nine murders across the Pacific Northwest region.
Why is Gary Ridgway important?
His case stands out for the unprecedented number of confirmed victims and the pattern of targeting women in marginalized situations, making it one of the most significant serial murder cases in American law enforcement history.
Where and when was Gary Ridgway born?
He was born on February 18, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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