Ridgway raped killed women by strangling them to death. He then committed the crime "Abuse of a Corpse" by having sex with the bodies and stuffing them with stones. By placing the stones in the bodies, Ridgway provided vital DNA. In 2001, the police finally had the technology top test the preserved DNA samples. By mid November 2001 police finished examining pieces of evidence collected since 1982. The victims DNA samples matched the hair and saliva samples taken earlier from Ridgeway. Now that police had proof that Ridgeway had intercourse with the murder victims, they had to find a link to prove that he actually killed the women too.
Police found that link in 2003, when they conducted at search of Ridgeway's locker at his place of employment. They found microscopic paint specks on the coveralls Ridgeway wore while spray painting trucks for a living. The paint specks matched paint specks found on several of Ridgeway's victims.
Gary Ridgeway's reign of terror came to an end in April 2003, when he was arrested. He confessed to killing 48 women. "The Green River Killer" wanted a plea deal. He would confess to the murders of 65 women in exchange for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. He then led police to the sites where four additional missing women's bodies were found. Through his plea agreement, Ridgeway evaded the death penalty and was given a life sentence without parole in November 2003 for the aggravated murder of 48 of his victims. It is believed that he killed between 70 and 80 women, but Ridgeway said he remembers killing 71 women.
Evidence includes
Police found that link in 2003, when they conducted at search of Ridgeway's locker at his place of employment. They found microscopic paint specks on the coveralls Ridgeway wore while spray painting trucks for a living. The paint specks matched paint specks found on several of Ridgeway's victims.
Gary Ridgeway's reign of terror came to an end in April 2003, when he was arrested. He confessed to killing 48 women. "The Green River Killer" wanted a plea deal. He would confess to the murders of 65 women in exchange for a life sentence instead of the death penalty. He then led police to the sites where four additional missing women's bodies were found. Through his plea agreement, Ridgeway evaded the death penalty and was given a life sentence without parole in November 2003 for the aggravated murder of 48 of his victims. It is believed that he killed between 70 and 80 women, but Ridgeway said he remembers killing 71 women.
Evidence includes
- male footprint made around the Green River leading to a placement of a body
- metal fragments containing aluminum were recovered from 5 dump sights: Green River, North Bend, Kerriston Road, Highway 18, I-90, and Highway 410
- cigarete butts
- 49 female bodies (skeletal remains, decomposing bodies)
- sperm samples found on some of the victims bodies
- bodily samples taken from Ridgway