Another Victim for the Green River Killer
Gary Ridgeway, better known as the Green River Killer, will be formally charged with his 49th murder on Friday, February 11, 2011. This time he will be charged with the murder of Becky Marrero.
Marrero’s remains were discovered back in December 2010, twenty-eight years after her disappearance. Her remains were found only 100 feet away from where a previous victim of Ridgeway’s was unearthed in 2003.
Back in 2003, Ridgeway confessed to killing Marrero but her body had not been found and Ridgeway could not tell police where to find her body. Thus, there was not enough evidence to convict Ridgeway of Marrero’s murder.
The Green River Killer is one of the most profiled serial killers in American history. The title ‘The Green River Killer’ came about due to the location near Seattle where the victims’ bodies were being dumped back in 1982.
The Green River killings remained unsolved until 2001 when Ridgeway was accused of killing five people. Two years later, Ridgeway confessed to a total of 48 murders.
Ridgeway mostly targeted prostitutes. According to CNN.com Ridgeway said he targeted prostitutes “because I thought I could kill as many as I wanted without getting caught.”
Ridgeway is already serving 48 consecutive life sentences for murdering 48 women between 1982 and 1988. Forty-six of the bodies were found in King County near Seattle, Washington and two bodies in Oregon.
Ridgeway admitted that there were probably more bodies of victims that have yet to be found. In order to avoid the death penalty, Ridgeway agreed to plead guilty to all future bodies found in King County “where his confession could be corroborated by reliable evidence.”
