Gary Leon Ridgway
By: Sam McCarty & Jake Roalfs
Growing Up
- Born on February 18, 1949 in Salt Lake City, UT
- Grew up in Seattle
- Raised in poor neighborhood near Seattle's Pacific High Way
- Love/Hate Relationship with mother
- Frequent violent argument with mother
- Set fires
- Strangled Cat and other animals
- Conflicted sexual feelings with mother
- Wet bed until he was 13
- Dad told stories about necrophilia
First attempted kill at age 16
Low intelligence (IQ of 82)
Poor Student in high school
Early Adaulthood
- Following high school joined Navy
- Went to Vietnam
- Saw Combat
- Prostitutes in Vietnam
- Contracted Gonorrhea
- Painting Trucks
- Returned to cheating wife Claudia Barrows
- Ended marriage
- Remarried Marcia Brown
- Had Sex Frequently with new wife
- Outdoors
- Had child
- After child he hated his wife because lack of sex
- Turned violent
- Second wife divorce
- Married third wife Judith Lynch
Murders
- Killed 1982-2001 (19 years)
- Most took place between 1982-1983
- Convicted of 49 murders
- Admitted to 75-80
- Speculation over count
- Killed along South King County Route 99
- Lured them in car
- Gaining trust showing pictures of son and had son's toys in car
- Strangled victims with bare hands
- Victims began injuring him so used belts, ropes, or own pants
- Dumped victims in wooded areas or ¨Green River¨
Victims
- Women
- Prostitutes
- Between 15-40
- No particular ethnicity
- Based victims on convenience
- Most were resident of King County, WA
The Trial
- 2001
- DNA
- Many years later
- Connected to 3 murders
- Admitted to 46 others
- Pleaded guilty to all 48 counts
- Not executed
Why Did He Do It?
- Burning hatred and sexual lust for his mother
- Hated prostitutes for Gonorrhea
- Important women in life disappoint
- Little or no empathy for others
- Psychopath and a malignant narcissist
Bibliography
Gary Leon Ridgway. (2015, January 9). Retrieved March 19, 2015.
Gary Ridgway. (2014, December 16). Retrieved March 19, 2015.