Les Jones

News > Alleged Green River Killer to Plead Guilty

Gary Leon Ridgway is expected to plead guilty to 48 murders as the Green River Killer. As part of the plea with the state of Washington, Ridgway will get life in prison instead of the death penalty. He also agreed to reveal the location of the victims who hadn't been found.

Serial killings attract false confessors, but there's no doubt that Ridgway was the killer. He was picked up several times during the investigation before being charged, and was absent from work on the dates of the killings. During one of his arrests the police took physical evidence. Years later when DNA technology matured his DNA positively matched the killer's and he was arrested. For background on the case, visit CourtTV's Crime Library.

One thing that jumps out about the Green River Killer is the sheer number and frequency of his murders. He seems to have had some compulsive disorder. Even when the murders were all over Seattle news, when Seattle police were actively looking for him, and when prostitutes in the city knew that someone was stalking them, he kept at it, killing an average of every two weeks during his episodic sprees. Ex- wives and girlfriends say he was obsessive about sex.