Rhune
ForumsNet Administrator
    
 
Gender: 
Posts: 292
|
 |
Ridgway expected to plead guilty to Green River ki
« on: Nov 5th, 2003, 11:36am » |
 Quote  Modify
|
Ridgway expected to plead guilty to Green River killings
Wednesday, November 5, 2003 Posted: 12:27 PM EST (1727 GMT)
(CNN) -- In a Seattle courtroom today, Gary Ridgway is expected to plead guilty to a string of slayings that would give him more murder convictions on his record than any other serial killer in U.S. history.
Prosecutors say Ridgway, a former truck painter, is Washington state's Green River killer. Sources say he may plead guilty to killing at least 48 women between 1982 and 1998.
Authorities would not confirm what many are speculating, that Ridgway is providing information in exchange for a plea deal that could save him from the death penalty and give him life without parole. However, two of the bodies on the official list of Green River victims were found in Oregon, which has capital punishment, and it is still unclear whether Ridgway will plead guilty to those murders.
The remains of dozens of women turned up near Pacific Northwest ravines, rivers, airports and freeways in the 1980s. Of them, investigators officially listed 49 women as probable victims of the Green River Killer.
One of the victims of the Green River killing spree was Patricia Yellow Robe.
"I find it incredible that an individual was able to cause that many deaths, perpetrate that much suffering and misery on so many people," said Joe Yellow Robe, father of Patricia.
Investigators had hoped for a quick arrest, but were stumped for years. Nobody was arrested until 2001, when DNA evidence led to seven murder charges against the 54-year-old Ridgway.
Until recently, lawyers for Ridgway had said he was going to plead not guilty. The local prosecutor said there would be no deals.
"The policy of this office is not to bargain with the death penalty, period," said Norm Maleng, King County prosecutor
But this summer, four more bodies were located, the first time in years missing victims had been found, leading to speculation Ridgway was offering information for a deal.
Meanwhile, investigators have found human bones in two other locations near Seattle, which raises the question of why all these discoveries at once?
Investigators say six women are still missing from the Green River case.
Ridgway's pleas to 48 counts would give him more convictions -- though not necessarily more slayings -- than any other serial killer in the nation's history.
John Wayne Gacy, who preyed on men and boys in Chicago in the 1970s, was convicted of killing 33. Ted Bundy, whose killing started in Washington state, confessed to killing more than 30 women and girls, but was convicted only of killing three before he was executed.
CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman contributed to this report.
|
Sponsored by: The Fans!
Home
Help
Search
Members
Chat
Member Map
Login
Register
Reply
Add Poll
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print