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Prosecutor's Summary of the Evidence WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SUMMARY CONTAINS GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTS AND MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ALL READERS. IN PARTICULAR, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF VICTIMS ARE CAUTIONED THAT THIS DOCUMENT DESCRIBES HIGHLY DISTURBING ELEMENTS OF THE CRIMES IN GRAPHIC DETAIL. 1 2 3 4 5 6 SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY 7 STATE OF WASHINGTON, 8 Plaintiff, No. 01-1-10270-9 SEA ) 9 vs. ) ) PROSECUTOR’S SUMMARY OF 10 GARY LEON RIDGWAY, ) THE EVIDENCE ) 11 Defendant, ) ) 12 ) ) 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Norm Maleng, Prosecuting Attorney W554 King County Courthouse 516 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington 98104 (206) 296-9000 FAX (206) 296-0955 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 I. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1 II. THIS DOCUMENT.......................................................................................................2 3 III. BACKGROUND...........................................................................................................2 A. THE GREEN RIVER KILLER: AN OVERVIEW ............................................2 4 B. RIDGWAY: GENERAL BACKGROUND........................................................4 C. THE INVESTIGATION INTO RIDGWAY.......................................................6 5 D. ARREST AND CHARGING..............................................................................8 E. THE PLEA AGREEMENT.................................................................................9 6 F. THE INTERVIEWS ..........................................................................................11 G. MEMORY FOR SPECIFIC VICTIMS.............................................................14 7 IV. GENERAL ADMISSIONS.........................................................................................15 A. CHOOSING VICTIMS.....................................................................................15 8 B. GAINING THE CONFIDENCE OF THE WOMEN .......................................18 C. KILLING THE WOMEN..................................................................................21 9 D. NECROPHILIA ................................................................................................24 E. DISPOSING OF THE BODIES ........................................................................27 10 F. AVOIDING DETECTION................................................................................31 1. Being Careful.............................................................................................32 11 2. Flying Under the Radar.............................................................................34 3. Active Deception.......................................................................................36 12 G. THE FIRST VICTIM........................................................................................37 H. RIDGWAY’S LAST VICTIM..........................................................................40 13 V. VICTIMS OF PREVIOUSLY CHARGED CASES....................................................41 A. THE VICTIMS PLACED IN THE GREEN RIVER: WENDY COFFIELD, 14 DEBRA BONNER, MARCIA CHAPMAN, CYNTHIA HINDS, AND OPAL MILLS ....................................................................................................41 15 1. Wendy Coffield (Count I)..........................................................................42 2. Debra Bonner (Count II)............................................................................42 16 3. Marcia Chapman, Cynthia Hinds and Opal Mills (Counts III, IV and V).43 B. DEBRA ESTES (COUNT VI)..........................................................................44 17 C. CAROL CHRISTENSEN (COUNT VII)..........................................................45 VI. THE VICTIM WHO ESCAPED — REBECCA GARDE GUAY............................45 18 VII. NEW CHARGES........................................................................................................47 A. GISELE LOVVORN (COUNT VIII) ..............................................................48 19 B. THE STAR LAKE VICTIMS: TERRY MILLIGAN, ALMA SMITH, DELORES WILLIAMS, GAIL MATHEWS, SANDRA GABBERT, AND 20 CARRIE ROIS..................................................................................................49 1. Terry Milligan (Count IX).........................................................................51 21 2. Alma Smith (Count X)...............................................................................53 3. Delores Williams (Count XI).....................................................................56 22 4. Gail Mathews (Count XII).........................................................................57 5. Sandra Gabbert (Count XIII).....................................................................58 23 6. Carrie Rois (Count XIV)...........................................................................60 C. THE SOUTH AIRPORT VICTIMS: MARY MEEHAN, ANDREA Norm Maleng, Prosecuting Attorney W554 King County Courthouse PROSECUTOR’S SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE - i 516 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington 98104 (206) 296-9000 FAX (206) 296-0955 1 CHILDERS, CONSTANCE NAON, AND KELLY WARE............................61 1. Mary Meehan (Count XV).........................................................................63 2 2. Andrea Childers (Count XVI)...................................................................64 3. Constance Naon (Count XVII)..................................................................66 3 4. Kelly Ware (Count XVIII).........................................................................67 D. LINDA RULE (COUNT XIX).........................................................................69 4 E. VICTIMS FOUND IN OREGON: DENISE BUSH AND SHIRLEY SHERRILL........................................................................................................70 5 1. Denise Bush (Count XX)...........................................................................71 2. Shirley Sherrill (Count XXI).....................................................................73 6 F. THE NORTH AIRPORT VICTIMS: SHAWNDA SUMMERS, JANE DOE “B10,” AND CHERYL WIMS.......................................................74 7 1. Shawnda Summers (Count XXII)..............................................................76 2. Jane Doe “B10” (Count XXIV).................................................................77 8 3. Cheryl Wims (Count XXIII).......................................................................78 G. COLLEEN BROCKMAN (COUNT XXV).....................................................79 9 H. THE MOUNTAIN VIEW CEMETERY VICTIMS: KIMI-KAI PITSOR, JANE DOE “B16,” AND JANE DOE “B17”..................................................81 10 1. Kimi-Kai Pitsor (Count XXVI).................................................................81 2. Jane Doe “B16” and Jane Doe “B17” (Counts XXVII and XXVIII).......83 11 I. MARIE MALVAR (COUNT XXIX).................................................................85 J. THE HIGHWAY 410 VICTIMS: MARTINA AUTHORLEE, DEBBIE 12 ABERNATHY, MARY BELLO, PAMMY AVENT, ROBERTA HAYES, AND MARTA REEVES.....................................................................................88 13 1. Highway 410..............................................................................................89 2. Martina Authorlee (Count XXX)...............................................................90 14 3. Debbie May Abernathy (Count XXXI).....................................................92 4. Mary Sue Bello (Count XXXII)................................................................93 15 5. Pammy Avent (Count XXXIII).................................................................95 6. Roberta Hayes (Count XXXIV) ................................................................96 16 7. Marta Reeves (Count XXXV)...................................................................97 K. YVONNE ANTOSH (COUNT XXXVI).........................................................99 17 L. INTERSTATE 90 AND HIGHWAY 18: TINA THOMPSON, APRIL BUTTRAM, AND MAUREEN FEENEY..........................................100 18 1. Tina Thompson (Count XXXVII)...........................................................101 2. April Buttram (Count XXXVIII).............................................................102 19 3. Maureen Feeney (Count XXXIX) ...........................................................104 M. TRACY WINSTON (COUNT XL).................................................................106 20 N. INTERSTATE 90, EXIT 38: DELISE PLAGER, KIM NELSON, AND LISA YATES ..................................................................................................108 21 1. Delise Plager (Count XLI).......................................................................108 2. Kim Nelson (Count XLII).......................................................................109 22 3. Lisa Yates (Count XLIII).........................................................................111 O. MARY WEST (COUNT XLIV)....................................................................113 23 P. HIGHWAY 18: CINDY SMITH AND PATRICIA BARCZAK ...................114 1. Cindy Smith (Count XLV) ......................................................................114 Norm Maleng, Prosecuting Attorney W554 King County Courthouse PROSECUTOR’S SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE - ii 516 Third Avenue Seattle, Washington 98104 (206) 296-9000 FAX (206) 296-0955 1 2. Patricia
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