Story map · 1982–1998
Gary Ridgway
Gary Ridgway killed at least 49 women and girls in King County, Washington, mostly between 1982 and 1984, many of whom he picked up along Pacific Highway South near Sea-Tac Airport. He was named a suspect in the 1980s but was not charged until 2001, when DNA from a 1987 saliva sample linked him to several victims; he was arrested at the Kenworth truck plant in Renton where he worked as a painter. In 2003 he pleaded guilty to 48 murders in a deal that spared him the death penalty in return for helping find victims' remains, and in 2011 he pleaded guilty to a 49th. He is serving consecutive life sentences without parole.
Scroll to follow the case. Private homes are shown as shaded areas, never exact points.
Recovery site · July 15, 1982
Green River, Kent
July 15, 1982. Wendy Coffield was found in the Green River near Kent. By mid-August four more women had been found in and beside the river, and the unknown killer became the "Green River Killer".
Abduction · 1982
Pacific Highway South ("Sea-Tac strip")
Many of the victims were last seen along Pacific Highway South near Sea-Tac Airport, where Gary Ridgway picked them up.
Killer's residence · 1982
Ridgway's home in SeaTac
During the killings Ridgway lived alone in a small house a few minutes from the highway.
Recovery site · September 18, 1983
Star Lake Road area, south of Kent
Six victims were found in the Star Lake area of south King County between 1983 and 1985...
Recovery site · February 14, 1984
Off Interstate 90 near North Bend
...and four off Interstate 90 near North Bend, in the foothills of the Cascades.
Recovery site · March 31, 1984
Near Enumclaw and Highway 410
Others were found in rural areas east of Enumclaw, off Highway 410 toward Mount Rainier.
Recovery site · June 14, 1985
Tigard, Oregon
Some remains were found as far away as Tigard and Tualatin, Oregon. Ridgway said he moved some remains there to confuse investigators.
Workplace · 1969
Kenworth truck plant, Renton
For about 32 years Ridgway painted trucks at the Kenworth plant in Renton. On November 30, 2001, after DNA from a 1987 saliva sample linked him to several victims, he was arrested here as he left work.
Court / trial · November 5, 2003
King County Superior Court, Seattle
In 2003 he pleaded guilty to 48 murders, in a deal that spared him the death penalty in return for helping find victims' remains. At his sentencing, victims' families spoke to him in a crowded Seattle courtroom.
Court / trial · February 18, 2011
Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center, Kent
In 2011 he pleaded guilty to a 49th murder, Rebecca Marrero's, after her remains were found by hikers. He is serving consecutive life sentences without parole.
The full record
Victims, every location, and all sources are on the Gary Ridgway case page.