Major update on the world’s worst serial killer

The first signs of violence in Gary Ridgway’s life appeared when he was just 16 years old.

Ridgway, a dyslexic student at Tyee High School in Washington state, struggled academically and reportedly had an IQ estimated around 80. His troubled home life often spilled into his behavior outside the house.

One day, those violent impulses turned into action.

His victim was a six-year-old boy. Years later, the boy recalled that Ridgway approached him and quietly said, “You know, there’s people around here that like to kill little boys like you.” Ridgway then stabbed the child, later telling authorities he “wanted to see how to stab somebody.”

The boy survived the attack. Ridgway, however, would go on to commit far worse crimes.

Over the years, he murdered dozens of women and became one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. Authorities confirmed 49 victims, though Ridgway has claimed the real number may be closer to 80.

Many of the victims were sex workers or vulnerable women. Investigators say Ridgway would pick them up, strangle them, and dump their bodies in wooded areas around the Pacific Northwest. In some cases, the bodies were left together in clusters. At times he even transported victims across state lines to conceal evidence.

Today Ridgway is serving 49 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole at Washington State Penitentiary.

While he can no longer harm anyone outside prison walls, investigators and observers say he still has the ability to disturb and manipulate people.

One of those people is Maria DiLorenzo.

Their unusual connection began with a letter.

A Letter That Turned Into Phone Calls

Ridgway—often referred to as the “Green River Killer,” a nickname derived from the location where several victims were discovered—rarely communicates with journalists.

But when DiLorenzo wrote to him, something unexpected happened.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, her phone rang. On the other end was Ridgway himself.

The New York native later described the experience as deeply unsettling.

“I will never see the world in the same way again,” DiLorenzo said.

She explained that Ridgway had an unsettling ability to move from normal conversation into disturbing territory without warning.

“He could start out sounding completely ordinary,” she said. “We might talk about daily life or where I live in New York, and suddenly he would shift the conversation into very dark and violent subjects.”

At times Ridgway would speak about television shows like Law & Order, or ask her opinions about politics. He could even appear quirky or joking.

But those moments rarely lasted long.

“Sooner or later the conversation would turn disturbing,” she said. “He would twist something normal into something perverse.”

Over time, DiLorenzo believes Ridgway became more comfortable speaking openly with her.

“Because he knew I wasn’t judging him and was trying to understand him, some of his inhibitions seemed to disappear,” she explained.

Searching for Answers

DiLorenzo had previously spent years researching violent offenders and had experience navigating prison systems to conduct interviews.

Still, she never expected Ridgway to contact her.

When he did, she hoped to uncover information authorities had never been able to obtain.

Their conversations eventually became part of her upcoming book, Confessions of the Green River Killer, scheduled for release in July.

According to DiLorenzo, Ridgway claimed responsibility for additional murders beyond those he was convicted of committing.

He suggested that if women involved in prostitution were found strangled in areas where his known victims had been left, they were likely his victims as well.

However, Ridgway rarely remembered names.

Through her own research, DiLorenzo identified possible victims who fit the pattern, including Nicole French and Sarah Habakangas.

Ridgway also hinted that he had committed killings in different counties and claimed he had buried a safe containing evidence connected to other crimes.

Law enforcement has reportedly questioned him about that claim, but no evidence has been recovered.

Psychological Manipulation

Some of the most disturbing conversations occurred when Ridgway described scenarios involving violence against women.

DiLorenzo believes he used these conversations to exert psychological control.

“Since he couldn’t actually commit crimes anymore, talking about them allowed him to relive what he had done,” she said.

Serial killers, she noted, often rely heavily on fantasy. For Ridgway, discussing violent acts appeared to be a way of maintaining a sense of power.

“In those moments, he treated me as if I were a potential victim—someone he wanted to manipulate and dominate,” she said.

At other times, Ridgway would strangely offer advice about how to avoid becoming a victim.

“He seemed to want me to believe he cared about my safety,” DiLorenzo said. “But I believe it was another form of manipulation.”

The experience left a lasting impact.

“It made me extremely uncomfortable and, at times, terrified,” she said. “I still have nightmares and trouble sleeping.”

Despite the emotional toll, she continued the conversations because she believed Ridgway might eventually reveal information about unsolved murders.

Nearing the End of His Life

Reports surfaced late last year suggesting Ridgway might be near death. However, the Washington Department of Corrections has said those reports were inaccurate and that there has been no confirmed change in his medical condition.

Because of the terms of his sentence, Ridgway cannot be transferred to a hospice facility outside prison.

If he does die soon, DiLorenzo says her feelings will be complicated.

“I expect I will feel some sadness,” she said. “Not because of losing him, but because of the empty life he lived.”

She also fears that many answers may disappear forever.

“When he dies, many secrets could die with him,” she said. “Those answers might have brought justice and closure to families.”

The Investigation That Lasted Decades

The first confirmed victim of the Green River Killer was Wendy Lee Coffield, whose body was discovered in the Green River on July 15, 1982.

Within weeks, four more victims were found nearby: Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills, and Cynthia Jean Hinds.

What followed became one of the largest and longest murder investigations in American history.

Investigators spent decades pursuing the case before advances in technology and forensic science helped lead to Ridgway’s arrest in 2001.

In 2003, he pleaded guilty to 49 counts of first-degree aggravated murder. In exchange for providing information about the locations of victims’ bodies, prosecutors agreed not to pursue the death penalty.

Even after his conviction, Ridgway reportedly told a television crew he had killed as many as 80 women.

Original Source

About Post Author