Who Is Gary Ridgway A Serial Killer

Gary Ridgway Many people are murdered in the United States in a year. However, it seems to be decreasing slowly from year to year. “In 2011, an estimated 14,612 persons were murdered in the United States. This was a 0.7 percent decrease from the 2010 estimate, a 14.7 percent decline from the 2007 figure, and a 10.0 percent decrease from the 2002 estimate” (Murder). Serial killings are among this death. Since 1980 there has been roughly 154 serial killers worldwide, including the 87 that were located in the United States. Among these 87 is one of the most notorious serial killers in the United States, Gary Ridgway. Mary Rita Steinman and Thomas Newton Ridgway had their son, Gary Leon Ridgway, on February 18, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“In 1982, Gary Ridgway was arrested on a prostitution charge. He became a suspect in the killings, but after passing a polygraph test in which he claimed to be innocent, he was no longer considered to be a prime candidate. Members of the task force held onto their suspicions and to samples of his hair and saliva” (Gary Ridgway). The detectives working on the case waited for progress in DNA forensics because “by 1988, Ridgway is again suspected and a warrant to search his house as well as a court order requiring him to give a saliva sample” (The Green River Killer). They needed the advance in this department so they could confirm his saliva matched the DNA found on his victims. While they were waiting for the advances, they thoroughly checked the crime scenes to find incriminating evidence against him. “In addition to the traditional tasks of compiling a paper trail on suspects, detectives went to extraordinary lengths searching for any trace physical evidence. They collected birds’ nests and animal feces, searched on hands and knees with magnifying glasses and tweezers. They knew that the entire case might hinge on a microscopic fragment that could be easily overlooked” (Murderpedia, the encyclopedia