Suspect admits killings
The week's news at a glance.
Seattle
The man suspected of being the most prolific serial killer in American history has confessed to 48 murders in a bid to escape the death penalty, according to news reports this week. In a plea deal, Gary Leon Ridgway, 54, is expected to admit to being the Green River Killer, who targeted mainly prostitutes and runaways in Washington. The first bodies were found by the Green River south of Seattle in 1982. Detectives thought the murders stopped in 1984, but Ridgway reportedly admitted killing a woman as late as 1998. “I find it incredible that an individual was able to cause that many deaths,” said the father of one victim, “to perpetrate that much suffering and misery on so many people.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Pope seeks inquiry on if Gaza assault is 'genocide'
Speed Read In a book for the Jubilee 2025, Pope Francis considers whether Israel's war in Gaza meets the legal definition of 'genocide'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published