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.”
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.
-
Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocratFeature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
-
Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
-
Government shuts down amid partisan deadlockFeature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
