The Green River Killer

Summary

Cold Case Files: The Green River Killer
Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: July 22, 2025

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Cold Case Files, Paula Barros delves deep into one of America's most harrowing and prolonged criminal investigations—the pursuit and eventual capture of the Green River Killer, Gary Leon Ridgeway. This detailed recounting spans over two decades, showcasing the relentless efforts of law enforcement, the evolution of forensic technology, and the profound impact on the community.

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The Beginning of the Nightmare

Initial Discoveries and Formation of the Task Force

The saga begins on November 12, 2003, when a team of detectives in King County, Washington, is led by Gary Leon Ridgeway to search for the graves of murdered women along the Green River. Paula Pinson sets the stage:

Marissa Pinson [02:16]: "In this special edition of Cold Case Files, we are given exclusive access to the hunt for bodies as well as the investigation that resulted in the apprehension of America's worst serial killer."

Detective Dave Reichert recounts the grim reality:

Dave Reichert [01:02]: "Somewhere in our midst is a cold-blooded killer. It was all about his ability to hunt, his ability to capture, and his ability to kill."

As summer of 1982 unfolds, the first victims, prostitutes Wendy Caulfield and Deb Bonner, are found in the river, signaling the emergence of a serial killer.

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Escalation and Community Fear

Mounting Victim Count and Public Outcry

Within a month, five women are discovered in and around the Green River, heightening community fear. Violence doesn't wane; instead, the killer's spree intensifies.

Dave Reichert [04:16]: "Probably about a week before she was murdered, I had showed her a picture of one of the girls in the paper. She was on the bank of the river. And I said, Opal, look at this. This is what can happen to you if you get out there hitchhiking."

Public frustration grows as the task force, comprising 25 detectives, struggles to find leads. Doubts emerge about the prioritization of victims—prostitutes and runaways.

Dave Reichert [13:18]: "I really felt like this job and what I was doing was beginning to affect me and affect my family."

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A Cold Period and Renewed Efforts

Case Goes Cold and the Involvement of Bob Keppel

By 1984, with no substantial breakthroughs, the task force disbands. The case seems to fade into obscurity until Detective Bob Keppel introduces new investigative protocols.

Bob Keppel [09:26]: "With a lot of holes in, was marginal at best."

Keppel emphasizes that the killer likely didn't confine himself to the river, suggesting broader dumping grounds. This insight reinvigorates the investigation, leading to a fresh examination of unsolved cases.

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Breakthroughs and Suspicion on Gary Ridgeway

Connecting the Dots

Detectives Randy Mullinax and Matt Haney uncover connections between victims and Gary Ridgeway, a local truck painter. Despite initial lack of evidence, photographic identification by victim Paige Miley points towards Ridgeway as a suspect.

Matt Haney [23:39]: "We could directly connect him with several victims and the deeper we look, the more the connections were being made."

In 1987, a search of Ridgeway's property fails to yield incriminating evidence, causing the investigation to stall once more.

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The Turn of Forensic Technology

Advancements in DNA Analysis Lead to a Breakthrough

Fast forward to the early 2000s, Sheriff Dave Reichert remains determined to solve the case. Collaborating with DNA analyst Bev Himmick, they employ short tandem repeat (STR) DNA testing—a technique that had previously fallen short.

Bev Himmick [29:24]: "I harvested a genetic profile of the Green River Killer. It was really exciting."

The breakthrough comes when Ridgeway's DNA matches semen found at multiple crime scenes, solidifying his connection to the murders.

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The Arrest and Legal Proceedings

Strategic Surveillance and Arrest

Despite the DNA evidence, Reichert opts for a cautious approach, assembling a team of advisors to build a comprehensive case. Surveillance reveals Ridgeway's continued interactions with prostitutes, leading to his arrest on November 30, 2001.

Dave Reichert [31:56]: "He walked over and they said, Mr. Ridgeway. He said, yes, you're under arrest for the murders of four women connected to the Green River case."

Trial and Guilty Plea

In 2003, Ridgeway pleads guilty to 48 counts of murder, providing closure to countless families.

Dave Reichert [42:09]: "How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count one for the death of Wendy Lee Caulfield? Guilty."

During sentencing, Ridgeway shows little remorse, but the families express a range of emotions from anger to forgiveness.

Judge [44:25]: "The women you killed were not throwaways... You will face those young women in your dreams and private thoughts."

Ridgeway is sentenced to 48 consecutive life terms, ensuring he remains incarcerated for life.

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Legacy and Reflections

Sheriff Dave Reichert's Enduring Commitment

Dave Reichert persists beyond the case, driven by his unwavering dedication to justice.

Dave Reichert [45:19]: "This summer Playa TV is exploding with thousands of free movies... Pluto TV Stream now pay Never."
(Note: This appears to be an advertisement and is omitted from the summary.)

His journey from lead investigator to Sheriff of King County underscores the profound personal and professional toll the case exacted.

Dave Reichert [27:28]: "This case was so big. It was like being in the, in the super bowl of homicide investigations. And I just lost."

Yet, his perseverance ultimately leads to the closure of one of the most notorious serial killer cases in American history.

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Conclusion

The episode of Cold Case Files meticulously chronicles the harrowing investigation into the Green River Killer, highlighting the interplay of investigative tenacity, evolving forensic methods, and the persistent quest for justice. Sheriff Dave Reichert's relentless pursuit serves as a testament to the dedication required to solve such complex and emotionally charged cases.

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Notable Quotes:

• Dave Reichert [01:02]: "Somewhere in our midst is a cold blooded killer."
• Bob Keppel [09:26]: "They really didn't have a dedicated methodology to approaching pimps and prostitutes."
• Bev Himmick [29:24]: "We knew that we've got good potential here to get some information."
• Dave Reichert [31:56]: "He said, yes, you're under arrest for the murders of four women connected to the Green River case."
• Judge [44:25]: "You will face those young women in your dreams and private thoughts."

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Acknowledgments:

Special thanks to all the detectives, forensic analysts, and families affected by the Green River Killer case. Their courage and resilience are the bedrock of this compelling narrative.

Transcript

[Marissa Pinson]

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[Dave Reichert]

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[Marissa Pinson]

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[Dave Reichert]

A lot of runaway girls on the street, vulnerable to the sick morons out there that had no better sense than to try to hurt her. This is being described as one of the nastiest homicides in King county record. I couldn't believe it, put the phone down and turned to my wife and said, they found two more bodies in the river. I gotta go. The Green river task force completed a three day search of a wooded area near Star Lake. Four skeletons were found bringing the Green river death toll to 20. This guy just wasn't going to quit. These would continue and continue and continue. Somewhere in our midst is a cold blooded killer. It was all about his ability to hunt, his ability to capture, and his ability to kill.

[Marissa Pinson]

There are over 100,000 cold cases in America. Only 1% are ever solved. This is one of those rare Stories.

[Dave Reichert]

Foreign.

[Marissa Pinson]

It's November 12, 2003. In King County, Washington. At the edge of a forest in the valley of the Green River, a team of detectives works. They are looking for the graves of murdered women. And they are led by the killer himself, a man named Gary Leon Ridgeway.

[Dave Reichert]

I have tried to remember as much as I could to help the detectives find and recover the ladies.

[Marissa Pinson]

In this special edition of Cold Case Files, we are given exclusive access to the hunt for bodies as well as the investigation that resulted in the apprehension of America's worst serial killer.

[Dave Reichert]

How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree? Guilty.

[Marissa Pinson]

It is a landmark case in the history of American jurisprudence. One that began along the banks of the very Same Green River 21 years earlier in the summer of 1982. The Green river flows like it always has, smooth and silent, emptying its contents into the puget sound some 20 miles distant. This summer, however, there is trouble on the riverfront. The bodies of two young prostitutes, Wendy Caulfield and Deb Bonner, have turned up in The River's Wash. 32 year old homicide detective Dave Reichert is assigned to work the cases. Three days after Bonar's body is discovered, Reichert's phone rings. It's a call from dispatch and more trouble along the river.

[Dave Reichert]

I couldn't believe it. I put the phone down and turned to my wife and said, they found two more bodies in the river. I gotta go.

[Marissa Pinson]

Reichert heads for a bend in the Green river where a rafter spotted the bodies of two women. Crime scene investigators cordon off the area and begin to comb it for clues. Reichert himself is pushing his way through tall grass when he nearly steps on yet another woman's body. Her hair is dyed red and there are jeans around her neck.

[Dave Reichert]

She was face down, if I recall correctly. And so we, we knew we had a serial killer obviously working here. This is being described as one of the nastiest homicides in King County. Record 25 detectives have been assigned to the case full time, making this one of the largest investigations in the county's history.

[Marissa Pinson]

Five women, all dumped in or near the Green river in one month. The first two bodies were so badly decomposed, no semen could be recovered at autopsy. The medical examiner, however, does recover semen from two of the last three. Marsha Chapman, Cynthia Hines and Opal Mills. Chapman and Hines have a history of prostitution. Opal mills is a 16 year old junior in high school. Kathy Mills is her mother.

[Dave Reichert]

Probably about a week before she was murdered, I had showed her a picture of one of the girls in the paper. She was on the bank of the river. And I said, opal, look at this. This is what can happen to you if you get out there hitchhiking. And she said, oh, ma, that ain't gonna happen to me.

[Marissa Pinson]

But it did happen to Opal Mills and seemingly could happen to anyone. With a body count at five and counting, community unrest begins to grow.

[Dave Reichert]

King county detectives are now forming a task force to investigate the murders. They have no suspect, no motive, and very little evidence. The news media, of course, wanted to know, what are you going to do? This looks like a serial killing to us, too.

[Marissa Pinson]

The case is quickly dubbed the Green river killings. King county forms a task force. With Dave Reichert at its head. The detectives field hundreds of tips. Promising leads are followed, but go nowhere until Reichert runs across a taxi driver named Melvin Foster.

[Dave Reichert]

You can be your brother's keeper or just another bearer of the mark of Cain. I'm not a religious fanatic, but I do believe I have to be my brother's keeper when the time arises.

[Marissa Pinson]

Each evening, as most of Seattle climbs into bed, Melvin Foster gets into his cab and drives. The ex convict works the midnight shift through some of the city's meaner streets.

[Dave Reichert]

When you drive after dark in any city of consequence, you're going to meet the other side of living. I was seeing a lot of runaway girls on the street. Vulnerable to the predators. The sick morons out there had no better sense than to try to hurt them.

[Marissa Pinson]

On August 13, Foster calls police with the name of another taxi driver, a man Foster believes might be the Green River Killer. The more Foster talks, however, the more investigators believe Foster himself might be worth taking a look at as a suspect.

[Dave Reichert]

One of the first things you should look for is a person who injects themself into an investigation like this. So that phone call certainly raised our antenna. It's got us very interested.

[Marissa Pinson]

Foster is brought in for questioning. He freely admits to knowing many of the girls who were killed, giving them rides in his cab and providing them with food and shelter.

[Dave Reichert]

I was being asked things like, how come you drive the girls around? Do you mean let them in the car, let them warm up and dry out when it's raining and cold? How come I feed them? How come I put their rent if they need it? Who else is going to do it?

[Marissa Pinson]

Foster's connection to the girls makes him King County's prime suspect. He is placed under round the clock surveillance. Search warrants are executed on his home and cab. Foster protests his innocence and takes his case public.

[Dave Reichert]

Are you scared at all? Scared?

[Marissa Pinson]

No.

[Dave Reichert]

Fright is for the guilty. I went to the investigative arm of the news media. This is my name. This is what I'm accused of. Here is my life. Take it apart.

[Marissa Pinson]

For nearly a month now, undercover officers have been stationed in this area, keeping a 24 hour watch on Melvin Foster.

[Dave Reichert]

Who lives just up the road from here.

[Marissa Pinson]

In the months immediately following the murders, press and police oblige, taking Foster's life apart and finding nothing that links him to any of the killings.

[Dave Reichert]

Did you kill all those women or what? No, but I wish I did. I wish I did know who did because I put a stop to him. If somebody's gonna point their finger at me and say, well, maybe you did this, I'm not gonna wither up and turn and run. I'm gonna stand there, tell him, wake up and smell the coffee.

[Marissa Pinson]

Melvin Foster is eventually dismissed as a suspect, and the Green river investigation goes cold.

[Dave Reichert]

So once again, there is speculation that investigators on the Green river case are back to Square1.

[Marissa Pinson]

Meanwhile, 1982 draws to a close. No new bodies surface in the Green river, and people begin to believe the killings have passed.

[Dave Reichert]

I think the feeling was that the killer had stopped, somebody had come in, they were mad at prostitutes, and they killed a few and they left.

[Marissa Pinson]

But the Green river killer hasn't slowed at all. The bodies are there. It's just a matter of knowing where to look. In the winter of 1983, with the Green river killings now seven months cold, Reichert's task force has been disbanded. The public has all but forgotten the murders. With nowhere else to turn, Reichert stops by the office of a friend who also happens to be one of the foremost criminal investigators in the country, a man named Bob Keppel. Bob agrees to sift through the files and assess the case. What he finds is a large investigation.

[Dave Reichert]

With a lot of holes in was marginal at best. And I say marginal because they really didn't have a dedicated methodology to approaching pimps and prostitutes about gaining information from them. A lot of the information they collected was never corroborated in a way that you could say, okay, this victim was missing on this date.

[Marissa Pinson]

At this time, Keppel introduces new protocols to organize, classify, and assess information developed in the field. Keppel also tells Reichert the Green River Killer is not finished killing and has most likely never stopped the error made by investigators focusing their efforts on the river itself and assuming all the victims would be dumped there.

[Dave Reichert]

When you have a murder problem, the issue should be, what are we doing about the problem? Not arbitrarily eliminate cases just because you don't think that they should be related. Well, do you know or do you not know? If you don't know, then they should be thought of as a group.

[Marissa Pinson]

Keppel suggests a fresh look at unsolved cases from the past year and a half, focusing on young girls strangled and dumped in an outdoor location. Three unsolved crimes immediately catch Keppel's attention. Two involve prostitutes. The third concerns a waitress, the victim of a bizarre death ritual that gives Keppel a glimpse into the mind of the green river killer. 25 miles southeast of Seattle, in the foothills of the Cascades, a family is hunting for mushrooms when they come across a strange death scene. The victim is a young woman named Carol Christianson. Her body is found face up. A paper sack is placed over Christensen's head and her hands are folded across a bottle of wine. On top of her hands is ground up sausage molded in the shape of a pyramid. And across Christensen's shoulder and throat, two trout. Keppel is unsure what each of the objects means of the overall scene. However, he has no doubt is the classic signature of a serial killer.

[Dave Reichert]

She was out there for a reason and probably the main reason was that the killer wanted to come back and see her like that.

[Marissa Pinson]

The display of Christensen's body is intended to be a trophy of sorts. A way for the killer to relive his crime. After the murder, the Green River Killer appears to increase his activity. In the summer and fall of 1980, three bodies of young women litter the King county countryside. One body is discovered behind a baseball field. Three more are found south of the airport. By the end of 1983, investigators find 14 bodies in all with 23 more women missing and presumed dead. Most of the victims fit the same prostitutes and runaways taken off the streets.

[Dave Reichert]

The latest additions to the list only serve as a reminder that somewhere in our midst is a cold blooded killer. This guy just wasn't going to quit. There were a good chance that these would continue and continue and continue. Seemed like we were getting further and further behind it because as we discovered the bodies, recovered the bodies, identified the bodies, we are now months and years behind him.

[Marissa Pinson]

A second task force is formed with Reichert again in the lead. But that just seems to goad the Green River Killer into fresh bloodshed. In 1984, 14 more bodies are discovered. Four in an area near Star Lake and used by the killer as his personal graveyard.

[Dave Reichert]

On Monday, the Green river task force completed a three day search of a wooded area near Star Lake. Four skeletons were found bringing the Green river death toll to 20.

[Marissa Pinson]

The faces of the dead have begun to haunt even the most seasoned detectives. Randy Mullinax is a veteran member of the team.

[Dave Reichert]

I really felt like this job and what I was doing was beginning to affect me and affect my family. And it wasn't fair to them and it wasn't fair to the job. There were times where I would go to family events and I would be there, but I'd sit in the corner. I'd be thinking about the most recent find. I'd be wondering whether or not I was going to get called again to go out to another body sight because it seemed like I was gone all the time.

[Marissa Pinson]

The Green river investigation wears on the community as well. Some of whom take to the streets and wonder aloud if the murder of a prostitute is really a priority for Reichert and his men.

[Dave Reichert]

Women are being killed. The issues aren't being addressed because the women are prostitutes. It was disgusting to me that they would stand there and say those kinds of things and know nothing about the kind of work that was being done by every single member in that unit.

[Marissa Pinson]

Kathy Mills daughter was among the victims.

[Dave Reichert]

I didn't think they were doing enough. I thought if this was a policeman's daughter, they would find somebody. I know that each one of these young girls was somebody's daughter. And they belonged to a family and the families cared about them. And we were doing the best we could to try to find the guy who was taking their life. It's just a matter of finding the right person who I'm sure is out there that has the key to this whole case. And eventually I hope we can find it.

[Marissa Pinson]

As 1984 draws to a close, a community grows increasingly restless and the Green River Task Force needs a break in the case. That break comes from an unlikely source, serial killer Ted Bundy, who offers the investigation his theory of the case, a story about a killer Bundy calls the Riverman. Okay, I'll admit it. I never used to do anything for the skin on my neck. I had a whole multi step skincare routine for my face, but my neck totally forgot about it. But then I tried the Gopure Tighten and lift neck cream and now I am hooked. From the very first use, my skin felt so soft, I kept catching myself touching my neck all day. I didn't realize how thirsty that area was until I started giving it a little attention every morning and night. And let's be honest, it's summer, we're all sporting sundresses and tanks, and your neck and chest are out there. That's why Gopure Beauty created their revolutionary Tighten and lift neck cream. Perfect for your summer skincare routine. Powered by clinically proven active ingredients, this advanced formula is designed to visibly firm, smooth and rejuvenate the delicate skin on your neck and chest in as little as four to eight weeks. It's lightweight, soaks in fast and leaves your skin silky smooth without any heaviness. Gopure is clean skincare too. Cruelty free, paraben free and sulfate free. So I know I'm not putting anything sketchy on my skin. If you want to give your neck some well deserved attention, now's the time Use Code Cold Case at checkout for 25% off. Just head to GoPure's site and grab your new summer skincare favorite. Trust me, your neck will thank you. With over 1 million jars sold, this beauty secret is no longer a secret. For a limited time, our listeners get 25% off GoPure with code Cold Case at checkout. Just head to GoPureBeauty.com, use code Cold Case and you're all set. And after you buy, do us a favor. When they ask where you heard about GoPure, tell them it was from our show. When I started podcasting, it was just an idea, a passion project. I wasn't sure I could turn into something real. I had all the usual doubts. What if I don't have the right tools? What if I can't do it on my own? But turning that idea into a business became possible with the right support. And that's exactly what Shopify offers. Shopify is the commerce platform trusted by millions of businesses around the world. In fact, it powers 10% of all E commerce in the US supporting brands of all sizes, from household names like Mattel and Gymshark to startups just getting off the ground. Worried about designing a website? Shopify provides clean, professional templates that are easy to customize. Need help along the way? Their AI tools can assist with product descriptions and discount codes, even enhancing your product images. Wondering how to reach customers? Shopify's built in marketing tools make it simple to run email and social campaigns. And if you ever hit a Roadblock, their award winning 24. 7 support is always available. If you're thinking about starting a business or growing the one you already have, Shopify gives you the tools to make it happen. Turn your dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com cold case. Go to shopify.com coldcase shopify.com coldcase In King County, Washington, a serial killer is on the hunt and police are two steps behind. The Green River Task Force spends most of its days in the woods recovering bodies, leaving little time to actually catch the killer. The community is beginning to ask hard questions and a sense of desperation is taking hold. In October of 1984, a letter arrives at task force headquarters, one of thousands received from the public offering tips on how to catch the killer. The difference this time is the author is a man with considerable experience in the business of killing. His name is Ted Bundy.

[Dave Reichert]

Part of the reason I think he wanted to talk to us is that these personalities like to be the center of attention. And he'd been in prison for a while and what was happening up here in Washington was drawing attention away from his cases and his legacy, so to speak. Of course, his ego is boosted by this. I mean, it's a way for Ted Bundy to maintain his significance and feel important.

[Marissa Pinson]

Ted Bundy was living on Florida's death row, convicted of killing two women at Florida State University. Bundy, however, is originally from Tacoma, Washington, and he knows the area where the Green River Killer hunts. Ted used to hunt there as well, killing at least eight women in the Pacific Northwest.

[Dave Reichert]

He knew that area east of Enumclaw as good as anybody did. He knew the area east on I90 as as well as anyone did.

[Marissa Pinson]

Reichert and Keppel weigh the pros and cons of talking to the serial killer and ultimately decide they have nothing to lose. They book a flight to Florida to meet with Bundy at 3:30 on November 17, 1984. Reichert and Keppel sit down with Ted Bundy to pick his brain about the Green River Killer.

[Dave Reichert]

He liked to talk about murder. He liked talking about the Green River Killer. And he responded to our questions very good because the questions that we had devised for him were questions about the Green River Killer that were the same questions we would ask him if we were talking to him about his crimes. Do you see this guy as somebody that might personally come in contact with the police?

[Marissa Pinson]

He doesn't want to get caught, so.

[Dave Reichert]

He'S going to make changes in his behavior both to stay ahead of you and to avoid the list. He may not be a sophisticated type of set down and analyze this. He knows it like a Fox News stuff. He knows it like any predator seems.

[Marissa Pinson]

To know the victim, not in an.

[Dave Reichert]

Analytical way, but in a sensory, intuitive way.

[Marissa Pinson]

Bundy tells detectives to focus their efforts on the dump sites. Not only do they contain the only physical evidence in the case, but according to Bundy, they're a point of obsession for the killer.

[Dave Reichert]

The dump site with a body are left are significant. There's no underestimating that effect. That is really all you have right now. There may be some other evidence, but these are certainties. There's no question the victim and the guy were there. That's a tremendous advantage. That's where I would focus.

[Marissa Pinson]

Bundy even hints at the reason why the killer might return to his dump sites.

[Dave Reichert]

I think there are a couple things and this may sound a little bit strange. I'll offer them to you for what they're worth.

[Marissa Pinson]

Bundy believes there's a good chance that the Green River Killer is having sex with his dead victims.

[Dave Reichert]

He believed that the Green River Killer was returning to each of the body recovery sites to do whatever the Green River Killer wanted to do. And he would say, well, the river man would go back to the scenes, the river man would go back and have sex with the dead bodies.

[Marissa Pinson]

Bundy even suggests a strategy to catch the killer, one that had never occurred to the task force. One that could perhaps only have come from the mind of another serial killer.

[Dave Reichert]

My opinion, the best chance you have of catching this guy red handed is to get a cycle of fresh body. He thought we should just keep it quiet and surveil the site and wait for the killer to come back. If it's a good site, it has a fresh body, it remains there. But you're going to get more than the drive by.

[Marissa Pinson]

You're going to get the guy coming.

[Dave Reichert]

Up to the site on foot or into his car. Ted was correct about it. If we ever did find one, it was probably worth the risk because we weren't getting there anyway the way we were doing it right off the bat.

[Marissa Pinson]

There is, however, a problem with Ted Bundy's plan. Of the dozens of bodies being discovered by the task force, almost all of them have already decomposed. None are suitable as bait for a killer who wants to have sex with a dead body.

[Dave Reichert]

So we can count on you continuing to write us thoughts that you might have about this case if you're not bored.

[Marissa Pinson]

What are you gonna.

[Dave Reichert]

I'd love to now that I have a better grip on what's going on.

[Marissa Pinson]

After two days of questioning, Reichert and Keppel take Bundy's information and return to Seattle to continue the search for the Green river killer. By 1986, more than 50 detectives work the Green river case. The FBI has weighed in with a profile of the killer, a white male loner in his mid-30s. The break in the case, however, will come from old fashioned police work. Two rank and file detectives, Randy Mullinax and Matt Haney pour through the old files and begin to make some connections between Green river victims and a local truck painter named Gary Leon Ridgeway. This is Matt Haney.

[Dave Reichert]

We could directly connect him with several victims and the deeper we look, the more the connections were being made.

[Marissa Pinson]

One of the first connections, an 18 year old named Marie Malvar. On the evening of April 30, 1983, Malvar worked on a street near the Three Bears Motel. Her boyfriend, Bobby woods watched from A nearby car. Around 10pm, a pickup stopped and Malvar hopped in. Bobby woods pulled out behind the pickup, keeping an eye on Marie up ahead, woods saw what looked like a struggle. He sped up, but lost the pickup at a red light. Three days later, Marie had still not turned up, and Bobby woods was knocking on her father's front door. Jose Malvar is Marie's brother.

[Dave Reichert]

He just told my dad that Marie got in his pickup truck had, you know, had the description of truck, you know, had a primer and darker colored truck.

[Marissa Pinson]

Woods and Marie's father began a house by house search for Marie for the truck that took her.

[Dave Reichert]

And so they were just driving around and Wood saw it and he says, that's, that's the pickup right there. And so then they called the police.

[Marissa Pinson]

The truck was sitting in the driveway of a house that belonged to Gary Ridgeway. Police questioned Ridgeway, but found no further evidence connecting him with Malvar, and the suspect was never charged. Marie Malvar is the first Green river victim linked to Ridgeway. She is soon joined by a second. In November of 1983, Kim Nelson was 21 when, like so many others, she disappeared off a Seattle street.

[Dave Reichert]

So many times these women, these girls just vanished. They were there one moment, their friend would leave and come back five minutes later and they would never be seen again. He was good. He was very good at what he did. He was careful. He was cunning.

[Marissa Pinson]

Another girl, Paige Miley, caught a glancing look at the man Kim drove away with. Mullinax and Haney pull out the composite sketch generated from Miley's description.

[Dave Reichert]

Then we pulled Gary Ridgeway's picture and looked at the composite sketch, and it was extremely similar. So then we put together a photo montage and presented that to Paige Miley and she picked Ridgeway immediately.

[Marissa Pinson]

The connections tying Ridgeway to the Green river killings are beginning to overlap and coalesce, giving probable cause for a search warrant. On April 8, 1987, detectives take bodily fluid samples from Ridgeway and conduct a search of his house and truck. Of the thousands of items taken from Ridgeway's home, none of them can be connected to any of the victims. Gary Ridgeway is never arrested, and the investigation once again goes cold.

[Dave Reichert]

As time dragged on, there was a sense of disappointment. Still looking for that critical piece that you needed to make the arrest and get the conviction.

[Marissa Pinson]

With no arrests, county officials start to balk at the millions of dollars being spent on the case and slowly begin to shut the investigation down.

[Dave Reichert]

Holding the task force accountable for the money it spends presents a dilemma to Elected officials, they know the cost of this police work, but how do they determine the value? It was tough. It was tough to leave. I think it was tough for everyone to leave. Every investigator was angry that we were being cut back. We still felt that we had a lot of work to do and we had the energy and we had the ability to identify the killer and keep catch him.

[Marissa Pinson]

By 1990, the number of detectives working the investigation has dwindled to just one. Finally, Dave Reichert, the man who has been on the case from the beginning, gets promoted to sergeant and told he too must leave the task force because.

[Dave Reichert]

This case was so big. It was like being in the, in the super bowl bowl of homicide investigations. And I just lost.

[Marissa Pinson]

Reichert's feelings are understandable, but misplaced. The game is not over. It's just halftime. In 1982, two boys found the first girl face down, floating in the Green River. She was followed by more than 40 others. Some were dumped in fields and rivers. Others simply disappeared. Detectives believe the killings to be the work of one unidentified man, a man who suddenly stopped killing in the mid-1980s. Dave Reichert was there when the first body was found. Now he is the elected sheriff of King County. Through the years, Reichert has worked hundreds of homicides, but has never forgotten the Green River Killer.

[Dave Reichert]

I would continually get tips. Even after I left, people associated me still with this case. So I would get letters and phone calls about specific suspects.

[Marissa Pinson]

Reichert believes the case can still be solved and his best chance is a blossoming field of forensic DNA. Bev Himmick is a DNA analyst at the state crime lab in Seattle. In the summer of 2001, Reichert gives clearance for her to work the Green river case. Earlier attempts at DNA testing had met with failure. Even worse, they had used up almost all of the semen samples collected at four different Green river crime scenes. Himmock is left with a few wisps of cotton and the sticks from 4Q tips, each containing miniscule amounts of semen. Using a new technique known as short tandem repeat, or STR DNA testing, Himmock does what no one before her could. She harvests a genetic profile of the Green River Killer. It was really exciting. We knew that we've got good potential here to get some information.

[Dave Reichert]

This is going to happen this time.

[Marissa Pinson]

Himmock enters the unknown mail profile into the national DNA database, but fails to get a match. Himmock then turns to the suspect list. At the top of that short list, a local truck painter named gary Ridgeway. In 1987, Ridgway provided police with a DNA sample by chewing on a piece of gauze. Himmock pulls out the gauze and goes to work. I analyzed the gauze that was chewed on from him that was collected in the 80s, and there was a match. Within a week, Himmock links Gary Ridgeway to three more victims. Detective Tom Jensen hand carries the DNA report to Sheriff Reichert's office.

[Dave Reichert]

He pulls out this envelope and he hands it to me and he says, there's mug shots in here. And I said, tom, I don't even need to open that scary Ridgeway.

[Marissa Pinson]

Despite the DNA links, Reichert is not quite ready to arrest his suspect. He convenes the top secret group of advisors who counsel Reichert to wait, watch, and build his case. On the surface, Gary Ridgway seems uncomplicated, almost boring. He grew up in King county, right off the SeaTac Strip. Ridgway struggled in high school, but managed to graduate. After serving in the military, Ridgway took up work in a paint factory. Thirty years later, he is married with a child, still painting trucks, and oblivious to the silent army of detectives that now shadow his every move. Jeff Baird is a deputy prosecutor for King County.

[Dave Reichert]

He was spending a lot of time cruising those same areas of prostitution that had been so, to use a word, poorly, so productive for him earlier. And eventually, within a short period of time, actually, he was arrested trying to pick up an undercover police officer. So it was evident that he was at least in the process of looking for prostitutes, if not actively seeking to kill them at the time.

[Marissa Pinson]

The Green River Task Force is playing a dangerous game, keeping an active serial killer under surveillance. It might allow them to gain valuable evidence, but it also gives Ridgway the chance to hunt and perhaps kill again.

[Dave Reichert]

The idea that he was still actively picking up prostitutes made it just too dangerous to try to continue to keep him under surveillance. And so it was decided to arrest him.

[Marissa Pinson]

On November 30, 2001, two detectives confront Ridgway as he leaves work.

[Dave Reichert]

He walked over and they said, Mr. Ridgeway. He said, yes, you're under arrest for the murders of four women connected to the Green river case. His reply pretty much was, oh, okay.

[Marissa Pinson]

After 14 stalled years, all of a sudden, the Green river killer case is revived. Science provides the link between Ridgeway and four of the Green river victims. Cold case detectives, however, believe he is responsible for for much more. The question is, can they prove it? Skip Palahniuk is a forensic microscopist. With just a few specks of dust or paint, he can tell you where they came from.

[Dave Reichert]

Our specialty is identifying these very small amounts of material and trying to find everything we can about them.

[Marissa Pinson]

In the course of examining dozens of murder victims, Sheriff Dave Reichert and his task force have noticed something unusual. Tiny chips of paint found on the clothing of several victims. Microscopic analysis reveals a rare high end brand of spray paint known as Dupont Imron.

[Dave Reichert]

That paint was not something that someone could just go out and buy. It was a very specific kind of paint for a very specific reason.

[Marissa Pinson]

Dupont Imran is used almost exclusively for commercial painting. But more importantly, it is the brand used by Gary Ridgway at work. For Ridgeway's defense attorney, Anthony Savage, the paint analysis is bad news.

[Dave Reichert]

Now you've got really four deaths tied in via DNA or location. You've got three other deaths that are tied to Gary by paint. Well, now, what are the chances that seven deaths can be tied into Gary Ridgeway and and him not having something to do with him? Well, chances aren't very good.

[Marissa Pinson]

Ridgeway's lawyers sit down with their client and explain the facts of a murder case. If Ridgway goes to trial, he will probably lose and enter in a place on death row.

[Dave Reichert]

At that point, Gary broke down and started to cry and said, well, maybe he should start cooperating.

[Marissa Pinson]

Savage extends an offer to the state. His client will take police to the dump sites of the women still missing if he can avoid the death penalty. Prosecutor Noor Malling's initial reaction is predictable.

[Dave Reichert]

No. How could I ever consider setting aside the death penalty? If any case screams out for consideration of the death penalty by a jury, this case was it.

[Marissa Pinson]

Over the next three weeks, Malling wrestles with the idea of a plea for Ridgeway and finally concludes that seeking answers for the families is the right thing to do.

[Dave Reichert]

It had nothing to do with mercy for Gary Ridgeway because he didn't deserve mercy. He didn't deserve to live. But it's the victims and the families of the victims who deserved mercy.

[Marissa Pinson]

On June 13, 2003, the deal is signed. Gary Ridgway pleads guilty to 48 counts of murder and agrees to tell investigation gators his story. You know those perfect summer moments? Lounging by the pool, toes in the water, drink in hand. Those moments have become my new favorite time to learn Spanish with Rosetta Stone. It's been the most relaxing, unexpectedly productive part of my summer. Rosetta Stone has been the trusted name in language learning for over 30 years. And it's easy to see why the way they teach is so natural. You'll absorb the language, the way we actually learn to speak, first with words, then building to phrases and progressing to full sentences. Their True Accent feature is amazing too. It gives me instant feedback on pronunciation because knowing I'm pronouncing words correctly gives me much more confidence when I speak. And the best part? I can hop on anytime from my laptop or phone, by the pool, on a walk, even a quick session before bed. Whether you're learning for travel, to connect with family, or just to challenge yourself this summer, this is a great way to spend your time with 25 languages, a lifetime membership and the flexibility to learn whenever, wherever. Rosetta Stone is seriously the summer upgrade you didn't know you needed. Don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential now. Cold Case Files Listeners can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com Coldcase to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to RosettaStone.com Coldcase and start learning today. This episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack sponsor. IQ Bar is the better for you. Plant protein based snack made with brain boosting nutrients to refuel, nourish and satisfy hunger without the sugar crash. Is it possible for smart snacking to actually taste good? When IQ Bar sent me their ultimate Sampler pack, I went straight for the chocolate sea salt. And yes, it was love at first bite. These bars are soft, satisfying, not too sweet and they actually keep me full energized but not jittery focused but not crashing an hour later. And get this IQ bars are totally free from gluten, dairy, soy GMOs and artificial sweeteners. It's clean ingredients with benefits. Plus they've got nine amazing flavors including peanut butter chip, Lemon blueberry, banana nut and Toasted coconut chip. With over 20,000 5 star reviews, more people than ever are kicking off their days with IQ Bars, Brain and Body Boosting bars, hydration mixes and even mushroom coffee. I love having a healthier snack option that not only tastes great, but makes me feel good too. And right now IQ Bar is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQ bar products plus get free shipping to get your 20% off. Text cold to 64,000 text cold to 64,000. That's cold to 64,000. Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. For five months following his plea agreement, serial killer Gary Ridgway exists in isolation and is questioned daily about the details of murder as detectives suspected Ridgeway hunted on Seattle's streets, promising women any amount of money just to get them inside his truck.

[Dave Reichert]

And I would talk to her about that and get her mind off of anything that she was nervous about, and she thinks, oh, this guy cares. And which I. I didn't. I just wanted to get her in the vehicle and eventually kill her. It's almost as if you can think of Mr. Ridgeway's decision tree about killing as sort of a binary process. I mean, you know, he sees an individual, and his first yes, no question that he asks himself is, can I get some kind of sexual gratification out of this person? And if the answer is yes, he goes to the second question, which is, can I kill this person? And if that answer is yes, then he asks himself the question, if I kill this person, will I get away with it? And if he gets three yeses, he kills.

[Marissa Pinson]

As fear of the Green River Killer mounted, Ridgway would employ any ruse to get a victim inside his truck, Even using his son's picture as a. That's a devastatingly effective lure for murder.

[Dave Reichert]

So every time I opened up my wallet, there would be a picture of my son on one side, and they'd see that, and that would lower any big defenses, See what a great guy. I mean, I'm out here picking up prostitutes, but I'm a family man. Would I be. Would the Green River Killer have a son, a job, and a family?

[Marissa Pinson]

Eventually, Ridgeway's interrogation team turns to the most important task at hand. Getting him to talk about the women that are still missing.

[Dave Reichert]

There's another dump site out there, probably, huh? He doesn't remember faces or names. Thing that he remembers is where he put them so he could go back and have power and control one more time.

[Marissa Pinson]

In 1984, investigators consulted with serial killer Ted Bundy about a possible profile of the Green River Killer.

[Dave Reichert]

The best chance you have of catching this guy red handed.

[Marissa Pinson]

Bundy told detectives that the killer was revisiting his outdoor dump sites for the express purpose of having sex with the corpses. Turns out Ted Bundy was right in.

[Dave Reichert]

Most of those cases. He went back, and as sick as it sounds, he had sex with the dead bodies. Even describes having to move maggots aside to plead his deal.

[Marissa Pinson]

At one point, his interrogators attempt to get to the root cause of Ridgway's fascination with the dead.

[Dave Reichert]

What was it about having sex with a dead body that you preferred over just going out and getting another woman to kill? One thing you'd have to pay for it. She was already. She was already dead. Well, Mr. Ridgeway is, as you would expect, not a normal sort of person. In one of the few really revealing insights that he demonstrated into his own personality, he was asked by a psychologist whether there was something missing in him that was present in other people. And without hesitation, he replied, that caring thing.

[Marissa Pinson]

The task force begins taking Ridgway on field trips to previous body recovery sites. The trip seem to trigger Ridgeway's memory, and bodies begin to surface.

[Dave Reichert]

That is the area where I put her, yes.

[Marissa Pinson]

Sue Peters is a member of the dig team. We're out there digging for hours and.

[Dave Reichert]

Whacking BlackBerry bushes, and the reward is finding the body.

[Marissa Pinson]

As the year draws to a close, however, the digs more often than not turn up nothing but an empty hole, leaving the team to wonder if the remaining grave sites might be lost forever.

[Dave Reichert]

The job's not done yet.

[Marissa Pinson]

There still are victims out in King county or possibly other jurisdictions that we.

[Dave Reichert]

Haven'T recovered, we haven't located yet. So I guess we're not 100% satisfied.

[Marissa Pinson]

The hunt for bodies continues, but the healing has also begun. It starts with Gary Ridgeway appearing in open court and answering for his crimes.

[Dave Reichert]

How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count one for the death of Wendy Lee Caulfield? Guilty.

[Marissa Pinson]

On November 5, 2003, a judge reads a list of the deceased from 19 years of killing at the hands of Gary Ridgeway.

[Dave Reichert]

Guilty. As the names were being read off one at a time, how do you plead? Guilty. How do you plead? Guilty. And you get to 17 and then 20 and then 25, and then you're at 30, and then you're at 35, and then you're at 40. How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree for the death of Shirley M. Sherrill? Guilty. Halfway through the litany of women's names, it hit me again just how many people this man had killed. You know, it was as if he had committed an act of genocide. How do you plead to the charge of aggravated murder in the first degree as charged in count 31 for the death of Debbie M. Abernethy? Guilty. The feeling that you had when you sat there and listened to that plea hearing is, yes, these young women were in a troubled time in their life, but they had moms and they had dads and they had brothers and sisters. They had people that loved them.

[Marissa Pinson]

Six weeks after the plea comes sentencing, where the families get a chance to speak to the man who took their loved ones. The sentiments range from understandable anger to perhaps the most powerful a mood of forgiveness.

[Dave Reichert]

You've made it difficult to live up to what I believe. And that is what God says to do. And that's to forgive. And he doesn't say to forgive just certain people. He says to forgive all. So you are forgiven, sir.

[Marissa Pinson]

The victims families accomplish what no interrogator could do. Crack the facade of Gary Ridgeway. He breaks down in tears and I.

[Dave Reichert]

Am sorry for you.

[Marissa Pinson]

The judge who presides over Gary's sentencing, however, doesn't buy the tears.

[Dave Reichert]

The remarkable thing about you sir, is your remarkable Teflon coated emotions and complete absence of genuine compassion for the young women that you murdered. The women you killed were not throwaways or pieces of candy in a dish. Placed upon this planet for the sole purpose of satisfying your murderous desires. While you could not face them as you took their lives. You will face those young women in your dreams and private thoughts. Of your grisly deeds you will be haunted for the balance of your life.

[Marissa Pinson]

Gary Ridgway is sentenced to 48 consecutive life terms. The rest of his life will be spent in a prison cell alone with the memories of those he killed. For Sheriff Dave Reichert, pursuit of the Green River Killer has been a lifelong quest. Difficult at times, but one that has found its own reward.

[Dave Reichert]

You know the thing that's strange for me is that started out as the lead investigator in this case in 1982 and to be the sheriff now, when it all comes to completion, is the is just an honor and a privilege. This summer Pluto TV is exploding with thousands of free movies. Summer of cinema is here. Feel the explosive action all summer long with movies like Gladiator, Mission Impossible, Beverly.

[Marissa Pinson]

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[Dave Reichert]

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[Marissa Pinson]

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