Green River Killer booked again in King County Jail

The Green River Killer, serial killer Gary Ridgway, has been booked again at the King County Jail.

According to a news release from Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Ridgway was booked on Monday at 10:42 a.m.

Detectives are remaining tight-lipped about why he was booked.

“Since Gary Ridgway’s arrest in 2001 pertaining to the Green River murder investigation, the King County Sheriff’s Office continues to actively investigate potentially related cases,” Brandyn Hull with the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) stated in an email to MyNorthwest on Monday.

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In a 2013 interview with KIRO Newsradio’s Charlie Harger, Ridgway confessed to killing far more than the 49 victims from his plea deal.

“The total number is 75 to 80,” Ridgway said.

During those conversations, Ridgway said he wanted to help investigators locate additional sites where he left his victims.

In 2003, King County Prosecuting Attorney Norm Maleng traded the death penalty for the truth about unresolved cases.

“It was not about what Gary Ridgway deserved, it was about what the families deserved,” the news release stated. “Ridgway agreed to lead investigators to the graves of his victims. That allowed families to know with certainty what happened to their loved ones.”

Ridgway is currently serving 49 consecutive life sentences for murder.

In January, KCSO reported it identified the last set of remains from the Green River Killer case belonging to Tammie Liles.

Some of Liles’ remains were first discovered in 1985 near Tigard, Oregon. In 2003, they were labeled as “Bones 20.”

In 2022, Othram — a company that specializes in forensic genetic genealogy to resolve unsolved murders and disappearances — was contracted by KCSO to attempt to build a suitable DNA profile and conduct associated forensic genetic genealogical research.

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Liles’ mother later provided a DNA sample that was sent to the University of North Texas, the sheriff’s office reported. Then, using traditional STR and mitochondrial DNA testing it was determined that the remained to Liles.

Ridgway pled guilty to murdering 48 women in King County between 1982 and 1998 in November 2003, as stated on HistoryLink.org.

According to McNerthney, Ridgway may still face the death penalty if convicted of murder outside of King County.

Contributing: Charlie Harger, KIRO Newsradio and Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.

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