Reichert rejects state's claim they moved Green River Killer to Colorado because he was a threat in prison

OLYMPIA, Wash. — On Friday at a state Senate committee hearing, KIRO 7 learned the Department of Corrections spent $20,000 to move serial killer Gary Ridgway from Walla Walla to the ADX federal prison in Colorado. Prison officials were concerned he was becoming a threat after 10 years in the same cell.
 
"So the time that he's there studying the cell," said Corrections Secretary Dan Pacholke "Studying the weaknesses, studying the staff, studying the routines.  We really referred him to ADX to increase security around Ridgway and mitigating the possibility that he could escape or harm our staff."
 
"Ridgway is a coward," said U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, who as King County sheriff helped convict Ridgway of murdering 49 young women.
 
He's outraged Ridgway was moved and doesn't buy the reason why.
               
"He's a coward," Reichert reiterated. "He attacked 15-year-old girls from behind and choked them to death. He's not going to attack a prison guard."
 
Victims' family members were equally upset when they found out.
 
"I couldn't understand why the parole board, or whoever, was making allowances for him," said Mertie Winston, whose 19-year-old daughter, Tracy, was murdered by Ridgway.
 
The Department of Corrections then spent another $20,000 to fly Ridgway back to Walla Walla after the outcry.
 
"It's certainly after the fact that we learn about the concerns," said Pacholke.  "Certainly was not our intent to be disrespectful."
 
Reichert is now calling for changes and more transparency from the Department of Corrections.  And he wants Ridgway to give details on 16 other murders he bragged about -- but was never convicted of.
 
"If he wants to socialize," said Reichert, "then maybe what he needs to be doing is telling us about each and every other case that he hasn't told us about today."

KIRO