The Beginning

          On July 15, 1982, the body of Wendy Lee Coffield was found in the Green River in a rural area of the City of Kent in King County, Washington.  Another body was found in the river within a month.  Detective Dave Reichert was assigned as the lead homicide investigator.  Within a few days, Reichert was again at the banks of the river investigating more deaths.  While surveying the riverbank near two bodies on August 15, he and Detective Sue Peters discovered another body near the Green River.  It was clear that the community was not dealing with an isolated crime.  Meeting in the homicide and robbery unit of the King County Sheriff’s Office, a team (Green River Task Force) was formed to investigate these series of seemingly linked crimes.  

            Thus began one of the longest and largest serial murder investigations in United States history.  Eventually, the deaths of at least 48 women would be linked to the Green River killer.  Over the course of the next twenty-one years, investigators would compile over 500,000 pages of documents and files on the Green River killer case.

DNA Match Leads to Charges and Guilty Plea

            In April of 2001, Dave Reichert, (who was elected Sheriff of King County in 1997), brought together an evidence team to review the Green River killer investigation.  In September of 2001, Task Force Detectives informed Sheriff Reichert that the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab had matched DNA evidence to suspect Gary Leon Ridgway.  The patience of investigators succeeded in definitively tying the physical evidence to a single suspect.  On November 30, 2001, Gary Leon Ridgway was arrested and subsequently charged with the murders of seven young women.

The Plea Bargain 

          On June 13, 2003, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and Gary Ridgway entered into an agreement.  In exchange for the Prosecutor not seeking the death penalty, Ridgway agreed to plead guilty to all murders that he committed in King County.  He agreed to provide complete, truthful and candid information concerning the crimes that he had committed in King County and answer all questions during interviews conducted by the detectives or the prosecuting attorney.  Ridgway agreed to disclose the existence and precise location of all undiscovered remains of victims. 

            On November 5, 2003, in King County Superior Court, Gary Leon Ridgway pled guilty to 48 counts of Aggravated Murder in the First Degree.

Violent Crime Victim Services Steps In

            In early October 2003, Violent Crime Victim Services director Lew Cox, was contacted by the King County Prosecutor’s Office and asked if he would assist the family of Green River killer victim, Marie Malvar.  Marie Malvar was reported missing in May of 1983, from Pacific Highway South, in Des Moines, WA.

            The Green River Task Force discovered her remains October 2, 2003.  Violent Crime Victim Services presented the Malvar family with direct services and transportation assistance.  Because of Lew’s position as a volunteer chaplain with the Des Moines Police Department, he was also asked to perform the funeral service for Marie Malvar.  This family had been waiting twenty years to know the fate of their loved one.  At the funeral, Marie’s father draped his body over the casket of his daughter.  He emptied out twenty years of tears and pain, his grief providing poignant evidence of the enormous anguish the Green River killer has caused so many families.

            Within two weeks of the Malvar funeral, Lew was contacted a second time by the King County Prosecutor’s Office to assist yet another Green River victim’s family.  Pammy Avent was reported missing on October 26, 1983, and the Green River Task Force discovered her remains on September 23, 2003.   The Avent family asked Lew to perform the funeral service for Pammy.  During the service, four of Pammy’s friends gave life statements about her.  They acknowledged that Pammy’s fate could have easily been their fate too, as they were all working on the streets with Pammy when she came up missing.  One of them stated she had actually been in Gary Ridgway’s grip, but was able to get away.  All four of them said that they eventually changed their life styles and became Christians. 

            Lew met with Pammy’s mother before the funeral.  He found her to be a delightful person who loved Pammy very much.  She told him that she was the last family member to see her twin daughter alive.  She said she believed all those years that Pammy was still alive.  She found out that Pammy had become a victim of the Green River Killer when the Task Force Detectives knocked on her door with the information in September.  She said, “Even though it was painful to receive that information, it was still better to know, then not to know Pammy’s fate.”  She said, “I no longer wonder what happened to Pammy, now I know.”

The Courtroom

            On November 5, 2003, Lew was present at the plea bargain hearing of Gary Leon Ridgway.  It took place in the largest courtroom in the King County Courthouse.  There were twenty-nine families present out of the 48 victims of Gary Ridgway’s murderous spree.  Also present was the Green River Task Force Detectives, Sheriff Dave Reichert, and all levels of the news media.  Representatives from the King County Sheriff’s Chaplaincy, members of the Sheriff Department’s SWAT team and King County Sheriff’s deputies were positioned throughout the courtroom.  Additionally, Ridgway’s defense team and the Green River Task Force Prosecution Team were also present.  Security was extremely high and no one was allowed in the courtroom unless his or her name was on the approval list.  TV cameras were in position to broadcast the hearing across the nation and to other parts of the world.  Down the hall from the courtroom, an overflow room was set up for the news media to watch the proceedings on close-circuit TV.  The scene was set to focus in on the most horrific serial killer that the United States has ever known.

              Lew was present at the hearing to assist the Green River Task Force in supporting the victim’s family members before and after the hearing.  The family members occupied two-thirds of the courtroom.  They assembled thirty minutes before the hearing started at 9 a.m.  Lew observed that the families did a lot of talking with each other, and a group of strangers became united in their grief and outrage.  Ten minutes before the hearing started the mood started to change.  It started to get very quiet in the courtroom and a feeling of extreme tension saturated the air.  The families stopped talking and many of them bent their heads towards the floor, taking deep breaths, preparing themselves for what was about to happen.  Sheriff Dave Reichert’s head was facing down, as if in deep concentration.  Six members of the prosecution team were in position at a table on the right side of the trial area.  Eight members of Ridgway’s defense team were positioned on the left side.  There were two TV monitors stationed toward the back of the courtroom so people could see a close up of the proceedings.  Everything and everyone was in place.

              At 9:05am Gary Leon Ridgway suddenly appeared in the courtroom, escorted by armed security.  He sat down next to his attorneys and immediately the proceedings began.  Lew said, “It is very difficult to describe what I felt being in the presence of a psychopathic killer responsible for the deaths of 48 young women.  In my mind, I could not conceptualize what I was experiencing as each victim’s name was read.  The question I asked myself over and over again… how could this man, who looks so unassuming, systematically murder 48 young women and not show any emotions in the courtroom?”

               When that part of the proceeding was over, Ridgway stood in front of the judge.  The judge asked him 48 separate times what his plea was as he read each victim’s name from the list.  Ridgway plead guilty to all 48 counts of murder.

              “The pain in the courtroom ran deeper than any encounter I’ve ever experienced in fifteen years of being an advocate for families of homicide victims” Lew said.  “The tremendous grief expressed by so many families gathered in one courtroom was unprecedented in the history of the United States.” 

            When the proceedings were over, the judge remanded Ridgway back into custody.  After Ridgway left the courtroom, Sheriff Dave Reichert and the Green River Task Force detectives prepared to leave in a group.  As they stood, many families of the victims applauded as they left the room.  Then the families left the courtroom to meet with the Task Force Prosecutors for a debriefing.

Understanding the Decision Against the Death Penalty

            The decision was made by King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng not to seek the death penalty against Ridgway, and ninety-five percent of the victim’s families supported his decision.  Does Ridgway deserve to die for his crimes?  Absolutely!  However, the way the criminal justice system is set up with the appeal process and the posture of the Ninth Circuit Court on the death penalty, Ridgway may never be executed.  If there had not been a plea bargain, Ridgway would never have cooperated with the Green River Task Force, he wouldn’t have showed them where remains were located and he would not have admitted to the other homicides.  The two families that Lew provided funeral services for would never have had the funeral if it had not been for the plea agreement.  Their daughter’s remains would never have been found.   The parents of all 48 victims of the Green River killer now know the fate of their daughters.  Many of the parents that Lew spoke to agreed that it was better to know the fate of their daughters, than not to know.

Continuing the Search

          There are some victim’s remains that have not yet been discovered.  Many of the families may never know where the remains of their loved ones are located, but it will not be for the lack of effort by the Green River Task Force.  This committed team of detectives has dedicated years of their lives to catch this monstrous killer.  When the plea agreement was made with Ridgway, the reformed Green River Task Force started digging for victims’ remains, following the directions of Ridgway.  Since June, they have been non-stop in their search of over 30 sites to locate the remainder of the bodies of all 48 victims.

              Ridgway claims he has murdered more than 60 women in King County.  He will only be charged with crimes where evidence provides the proof.  The Green River Task Force will continue to search crime scene sites until the time Ridgway is sentenced.  If they find additional victims that they believe he has murdered, the King County Prosecutor’s Office will charge him with those homicides.  During this interim time, the victim’s families will be preparing their oral impact statements to give before the court at the time of his sentencing.            

Violent Crime Victim Services programs have been made available to the Green River Task Force and the King County Prosecutor.  The Task Force’s job is criminal investigations; our job at VCVS is to provide advocacy for co-victims of homicide.  When the Task Force discovers a Green River killer victim, VCVS will be available to assist the victim’s family with direct services.

  Written by Paula Anderson 

(Some excerpts for this article were taken from the Green River Homicide Investigation Report)

Letter from the Executive Director 

            What ever the origin of Gary Ridgway’s evil, there is a checkpoint against evil…a time when evil plays itself out…digs its own grave, and God’s righteousness and justice prevails.

              I’m asked on a regular basis; “Lew, how are you able to be around people who are grieving because of an egregious act of violence on their loved one?”  I tell them, “I have a job that enables me to encourage co-victims of homicide during the deepest pain they’ll ever experience in a lifetime.”  This job puts me in touch with the most dedicated people in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.  Their job is to see that justice prevails.  My job is to see that co-victims of homicide have a meaningful role in the criminal justice system.  Together we work to make this world a safer place to live.

              The criminal justice system is funded by tax revenue.  Violent Crime Victim Services is funded by the generous gifts of those who believe what we do at VCVS makes a difference in our world.  I want to thank all of you who are contributors to VCVS.  Your financial support enables this organization to extend its services to families just like the Green River killer victim’s families.  You may never meet any of these families, but by being a partner with VCVS you become the tangible reason behind the services these families receive.  I never forget to ask God to bless you for your contributions.   I extend my warmest regards to you during this 2003 Holiday Season.   

   Lew Cox

Executive Director  

(Lew Cox is the founder and Executive Director of Violent Crime Victim Services. (In 1987, Mr. Cox’s 22 year old daughter was a murder victim)  Lew can be reached at…(Lew@vcvs.org)