The murderer dubbed the Green River Killer was eventually identified as Gary Leon Ridgway, a boring little man of meager intelligence, whose presence was so painfully average and unremarkable he was able to lure, torture, and kill dozens of young women without anyone noticing or even suspecting him. My tie said that she was no longer walking on this plane., In Seattle, the investigation stalled for years. DNA evidence ties Ridgway to four of the cases, and circumstantial evidence to several others. Ms. Gaspar struggled to resume life without Wendy. She was remembered by friends as an extremely generous girl who didnt have a malicious bone in her body. She was last seen on March 3rd, 1983, on Pacific Highway South. Within a month, four other bodies were found on the riverbank: Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Cynthia Jean Hinds. The body was that of Wendy Lee Coffield, a dropout and runaway. That spring, Mr. Ridgway became a suspect in the Green River case when a tip led detectives to his door. But it seemed absurd that her daughter could be the victim of a serial killer. Terri was 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. Revised December 2, 2001, The Free Encyclopedia of Washington State History. If your kid doesnt come home, somethings wrong, she said. Death certificate says she died of accidental drug and alcohol overdose, . Linda Rule known to her family as Janie had a background all too familiar among Green River victims. 26 Feb 1966 - 28 Aug 1982. He was hazy on the details, but said he thought he had picked Wendy up near a K.F.C. Call (collect if necessary): 206-263-2130, Call between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. to arrange to speak with a detective. Some of them had histories of prostitution, and many were last seen along Pacific Highway South near Sea-Tac airport. Though she only discussed these things with people she was very close with. Denise Darcel Bush Gail decided not to go, instead announcing she would go to work so that they can keep their motel room for a few more nights. Delores Lavern Williams We're looking for the current whereabouts of these women, or their true names, or names of associates and relatives and when these women were seen last. This is a carousel with slides. Hair styles are only a best guess. According to the police, she had a history of prostitution. GreenRiverKillings. It was just really strange.. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The man replied that he had not. Along with the circumstances of Wendy's young life, when the 15-year-old girl, desperate for love and safety, tragically encountered a remorseless serial . By 1984, the number of dead or missing women . You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The two just had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Seattles International District. Sandra D. Major On July 15, 1982, the body of Wendy Lee Coffield was found in the Green River. By 1991, the task force was reduced to one person: Detective Jensen. There was such a high volume of victims, she said in an interview before her death. Delise Louise Plager After giving birth to a healthy baby boy, she put him up for adoption and married a man named Kenneth Mathews, 24, in 1977. April Buttram Mary Bridgett Meehan Hair styles are only a best guess. People werent strangers to her. Never has done anything like this. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. The last time her mother, Nancy McIntyre, saw Sandra was when they met for lunch at a Mexican restaurant where Sandra talked all about her upcoming trip to San Francisco and Hollywood. The couple separated in 1980 and decided to share custody, although their daughter spent most of her time with her father. Andrea M. Childers Tom Estes yesterday acknowledged that charging Ridgway in his daughter's death was good news, but he declined further comment. For years the Green River Killer case will have the largest number of unsolved murders attributed to one individual in the history of the United States. This account has been disabled. Sandra was last seen alive on April 17th of 1983 on Pacific Highway South near South 142nd Street. Thus began one of the longest and largest serial murder investigations in United States history. She sometimes said that it would be better for the baby if her mother adopted Shaunt. Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer - America's Deadliest Serial Murderer, Pocket Star. ). There were women he confessed to killing but whose bodies could not be found. She was only 17 at the time of her disappearance. In shock, he sat down and waited for help to arrive. Wendy was a runaway who had a history of prostitution. In the fall of 2019, the King County Sheriffs Office contacted Colleen Fitzpatrick, a co-founder, along with Margaret Press, of the DNA Doe Project. Alma Ann Smith Despite the counseling she was receiving, Alma returned to prostitution and left the center. 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. From the time Debra Estes was a small child she was considered a headstrong, wild girl who was almost impossible to rein in. My family left, and she was gone, Ms. Gaspar said. Becky Marrero Just a day or two later, sometime in August 1983, Wendy ran away for the last time. Burial Details Unknown Tammie Charlene Liles Flowers have been left. Lisa L. Yates Constance Naon As is the case for many young women, Wendy Lee Coffield began acting out pretty much the moment she hit puberty. Mary Exzetta West CLICK HERE FOR MORE! A number of sources refer to the bridge as "Peck Bridge". Drag images here or select from your computer for Wendy Lee Coffield memorial. What mother had been missing them for decades? Marie was last seen on S216th and Pacific Highway South where her boyfriend/pimp witnessed Marie getting into a truck with a primer spot up by the tailgate. Advertise With Wicked Horror. Within hours of Sandras last known sighting, 16 year old Kimi-Kai Pitsor was seen for the last time in Downtown Seattle. The two girls found in the water, later identified as Marcia Chapman, 31, and Cynthia Hinds, 17, were both found to have pyramid-shaped rocks lodged in their vaginal cavities. Gary Ridgwaypled guilty to the homicides of the 49people listed below. An Arizona native, 31 year old Marcia- who was known as Tiny by her friends- was a single mother of three children (ages 11, 9 and 3 as of 1982) who turned to sex work to support them; she refused the services of a pimp for protection, that way she wouldnt have to share her earnings. Almost everyone that knew 18 year old Mary Meehan would describe her as outgoing and vibrant. They struggled financially, often living in many low-income housing units and tents, and would pick blackberries in the fields during the summer in order to afford food. As the winter of 1982-83 wore on, Ms. Gaspar did her best to keep track of her daughter. Over time, the combination of advancing technology, science, and determined investigative work advanced the case until an arrest was made in 2001. By 1983 Carol was a young mother separated from her husband but she was determined to make it work for the sake of her daughter, Sarah, her absolute pride and joy. She loved writing. But some unknowns persist. Seconds later he saw another floating corpse of a half nude black woman, partially submerged in the water. Please enter your email and password to sign in. After falling in with the wrong friends Dub dropped out of high school, began abusing alcohol and fought with her parents. based on information from your browser. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. We never thought that it would be permanent.. With sparse evidence, her murder remained unsolved. Maybe both. The two stayed in a small apartment in Washington State. Are You A Horror Filmmaker? Through interviews with family members, police officers and forensic investigators, we can stitch together the life and death of a young woman who was known as Jane Doe B-10 longer than she was known as Wendy. The teenage girl was a runaway who had recently escaped from a juvenile detention center in Pierce County. Two teenage boys were cycling across the Meeker Street Bridge in Kent, Washington, when they spotted something floating in the water. She was stunned. There is also very little information available on Shawnda Summers. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Her mother described Wendy as a chronic runaway, someone who was running away from unhappiness or seeking excitement. Marcia Chapman and Cynthia Hinds, victims of the Green River Killer. Thesethree women are listed on the official Green River Homicides list. (Photo by Kurt Smith, copyright MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107), Members of an Explorer Search & Rescue unit comb a field north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. and bring you home again. Gisele A. Lovvorn The last time Kenneth saw his wife was sometime in 1982, when she dropped off their daughter for the last time. On the night of April 10th, 1983, Gail and Curt spent most of their evening at the VIP Tavern, located a few blocks away from their motel. Debra Lynn Bonner, 23, July 25, 1982, last seen south of Sea-Tac Airport. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Photos taken over the past three decades tell part of the story of serial killer Gary Ridgway's crimes against Norhtwest women and girls. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. A vegan activist tried to ruin a chef's pub by posting fake one-star reviews on Tripadvisor despite having never visited the restaurant.. Joss Beechim-Horton runs the Manor House Inn in Callington . Within a month, fourother bodies were found on the riverbank:Debra Lynn Bonner, Marcia Faye Chapman, Opal Charmaine Mills and Cynthia Jean Hinds. Marcia Faye Chapman She left her family home though she called her parents often to check in became pregnant and miscarried twice and was experimenting with drugs, mostly marijuana and LSD. Ridgway's decision to dump his victims in this river earned him the nickname "the Green River Killer." Were they actually dead? Her brother, Terry, stated She still was a human being and she still had family that cared and loved her just like all the other ones had family that cared and loved them. The bridge is close to Riverfront Park. Wendy was 16 years old and last seen on July 8, 1982 in the Tacoma, Washington area.

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