Landmark Cases
Green River Killer Case
Also Known As The Riverman The term Ted Bundy himself used for the then-unidentified killer during his prison consultations with investigators, later the title of Robert Keppel's book.
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A series of murders in Washington State from 1982 onward; Gary Ridgway had been a suspect since 1982 but evaded conviction until DNA profiling advances led to his arrest in 2001.
Facts
Case YearSourced to the subject's own account LocationSourced to the subject's own accountKing County, Washington, United States 1 Investigative or Reform SignificanceSourced to the subject's own accountDemonstrates how advances in DNA profiling technology can definitively resolve a cold case decades after the crimes and after a suspect first evaded conviction. 1 Case StatusSourced to the subject's own account Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Keppel led the task force and brought in incarcerated Ted Bundy for offender-insight consultations.
Exemplifies
The murders went unsolved for nearly two decades before DNA evidence closed the case.
Investigated By
The King County Sheriff's Office formed the Green River Task Force, which included detectives Robert D. Keppel and Dave Reichert, to investigate the murders.
Used In
DNA analysis of preserved evidence identified Gary Ridgway two decades after the murders.
In the Other Atlases
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Frequently Asked Questions
How did Ridgway evade capture for two decades despite being a suspect since 1982?
Investigators lacked the forensic means to conclusively link him to the murders at the time. It was only later advances in DNA profiling technology that allowed his DNA to be matched to evidence from the crimes, leading to his arrest in 2001.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
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