the Green River Killer Gary Ridgeway welcome to orian stories where we uncover the most disturbing and Infamous True Crime cases in history today we dive into the chilling case of the Green River Killer one of the most prolific serial killers in American history Gary Ridgeway The Man Behind the nickname evaded capture for nearly two decades while committing unspeakable crimes that left an indelible mark on the Pacific Northwest the nightmare began in the early 1980s when the bodies of several women were found along the banks of the Green River in Washington state the victims most of them young women and vulnerable teenagers had been strangled and discarded in remote wooded areas the case was one of the most terrifying to ever hit the region as women continued to disappear and bodies kept turning up between 1982 and 1998 Gary Ridgeway murdered at least 49 women though he later confessed to killing many more his victims were often runaways or sex workers women he believed would not be missed ridgeway's ability to lure his victims to their deaths often under the pretense of offering a ride or companionship showed a chilling level of manipulation and cruelty Ridgeway used the Green River as his Dumping Ground earning him the notorious title of the Green River Killer for years the police and FBI were locked in a frustrating investigation struggling to find the Killer despite collecting evidence and interviewing countless suspect the randomness of the murders combined with ridgeway's ability to blend into his surroundings made him extremely difficult catch what made the case even more frustrating for investigators was the fact that Ridgeway had been interviewed several times by police and was even briefly considered a suspect early in the investigation however without definitive evidence he was able to continue his Killing Spree undetected ridgeway's outward appearance was that of an ordinary man he worked as a truck painter for nearly 30 years had a family and attended church regularly this facade of normaly allowed him to fly under the radar for years while committing horrific crimes he later admitted that his hatred for women particularly sex workers drove him to kill and he took satisfaction in his ability to evade Justice for so long in 2001 after nearly 20 years of hunting the Green River Killer investigators finally caught a break advances in DNA technology allowed authorities to link Ridgeway to several of the murders through DNA found on the victim in November of that year Ridgeway was arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder facing the overwhelming evidence against him Ridgeway eventually confessed to the murders in exchange for a plea deal that spared him the death penalty in 2003 he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole 49 confirmed murders though he later claimed his true victim count could be closer to 80 during his confession Ridgeway described how he would lure his victims often gaining their trust by acting friendly and unassuming once alone he would strangle them usually with his bare hands or a ligature after the murders he would often return to the bodies to engage in necrofilia a disturbing detail further highlight the depravity of his crimes despite his confessions and conviction bull scope of ridgeway's crimes may never be known some of his victim's bodies were never recovered and many families continued to search for answers about their missing loved one the impact of his Killing Spree left a permanent scar on the community and the case remains one of the most Haunting in American criminal history G ridgeway's ability to lead a double life appearing as a regular law-abiding citizen while secretly carrying out a campaign of Terror has left many to wonder how such evil could go unnoticed for so long his case also raised important questions about law enforcement's ability to track down serial killers Target vulnerable individual especially those living on the fringes of society Green River Killer case stands as a grim reminder of the monsters who sometimes hide in plain sight and it underscores the importance of never forgetting the victim whose lives were taken so cruy thank you for watching this episode of orian story if you found this case as chilling as we did please give this video a like don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more true crime stories that uncover the darkest sides of human nature hit the notification Bell so you never miss an update and join us again for more stories that challenge what we think we know about the people around us [Applause] [Music]