Gary Ridgway was convicted of murdering 49 young women and girls — and then admitted to 65. He operated from the early 1980s into the 1990s. When you finally see who he is, the question is how this unremarkable little man got away with it for so long.
Where this was said
At 55:55 · chapter starts 55:30
Alaina caps Part 1 by noting that by the end of 1983, the Green River Killer was far from done — and lays out his ultimate known tally: convicted of 49 murders, he later confessed to 65. The hosts share a moment of disbelief that such an 'unremarkable little rat' could operate for so long, from the early 1980s into the 1990s. Ash observes that the idea of his face being the last you'd ever see is uniquely horrifying. To offer listeners a palate cleanser before signing off, Ash shares a fun fact: the average person in Sweden eats about 22 pounds of chocolate per year, prompting a brief, warm tangent about Swedish gummy candy and a recommendation to seek out Sweetish Candy.
Gary Ridgway was convicted of murdering 49 young women and girls, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.
Beyond his 49 convictions, Gary Ridgway later admitted to murdering 65 people in total.
Gary Ridgway operated as a serial killer from the early 1980s into the 1990s — nearly a decade — before being caught.
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More than a decade after his indictment, the US is still trying to extradite Kim Dotcom from New Zealand — even after he suffered a stroke. He cannot be convinced the authorities are on his side; only the legal process, run by his lawyers, keeps him free.
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Season 5 of Dateline: Missing in America brings six new unsolved mysteries. The show is explicitly asking listeners to engage — because a detail someone remembers might be the break investigators need.
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