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Episode 671: Gary Ridgway : Redux Part I - Wrong Way Gary

Explore episode Jul 3, 2026
True Crime
Wrong Way Gary: The Nickname That Followed Him

Episode 671: Gary Ridgway : Redux Part I - Wrong Way Gary · Jul 3, 2026 True Crime

Gary Ridgway's coworkers at Kenworth Trucking called him 'Wrong Way' because he constantly repainted entire trucks after using the wrong color or paint type. He hated the name. The pattern was consistent: Gary could learn almost anything, but he always started by making every mistake, and broke down entirely when a process changed.

Where this was said

Wrong Way Gary: Life at Kenworth and the Second Marriage

At 1:08:37 · chapter starts 1:07:40

Gary got a job at Kenworth Trucking as a vehicle detailer, eventually mastering the work but earning the nickname 'Wrong Way Gary' for the volume of trucks he had to repaint after using the wrong materials. He hated the name. His approach to female coworkers — uninvited shoulder massages in 1972 — was shrugged off as over-friendliness. He met his second wife Marsha Winslow by pulling up closely behind her car on the Lake Washington scenic loop, passing himself off as a police officer, then charming her with his clean-cut military appearance. Their sex life escalated: he insisted on anal sex, introduced bondage with bathrobe belts, and became obsessed with outdoor sex — eventually having sex in many of the same wooded locations where he'd later hide murder victims. On hikes, he began practicing total silence, disappearing into the forest until Marsha was panicked, then jumping out behind her — honing the same skills he'd eventually use to approach victims.

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