3 bodies found at one scene
On August 15, 1982, Detective David Reichert discovered three women's bodies at a single location along the Green River banks.
Where this was said
Three More Bodies: August 15, 1982 and the Serial Killer Confirmation
At 14:53 · chapter starts 11:54
Three days after finding Deborah Bonner, a rubber raft treasure hunter on the Green River came upon two nude women half-submerged along the bank. He spotted a young man on the shore who waved politely, then walked to a pickup truck and drove away. When Reichert arrived and walked the banks himself — crawling through tall weeds on his hands and knees — he came face to face with a third body: a teenage girl, partially dressed, her pants tied around her neck in the same fashion as Wendy Coffield's. The three victims were identified as 31-year-old Marcia Chapman, 17-year-old Cynthia Hines, and 16-year-old Opal Mills. At a press conference the following day, officials confirmed to the public that one suspect was likely responsible for all five deaths, making it official: there was a serial killer on the loose in the Tacoma area.
Detectives Barely Had Time to Follow One Lead Before the Next Body Dropped
Reichert had barely begun following up on the lead about Deborah Bonner's boyfriend when the next report came in — not just one body this time, but two. Then a third in the weeds. The killer was moving faster than any task force could track.
The Treasure Hunter Who Stumbled onto a Murder Scene
A man treasure hunting in a rubber raft on the Green River suddenly found two half-submerged women along the bank. He also spotted a young man on shore who waved politely — then walked to his pickup and drove away.
Three Bodies, One Scene: August 15, 1982
David Reichert arrived at a routine report of two bodies floating in the Green River. When he got down on his hands and knees to push through the tall grass, he came face to face with a third. Three women, one crime scene: Marcia Chapman, Cynthia Hines, and Opal Mills.
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