Morbid

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The Green River Killer - Gary Ridgway (Part 1)

Explore episode Jul 6, 2026

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Carol Ann Christensen: The Staged Scene

At 47:13 · chapter starts 45:20

Carol Ann Christensen was 22 years old, a mother of five, and had just secured her first waitressing job after months of unemployment. On May 3rd, 1983, she disappeared while walking to work. Her body was found five days later in Maple Valley, about 20 miles from the strip — a disturbing departure from every previous Green River crime scene. The body had been posed: hands folded across her chest with ground sausage placed on them, two gutted trout laid across her throat, an empty wine bottle across her stomach, and a paper bag over her head. Her bra was on inside out and her shoes were unlaced. Investigators debated whether this was a different killer entirely, but the washerwoman wrinkles on her skin suggested recent immersion in water — a Green River signature. A paper bag was traced to a grocery store near the killer's known hunting grounds. Investigators concluded the elaborate staging was likely Ridgway's attempt to throw off detectives, and it nearly worked.

True Crime
Carol Ann Christensen: The Staged Scene That Almost Fooled Everyone

The Green River Killer - Gary Ridgway (Part 1) · Jul 6, 2026 True Crime

Carol Ann Christensen had just started her first waitressing job and had five children at home. When her body was found in the woods 20 miles from the strip, there were gutted trout across her throat, ground sausage on her hands, and a paper bag over her head. The staging nearly worked — investigators almost didn't connect it to the Green River Killer.

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