The Green River Killer

Part 4 of the miniseries "The Capture of the Green River Killer" starts with David speaking with Seth about who could possibly be the killer but Seth doesn't want to listen. Seth thinks since Joe Jakes killed himself, that he was the killer but David doesn't think he was the killer. As of March 1987, thirty-seven women are dead and seven women are missing. Five years have passed and victims' remains are still being found near the Green River. David does find a clue in one of the victims. A piece of paper that shows a date of April of 1986 and Joe Jakes killed himself in February of 1986 so it couldn't have been Joe Jakes. David now knows that the killer is still out there. After investigating further, David finds more clues and realizes that it might have been Gary Ridgway.

On April 8, 1987, the police have warrants to search Ridgway's house, truck and work locker. They take hair samples and collect DNA swabs from Ridgway. After all the lengthy time and hard work in investigating Ridgway, the police have found no evidence. David is getting very frustrated and he thinks that these dead women are counting him to find the killer. At home, David is watching a television show that provides a hotline for any information on any crimes that witnesses may have knowledge about so David gets the idea to do the exact same thing to find out any information on the Green River Killer.

Kat knows something is wrong when she hasn't heard from Helen so she reports her missing to the police. Then the movie shows Helen speaking to the camera. She states, "I never thought about the dead being just as lost as I was. Not in heaven or hell but in a different place where all you do is try to figure stuff out. Life and death and the reasons why. But now I know because now I'm one of them."

As of March 1989, thirty-nine women are dead and six women are missing. One of the women missing is Helen. David, not knowing what to do, starts investigating again. He looks at all the tips he received and with looking through all the evidence once more, he finally finds out who did it. It was Gary Ridgway all along. David looks into Ridgway's background and finds out more about his lifestyle. But he needs more evidence.

On March 16, 1990, David's boss wants to get rid of all the paperwork on the murders and tells him that he got promoted to Sheriff. It is now 2001, and unfortunately, as time has passed on, there are no more victims being found. More and more, the investigation slows down and the cases are put to the side from the police except one and that's David. Curious, David then looks again at the DNA evidence taken from Ridgway. On September 10, 2001, the test results get back and the results show that Ridgway is the killer.

The movie then shows all the pictures of the innocent women that have passed away. After nearly 20 years, David has finally found the Green River Killer and has helped find peace for all of these women. On November 30, 2001, the police arrest Ridgway. David, in order to find the rest of the women that Ridgway has killed, decided to make a plea bargain of life in prison without parole in exchange for Ridgway's confessions of where the bodies are buried. On June 13, 2003, David finally meets with Ridgway to hear his gruesome confessions of the killings. Ridgway tagged along with the police to sights of where the remains of other victims were located. Sadly, Helen was never found.

Ridgway was convicted of 49 murders, but he confessed to at least 71 murders. He states that murdering young women was his "career".

It was a long miniseries showing the man who was responsible for these gruesome murders and it was a sad, heart-warming movie that showed one dedicated man who didn't quit to find the killer and showed so much determination in helping these women rest in peace. The movie was dedicated to the victims of the Green River Killer and their families.

Lizzy   =)