Gary Ridgway Case Study

On a cool day in Salt Lake City Utah, Gary "Green River Killer" Ridgway was born. July 7th 1982 was a day that would start the change of history in forensic science, this was the day waitress Amina Agisheff would leave for work and never be found alive again. This event started a killing spree that stretched potentially 19 grueling years. The very next day Ridgway kills Wendy Coffield a runaway teen. About one month later Debra Estes reported a man in a blue and white pickup truck who offered the girl a lift but then brandished a pistol and forced her to pleasure him sexually.

It was a summer Sunday afternoon in 1982, a partially clothed body discovered floating in the river, becoming a gruesome welcome to a serial killer’s trail (McCarthy & Thornburgh, 2002, p. 1). Next to this woman’s body was a naked 17-year-old girl who was strangled in the same manner as the first (McCarthy & Thornburgh, 2002, p. 1). The horrific discovery of these two women, Marcia Chapman and Cynthia Hinds, will become the beginning of a trail of serial murders. As murders mounted, the killer would be identified as ‘The Green River Killer” because his identity would remain unknown for 19 years. In 2001 detectives were able to use a new technology that tested DNA samples (McCarthy & Thornburgh, 2002, p. 8).

Gary Ridgway also referred to as "The Green River Killer" is among the most prolific serial killers in the United States. Ridgway was on a two-year killing spree in the 1980’s whereby almost 50 people were killed (Hickey, 2016). He was named the “Green River Killer” as most of the victims’ bodies were dumped in or around the Green River in Washington. Most of the people were killed in the Tacoma and Seattle areas of Washington State after which the Green River Task Force was formed by the country sheriff to track down the serial killer (Hickey, 2016). Most of the victims were women, presumably prostitutes, who were disappeared someday apart or once or twice yearly.

Throughout history there have been many cases in which defiant people commit horrendous acts that one cannot even fathom. Often times if these individuals perform acts in violation of moral laws and regulations, they are subject to confinement in a jail or prison. Of these non-obedient individuals are those who are known as serial killers, who murder innocent lives, due to their desire to receive relief. A famous example of a devious serial killer who raped, tortured, and fed the remnants of human flesh to his captives was Gary Heidnik. Like most criminals, his story is revolved around the achievement of a particular goal, which in his case was to create a ‘baby factory’ from the women he kidnapped.

Carson Hays Mrs.Dixon Criminal justice III 23 october 2017 Richard Kuklinski Throughout this year we have studied many different types of serial killers, but under no circumstance is Richard Kuklinski like any other serial killer we have studied. Richard Kuklinski was a stone cold killer and nothing would stop him from completing his objective of murdering his target. Serial killers that we have studied had many different categories that they fell under disorganized, organized, power control, etc… But with Richard you never knew the certain way he was going to kill his victims. Like most of the serial killers we’ve studied they have had a troubled upbringing and so did Richard kuklinski.

Although there has been a recent awareness of serial killers and development of entertainment using serial killers it is still a rare occurrence. Schmid states that Serial murders account for less than or equal to 2 % of all homicide (2005). In addition, since there are many types of murder one needs to know a proper definition of a serial killer. According to Culhane there are three different elements that define a serial killer these elements are (1) three or more victims; (2) three or more occurrences; and (3) an emotional ‘cooling off’ period in between the killings. Using the definition provided by Culhane two serial killers were chosen to be study in this paper.

An attribute of society that has been constant throughout history is criminality, and due to the continuing effort to understand crime, this has resulted in the emergence of many schools of thought. In the 21st century, the world is continuing to see petrifying and outrageous murder cases, a recent one being the case of Canadian citizen Luka Magnotta, who murdered Lin Jun and recorded himself stabbing, dismembering, and performing acts of necrophilia on Jun, mailing his body parts to multiple places in Canada, including to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. After an analysis of the case of Luka Magnotta, when considering a psychological explanation, Magnotta’s criminality can be sufficiently explained through Eysenck’s theory of crime and personality,

Abstract Eric Edgar Cooke the ‘Night Caller’ has struck Perth with murder, stabbings, hit-and-runs and burglaries which during 1931-64 until his death. Due to a neglected childhood with a alcoholism father and bullying Cooke’s murderous out take on the world and random killings not only make his next target difficult to find but also Cooke himself. Studies on Cooke have shown his psychopathic styles of killing are not only unique but also the work of a ‘Nedland monster’ in Perth district. As Cooke was physically and emotionally abused from childhood he discovered his getaway through disassociation and imagination, obtained in order to boost his low self-esteem through self-aggrandisement, fumed against the society that ostracized him, thus

Serial homicide is among the less common, but most heinous crimes an individual can commit. The vicious act of murder is unfathomable to most human beings, but research is not lacking in the attempt to provide an explanation. Criminological research is notorious for integrating theoretical perspectives to create an overarching explanation for different crimes. This paper will attempt to provide some insight to the crime of serial homicide. The difference between homicide and murder as outlined in the Criminal Code will be presented.

During my research I had found that these women were more targeted as in the case of Pamela George (Razack, 2000). Pamela George was an Aboriginal woman who was brutally murdered by two men (Razack 2000). These men were given light sentences and George was never fully received justice. Instead George was just ignored to be another prostitute. But if you can see the statistics it is clear that George was not the only one.

The crimes, methods, and bizarre thought behaviors of serial killers never cease to amaze us. Sadly, the most interesting cases are typically the ones that baffle authorities, allowing the killer to execute his insidious plans, upping the body count as the days tick on. The name of this case comes from the Green River, a river that meanders its way through Washington State. The river runs through King County, an area that once was a bustling business area but slowly transformed into a dingy club, sleazy motels, and prostitute filled area. During the early 1980’s, this ghost town of abandon businesses, houses, and shops, became the scene of one of the most perplexing and iconic serial killings the county has ever witnessed.

Background: Gary Ridgway remains one of the most prolific serial killers in history. He haunted police for years, earning the nickname “The Green River Killer” when investigators uncovered five of his victims near Green River. As a child Ridgway was determined to have a low IQ and was the target of abuse at school and at home. At only 16 years old, Ridgway exhibited violent behavior, stabbing a 6-year-old boy. Sexual Depravities: Mary Ridgway, Gary’s mother, often told her son inappropriate stories about her work in the men’s section of a department store.

Many of them have only attended school for one year or have graduated college and are unable to find employment (41). The economy does not supply adequate learning facilities or a stable environment for expecting women, single mothers, or abandoned children and pushes them to the sex industry in order to earn money and protection. Younger woman tend to travel abroad in the sex industry in the hopes of a better life in a different country. When the victims are asked why they are reluctant to leave the sex industry they answer with “the wish to survive”, “to be independent from their families”, or the need “to help the family” (41). With many children being born into poverty everyday, prostitution is viewed more as a positive lifestyle for all rather than something detrimental to their lives, it becomes more widely accepted.

Richard "Iceman" Kuklinski was viewed as a normal man by society for much of his adult life. This man was far from normal. Kuklinski was a psychopath and a sociopath who was driven to kill by his troubled childhood and his lifestyle as a paid hit man. This paper will focus on the criminological theory of why Kuklinkski committed these murders. Richard Leonard Kuklinski was born in 1935 to Stanley and Anna Kuklinski ("Meet Notorious Contract Killer Richard Kuklinski").

The serial killings were almost sure to be used for sexual gratification In short prostitution is already a dangerous profession what makes it even more scarey is the fact some men who are customers condone violence against women(Moses,2006). Seems the murder of prostitutes is quite common because noone has respect for them. This is a