Episode 16: The Green River Killer, Part I
The Green River Killer, Part I
Gary Ridgway
Image Source: Bob Jansen, Unsplash @jansn
For over 20 years, police in Seattle, Washington hunted for a serial killer responsible for the murders of at least 71 young women, mainly sex workers and/or runaways, in the 1980s and 1990s. Bodies were often found dumped along the Green River. A task force was formed to hunt for the Green River Killer. Then, in November 2001, police arrested Gary Leon Ridgway for the murders.
In this Part I, we learn more about Ridgway, his crimes, and how he was caught. Then we will dive into his immediate family and learn about his mother’s family line, which included slave-owners, along with our special guest, Mira.
High school picture of Gary Ridgway
Source: The Province, 6 Nov 32003
Source: The Vancouver Sun, 6 Nov 2003
Tom, Jr and wife Mary Rita Steinman Ridgway, 1995
Thomas Newton Ridgway, Jr., Gary’s father
Tom, Jr. with Gary’s older brother, ca 1948
Steinman family in 1925, Villa Park, Illinois.
The Steinman family, ca 1929
From left to right: Clara, Gary’s mother Mary Rita, Robert, Joseph, and Edmond.
Edmond Joseph Steinman and Clara Schlagel Steinman, ca 1942
The ship, Werra, which sailed from Bremen, Germany to New York City with the Schlagel family—Michael, Theresia, and Mary.
Alexis “Alex” Steinman (1861-1941) and wife Marie-Anne “Mary” Bengold (1866-1951), Gary’s great-grandparents
