Evidence: part 2

After the body of yet another victim was discovered, head detective Reichert decided it was time to use the evidence. Police had been able to use a new DNA processing method to identify her remains, so it was believed that they would also be able to identify the DNA of the killer. But the police had no suspects. Instead, police tested the fibers found on the victim. These fibers turned out to be from the floor mat of a Ford F-150. Ridgway, who had been previously arrested because of his ownership of a similar truck, immediately became a suspect. He was also the last person to be seen with the victims. Police received a search warrant and combed Ridgway’s home. (Timeline: DNA Testing Helped Lead Investigators to Green River Killer) With the search warrant, police took carpet fibers, ropes, and plastic tarps to be used as evidence. (Catching the Green River Killer) However, none of the samples taken matched the samples found on the victim. Ridgway was once again unable to be charged with the murders. Instead, police took saliva samples from Ridgway. These samples were stored along with the semen found on the bodies of Mills and Coffield. Reichert decided to hold them instead of testing them since they were fragile and technology still a bit behind. (Catching the Green River Killer) On November 2, 1999, the remains of Tracy Winston were discovered. Her naked body was found strangled and violated. Police took samples. (Timeline: DNA Testing Helped Lead Investigators to Green River Killer) Detective Reichert decided to run these samples with the old samples using a new DNA analysis technique to see if they corresponded. They were a match. Then using the recently taken samples from Winston, Reichert decided to run them against the saliva samples taken from Ridgway. The DNA samples were a match. The police force that had been working for 20 years finally had enough evidence needed to catch the Green River killer.