Story: The Murders

The assembly of the Green River Task Force seemed to set off the Green River killer. The force was the largest assembled since that of the Ted Bundy murders and was led by Detective Dave Reichert. The investigation started off slow because police were bombarded with would-be witnesses. (Green River Killer: River of Death) Lack of technology and means left investigators with no way to test the small DNA samples they found. However, investigators were able to narrow victims down to one category: prostitutes that frequented the Seattle Strip. Police immediately began questioning girls but had little luck because of fear of prosecution. Police did convince two prostitutes, Susan Widmark and Debra Estes to confess that they had been solicited, harassed, raped, and then let go by a man in a blue and white truck. Both women claimed that the man had referred to the killings, asking their opinions on them. That following month, police arrested Charles Clinton Clark. (Green River Killer: River of Death) Clark’s truck was searched, and police encountered two handguns that matched the description given by the women. But during his incarceration, the body of 19 year old Mary Bridgett disappeared, only to be found along the river; she had been strangled to death. Clark was released due to lack of evidence and the task force forced to start their search anew. Between September 1982 and April 1983, 14 girls had disappeared; all being prostitutes that matched the Green River killer’s M.O. (Green River Killer: River of Death) Police were able to narrow down the suspect pool again to suspect Gary Ridgway. But lack of evidence and connection cleared his name almost instantly. By the following spring, the Green River Task Force was falling apart. Prostitutes continued to disappear but no new leads appeared. The toll it took on the officers involved finally became too much and the force dissipated, being handed down to single detective Reichert. (Green River Running Red (Audio))