This was 15 year old LA
and as
we now know, she was killed by Gary Ridgeway.
I spoke with her family on the phone today.
They say they appreciate that they now have closure but they say it's
heartbreaking knowing Ridgeway is still alive while their loved one is dead.
Investigators from the case have mixed emotions too.
I
was at that scene. It was January 2nd of 1986.
The scene where the remains of two women were found in Auburn,
two of the at least 49 women, Gary Ridgeway,
the Green River killer pleaded guilty to killing
uh years and years of collecting scores and scores
of bodies of young women and girls. Former King County sheriff, Dave Reichert
was on the Green River task force and helped to capture Ridgeway.
We were looking at a monster.
One of those remains found in Auburn were identified in 2012 as Sandra majors.
The said it remains in the same spot called Bone 17
for more than 40 years now has a name Laurie Ann Res
Ponk. The 15 year old was last seen in 1982 when she ran away from home.
Parabon labs has been working the last year to identify the bones of Lori Ann.
That analysis looks at hundreds of thousands of genetic markers across the genome.
And then we create a file from that and we upload to two databases,
JED match and family tree DNA.
They were able to identify two dozen distant cousins
who eventually led them to Laurie An's mom.
The mom submitted DNA and that was key to the match.
You know, there was definitely the feeling that this was a very young woman.
And so it made sense that she would have potentially parents looking for. Her.
Ridgeway is 74 years old now in the state prison in Walla, Walla,
the decision that went we went through back
then was uh heart wrenching gut wrenching.
Although Riker says death was fit for Ridgeway, he says keeping him alive,
allowed for more murders to be solved and
for families to get answers just like today,
monsters uh should be put to death.
This is anybody who deserved the death penalty.
This is the guy
despite pleading guilty to 49 murders.
Riker says 51 murders have been connected to Ridgeway and Ridgeway
told investigators he believes he killed around 65 to 70 women.
Back to you
honor. Thank you. The numbers are just stunning.
Chief, investigative reporter Susannah Frame is joining me now and Susannah,
you covered this case for years.
You were inside the courtroom when Ridgeway was sentenced
for many people they know the name Gary Ridgeway and they know who the green
of killer was.
But for those who don't, or people new to the area,
can you explain the significance of this case to the area?
Yeah, that's a good question.
Well, first of all, it was the longest running unsolved case of, of a serial murder
uh in the northern hemisphere.
And um,
people just couldn't believe that year after year would go by
more and more bodies would be found,
but they didn't know who the Green River killer was.
This went on for 20 years
and it really impacted, of course, people across the Pacific Northwest,
they were scared.
Who is this person? Why can't they catch them?
Him? And then finally, finally they did
and you know what today?
No,
yesterday would have been 20 years to the day
that Gary Ridgeway was sentenced in a King County
courtroom. Um
Just yesterday. Yeah, t 2003. Wow. The timing of this and Susannah, you were inside
courtroom when that sentencing came down. What was that moment like? Oh my gosh. Um
I've never seen anything like it for starters and I thought
you might ask me about this.
So I, I printed out these are all the names,
all the names that were read in the courtroom.
One name after another. It was so somber and it was almost like a drumbeat
one person than another person.
Then another person and you could hear a pin drop
with the prosecutor reading all this and I've highlighted one
that is right here. It says Jane Doe B 17.
That is Laurie Ann at the time they didn't know her name.
So now this line right here, you know,
and bless this family for waiting so long.
Now we can put a name and a face to uh Jane Doe B 17.
1 thing that really strikes me about, um,
the sentencing.
First of all,
they had to move it into the biggest room they could find in the courthouse.
So many people were there and it was really packed with a lot of family members.
And remember
these are people that Gary Ridgeway said, you know, I I want to kill prostitutes.
And so these were what these women were kind of known for.
But I felt like that day we were giving these people a face
a voice, we heard their names. We saw so many of their family members.
I remember a newspaper report behind me crying during it. It was just so heavy
and, and they also read all, all that Gary Ridgeway had confessed to.
So it was quite a day that, that I'll never forget.
And speaking of that, the horrors of his crimes, I mean,
we found out some horrific details.
Obviously,
it's the holiday season and this family is getting a little bit of closure,
but this does have to open up an old wound for
so many this long list of people and their families.
And I have to think, of course, I think you're right
that
this is exactly what the King County prosecuting attorney at that time, Norm
Maling,
this is what I think he had hoped he was going to accomplish
when he gave Gary Ridgway. Let's face it. He gave him a break.
He didn't go after the death penalty in exchange for Gary
Ridgway saying I will admit to everything he took investigators out.
He solved many,
many crimes and gave the prosecuting attorneys evidence that they didn't have to,
to charge him and to prosecute him on those specific cases.
So
that was something. And I think
norm mailing, he said he had sleepless nights,
soul searching nights on whether or not to seek the death penalty.
It was very controversial
in the end. He said that the majority of the families wanted the cases solved.
They wanted the information in exchange for life in prison.
But you know, Connor Board just reported that this family is very upset he
alive.
So of course, it was a,
it was a big controversy at the time and also controversial for,
for some of these poor families because their loved ones are not alive.
Susanna, uh we're running out of time, but any final thoughts and
obviously this is all thanks to improved technology,
DNA technology that's allowed them to identify these remains.
Yeah, I guess I would say that, you know,
it took technology to catch up with Gary Ridgeway.
Gary Ridgeway was leading his life like a normal dude. He was married three times.
He had a son. He was working at Kenworth trucking where he was arrested
in Auburn. He had perfect attendance.
He'd been given an honor for perfect attendance and he never told a soul.
He was this monster as uh sheriff Reifert Reichert just said,
and, and technology finally caught up with Gary Ridgeway and that was a blessing,
not only for these families but for the entire Northwest.
Yeah, such a huge case, Susannah, thank you for your insight.
Obviously making headlines here in Washington,
but also across the country tonight as well.
Susanna. Thanks chair.