The Devil We Now Know

We won't be able to do these things to Gary Ridgway, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, we can and ought to look into the abyss that Gary Ridgway represents to see what we ourselves are made of. That's where we'll find the ultimate truth behind the Green River murders.

Carlton Smith covered the Green River murders for The Seattle Times from 1983 to 1991. He is the co-author, with Tomas Guillen, of The Search for the Green River Killer (Penguin-Onyx, 1991). Since leaving the Times, Smith has written 16 other books about homicide, including five about serial-murder cases.

Pool photo by Peter haley / Tacoma News Tribune

The Ridgway ritual under way in King County Superior Court before Judge Richard Jones.

Details

MORE ON THE GREEN RIVER KILLER

• Superior Court plea-agreement documents
• King County Sheriff's Green River Task Force
• Green River Photo gallery

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Previous Seattle Weekly coverage:

—11/05/2003: On Death and Dealing By Knute Berger
—11/20/2002: Truth or Death By Carlton Smith
—2/27/2002: Did They Get Their Man? By Rick Anderson

Related Content

• Jeff Jensen, Author of New Green River Killer Graphic Novel, Talks About the Case That Shaped His Dad's Life (With Exclusive Excerpt)
  September 13, 2011
• Carlton Smith, Former Times and Weekly Writer, Closes His Last Chapter at Age 64
  May 5, 2011
• Jennifer Paxton Claims Green River Killer Raped Her, Authorities Doubt It, Court Hearing Awaits
  February 17, 2011
• Will the Green River Killer Face the Death Penalty?
  December 29, 2010
• Gary Ridgway, Green River Killer, Charged With Murder #49-- But Still Won't Face Execution
  February 7, 2011

More About

• Gary Ridgway
• Mark Prothero
• Norm Maleng
• Trials
• Criminal Trials

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