The Green River Killer

The Green River Killer I killed the 48 women listed in the states second amended information. In most cases when I killed these women I did not know their names. Most of the time I killed them the first time I met them and I do not have a good memory of their faces. (Seattle From statement of Green River killer Gary Ridgway, read in court in November 2003 by prosecutor Jeff Baird) Gary Leon Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer, dumping the first five bodies of his victims along the Green River in King County, Washington, pleaded guilty on the 5th November 2003, to the murders of 48 women from 1982 to 1998. He is considered one of the most profilic psycho-serial killer in U.S. history, having one of the longest cases ever to be solved, including other isolated murders. In 1982, many young people had gone missing and this tolled up, over the years. A number of femail victims found dead in isolated parts of King County, Washington. In most cases, skeletal remains were found as the bodies took long to be discovered. Moreoever, most bodies were found nude and with no possessions thus making identification difficult. The Green River Task Force was set up in consequence to investigate the killings and track the suspect. At first, due to the large amount of data recieved at the police station in a short period of time, the investigation was delayed and there was not enough resources for the data to be processed and thus some data was lost. A common trait was identified from all the victims most of the murdered girls had a history of prostitution. Investigators turned their attention to interviewing prostitutes, working in the main strip in Seattle. Unfortunately, many of them were not ready to negotiate with the police. Ted Bundy, another famous serial killer inprisoned at the time, was interviewed and asked to help give an insight into the mind of a serial killer. The results were infutile, and the killer could not be identified from the long list of suspects. The task force lost a lot of valuable time with wrong suspects. Furthermore, in those times, they had to rely on old-fashion police work to bridge clues together instead of the DNA analysis used today. In 1983, Gary Leon Ridgway, a former truck painter, was added to the suspect list for the Green River Killings after his truck was reported to be similar to the one seen on the night victim Marie Malvar , disappeared. Ridgeway denied having any contact with the victim and due to lack of further evidence the charges against him were stalled. Ridgway was also affliated to prostitution. He was accused of strangling a prostitute , Rebecca Garde Guay but claimed that he only did so to stop her from biting him during oral sex. He was also caught solicitating with a police woman posing as a prositute. Although he pleaded guilty to the solicitation, all charges were dropped in both cases, espescially after having a negative polygraph (lie detector) tests indicating that he never killed any women. Suspisions of Ridgway being linked to the Green River Killings still ensued and in 1987, the Task Force issued a search warrant in his home. Many items were taken to the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory, for evidence comparing, such as carpet fibers, ropes, paint samples and plastic tarps. A court order also required Ridgway to supply a saliva sample for future DNA testing. None of the evidence appeared to link Ridgway with any of the cases. In 2001, the Police Major Crimes Division Detective, Tom Jensen hoped to use technical advances in DNA analysis to solve the murder case, advances which improved over the years and were before inaccurate. The biological evidence from severel Green River Killings victims were reviewed at the state lab until a match was found a profile was developed and this was positive to Gary Leon Ridgway. DNA is the most accurate way to identify and differentiate one person from another.It is like an organic barcode, giving a unique identity for every individual. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with short tandem repeats test (STR), was used to help identify a match between the suspect and offender, after a complimentary probe was used to find the match . A small amount of DNA, from any bodily fluid sample for example can be amplified many times to make it easier to be investigated using PCR. The smaple should be uncontaminated, but it does not need to be recently collected PCR tests can be performed decades later. The amplification of DNA allowed scienticts to sequence and copy very short DNA fragments taken from the crime scene. A sample from the suspect and another from the crime scene were taken and matched. Locards Exchange Principle implies that Every contact leaves a trace and each time there is contact there is a minute exchange of particles that would serve as a silent witness againt the offender. In this case , samples which includes evidence of material used to strangle victims. WSPCL Forensic Scientists analyzed the vaginal swabs from three victims and pubic hair on another and discovered that a partial male DNA profile on the swab matched with Ridgways DNA profile, which was developed from a piece of gauze Mr.Ridgway had chewed on in 1987 and comfirmed a match. There was also a match with the sperm fraction found in the vaginal swab. In 2001, the King County Prosecuting Attorney charged the defendant Gary Leon Ridgway with four counts of aggravated murders of Marcia Chapman, Opal Mills, Cynthia Hinds, and Carol Ann Christensen. Over the next year, three more victims- Wendy Coffield , Debra Bonner, and Debra Estes- were confirmed being Gary Ridgways victims, after a forensic scientist identified microscopic spray paint spheres on their clothing. The paint was identical to the highly specialized DuPont Imron paint used at the Kenworth truck plant where Ridgway worked. Ridgway claimed that no investigator had caught him but rather he was the victim of new technology: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦what got me caught was technology got me caught. (Mateng, 2003) The guilty claimed that he had murdered his victims at his home or in his truck and then dumped the cadaveres in nearby parking lots, in the woods or in rivers. His trait was to choke his victims and denied using any other firearms except the use of ligatures such as towels, belts, ropes etc. to strangulate his victims. Ridgway used a picture of his son to attract lonely vulnerable girls such as runaways and hitchikers involved in drugs and prostitution in Seattle, Washington. This made it difficult for victims to be found as they were not in contact with relatives and did not have a stable location. Prostitutes all fall under victimization theories. The lifestyle theory suggests that individuals are targeted based on their lifestyle choices prostitutes put themselves in danger by engaging in high-risk activities, who desperatly would do anything in exchange for money. The deviant place theory reinforces this by stating that one is more likely to become a victim in crime when exposed to dangerous places (Seigel, 2006). Lastly, the routine activity theory explains that the typical routines of individuals are linked with the rate of victimization. These situations are: 1. The availability of suitable targets, 2. The absence of capable guardians, 3. The presence of motivated offenders. The risk of victimisation increases when one or all of these criteria are met. On investigation, Ridgway claimed that he never cared for his victims.I picked prostitutes as my victims because I hate most prostitutes and did not want to pay them for sex. I also picked prostitutes as victims because they were easy to pick up without being noticed. I knew they would not be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught. (State of Washington v. Gary Leon Ridgway, 2003, p. 7) Ridgway liked to dominate and wanted to be in control. His hatred towards these women stemmed from the poor upraising by his mother as a child. It is believed that through the killings, he was reinforcing his bruised manhood. Looking at his background, from a very young age, Ridgway had conflicting feelings and sexual desires towards his overbearing controlling mother. This had a psychological impact on his life and way of living, always striving for satisfaction. Ridgway was mentally and verbally sexually abused by his provocative mother, who humiliated her sons. This eventually led to Ridgway having fantasies about having violent sex with his mother to scar her for life and to relieve his frustrations of never being able to please her. Gary Ridgways criminal act can be listed under the social learning theory which holds that behaviour can be learned at the cognitive level through observing the actions of other people. The family has a large impact on what we learn and how people learn from one another, including such concepts as observational learning and imitation. His behaviour was further reinforced by his fathers hatred towards prostitutes and his love for necrophilia. Ridgway grew up thinking there is nothing wrong with this act and he loved the idea of having sex with someone who is dead because you wouldnt get caught. No feelings. She wouldnt feel it (Reichert, 2004, p. 274). Ridgway had confessed in court to driving back with his son to retrieve one of his victims body and having close contact whilst his son was close by. After minor criminal offences as a young boy, Ridgway attempted to stab a six year old boy in the woods, for the purpose of knowing how killing felt. Yet police did not charge him and made him believe that he can get away with his killings. Ridgway displays a psychopathic personality trait with an id-dominated personality. He is defined as an aggressive person with a dangerously maladjusted personality who craves excitement, feels little guilt, and is unable to form meaningful emotional attachments to others (McCord McCord, 1964). He also had an abnormally low IQ which resulted in difficulty at school. Hirschis social bond theory claims that when there is no good attachment in personal and social life, unusual behaviour ensues due to broken bonds which may increase the tendency of criminal acts. According to Time Magazine writer Terry McCarthy, Ridgway had an insatiable sexual appetite. His two ex-wives and old girlfriends reported that he was a sex maniac and Ridgway himself admitted to having a love-hate relationship with prostitutes. He also shifted blame to his second wife claiming that there might have been a lot less people dying if he had a nice woman to go home to. On December 18, 2003, as part of the plea agreement, Ridgway got 48 life sentences at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla but spared death penalty in exchange to full help with other murder investigations and insight into his techniques, evidence and locations . In my opinion , the Task Force should have investigated and evaluated a detailed background of Gary Leon Ridgways history and lifestyle as soon as he became one of the suspects. Although he was under surveillence, he should have been detained into custody whilst being investigated due to his uncontrollable personality and violent traits. If a more thourough background check had been made to prove his uncontrollable aggressive personality, Ridgway could have been institutionalised untill charged. Nevertheless , the case was handled well, exhausting all the facilities and man power availabe during those times. It is proven that social experiences such as poor family environment predisposes one to violence and abnormal behaviour. I believe that no one is born a criminal it is the experiences in life which guides decision we take. Unfortunalty sociopath such as Gary Leon Ridgway, do not have the capacity to make the right decisions but are overwhelmed by their thist of power and control. Ultimately, one is still to blame for his/her actions and it seemed unjust that the killer did not have a graver penalty despite all those victims he killed.

Depression and Women

Women and Depression Christina Eddy October 2012 Women and Depression WOMEN AND DEPRESSION Introduction A. What is causing more women to be depressed then men? B. Depression is one of the leading causes of death in women today. 2. Depression in women is caused by many different reasons a. Hormonal changes due to pre menopause and menopausal conditions. b. Women of all ages seem to suffer from depression at one time or another. c. Depression can put a strain on many areas of a women’s life. 3.What can society do to help women deal with depression? a. Working with these women to help them learn how to over come depression b. Treatment through counseling and possible medication C. more informative information on how to handle depression through advertisements 3. Conclusion Society need to take a better closer look at what is causing this depression in women. If is very important the we treat both the mental and emotional issues that women deal with when diagnosed with depressionW omen and Depression There are many symptoms related to depression, these symptoms could be as simple as difficulties concentrating, or may be presented as an over-whelming of feelings of worthlessness and even becoming delusions. Women are thought to be more sensitive than men; this could lead to feeling over-whelmed which in turn could lead to suicide. Some emotions such as: not feeling pretty enough or not being skinny enough tend to be magnified. Studies have shown that 12% of U.S women may suffer from depression while approximately only 6% of men may be diagnosed as depressed. . Cyranowski, J. M. ,&Frank. (2006). Targeting populations of Women for Prevention and Treatment of Depression. In C. M. Mazure,G. Keita (Eds. ) Understanding depression in women. Mental health workers have stated that it’s psychological and that woman should be able to recognize how they are feelings and get help. But the question still remains, what is causing all these women to be depressed. It m ight be due to heredity, sexual abuse.There are those that are being harassed or discriminated against. There are doctors who believe that much of the depression in women is hormonal and could be brought on through their menstrual cycle or menopause. Psychologists believe that this depression has roots that can be passed through generations, therefore when something tragic accurse it can cause the depression to resurface. Some scientists believe that the stress factors lean more towards heredity; depression may be a gene that is passed down through generations.Through investigations it was found that the women who did not have a family history of depression, but did experience stressful events raised their chances of becoming depressed. There was about a 6% chance compared to those whose family had a history of depression, even this only raised their chances to 14%. Scientists have wondered if the gondola steroids estrogen and progesterone produced while a woman is menstruating migh t be putting women at a higher risk of becoming depressed, therefore showing that some girls may become depressed after puberty when they began to menstruate and their hormones start to fluctuate.Recent studies have shown that estrogen might play an active part in depression; this could be due to the fact that estrogen triggers body stress responses. Doctors know that the adrenalin glands are controlled by the pituitary gland in the brain which produces higher levels of a hormone called cortisol; this in turn increases the bodies metabolic and immune systems, stress then increases cortisol levels. These cortisol levels gradually will return to normal when the stress has passed.Although some evidence has shown that structured behavioral marital and family therapies are effective in treatment of depression (Holon, Summit2000). With the right combinations of therapy and drugs depression can be controlled. It’s has been proven in market research that approximately 30% to 35% of i ndividuals who have tried anti-depressant drugs felt no sense of improvement while taking the drugs. Keller, Gelenberge, &Hirschfeld, 1998; Keller et al. , 2000)Depressed women have been known to have more marital issues, this can sometimes lead to divorce, with this factor already in place depressed women are more likely to get involved with, and marry men with psychiatric disorders. (Hammen,Rudolph,Weiser,Roa,& Burge,1999). Although this is one factor in the cycle of women’s depression there is also another disorder called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) this disorder is mostly found in women of child rearing ages, however, this disorder is now being found more often in younger patients.With this newfound information doctors are trying to figure out what effects if any (MDD) has on the children of depressed women. (Collaborative Group, 1992) There has been some research done stating that depression begins in early childhood. This could show us that it may also continue into adulthood, evidence has shown that it may lead to morbidity a higher risk of suicide. Therefore, children of depressed mothers when compared to mothers who do not suffer from depression have greater chance of inheriting a major depressive disorder.References Cyranowski, J. M. , &Frank. (2006). Targeting populations of Women for Prevention and Treatment of Depression. In C. M. Mazure, G. Keita (Eds. ) Understanding depression in women: References: (Psychological Applying empirical research to practice and policy (pp71-112) American Association. ) Doi: 10. 1037/11434-003 (Cross National Collaborative Group, 1992) (Holon, Summit2000) (Keller, Gelenberge, &Hirschfeld, 1998; Keller et al. , 2000) (Hammen,Rudolph,Weiser,Roa,& Burge,1999).

The Cape Less Undercover Heroes Essay - 1699 Words

Have you ever seen the super hero that wears dark blue and a badge, but not wearing a cape? The person that is here to help in every way possible day or night no matter when or where? The ones who are here during the highest and lowest points for everyone because that is a part of their job. The ones who are here to help the people on this island, but most of the time are treated like the â€Å"bad guys†. These undercover heroes are the people we all know as police officers. Many people don’t realize that they dont have an easy job. They are the ones who need to enforce the laws and are looked at as the â€Å"bad guy†, but when they come to the rescue they are the â€Å"good guy†. The book Non-traditional Careers for Women states that, â€Å"Police†¦show more content†¦Seatbelts are the most effective means of reducing deaths and serious injuries in traffic crashes. The vast majority of all injuries and deaths from traffic crashes are preventable . Through my survey almost 100% of officers said that many deaths could have been prevented if they were just wearing a seatbelt. This is one ticket that anyway you look at it will help to save your life. Speeding is going any faster than the posted speed limit even one mile over. Police have to make a judgment call as to whether your excessive speed, over the posted speed limit, or your slower pace, is impeding traffic or endangering other drivers, in any way. If this is so they can pull you over and give you a ticket. It may seem like a burden at that moment, but this could save a life and help to keep you and other drivers safe to. A stop sign is a tool used to help prevent accidents from happening. A stop sign is used to control traffic and is usually found at road junctions. Stop signs instruct drivers the right of way and to ensure proper notice is taken to avoid accidents. The word stop is in white on red octagonal design. 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The Greek Speech, Against The Stepmother, And An Episode...

This essay compares the Ancient Greek speech Against the Stepmother and an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit entitled Legitimate Rape, with the purpose to display the ways the court cases depicted in both the speech and television episode are both similar and different. Against the Stepmother consists of a young man accusing his stepmother for killing his father and was written in Athens between 420 to 411 BC. The Law and Order: Special Victims Unit episode Legitimate Rape was aired on March 27, 2013, and depicts a court case dealing with a woman named Avery accusing her co-worker, Purcell, of rape and stalking. Despite the temporal and cultural differences, there are significant similarities in regards to the use of rhetoric and evidence. Yet, there are immense differences between these two such as the use of lawyers and police in modern cases and the need to appeal to Gods in Ancient Greek times which vastly segregates the two cases. In the Ancient Greek speech, Agai nst the Stepmother, a young man who is eighteen years old accuses his stepmother of killing his father. In his speech, the young man attempts to persuade the jury to indict his stepmother of killing his father, and does so by using rhetoric and empathy to appeal to the jury. The stepmother is defended by her son, the young man’s half-brother. The young man draws on memories from his childhood to explain his father s death, and implores the jury to punish the woman who is guilty ofShow MoreRelatedtheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 Pagesï » ¿ANTIGONE KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING This tragedy is set against the background of the Oedipus legend. It illustrates how the curse on the House of Labdacus (who is the grandson of Cadmus, founder of Thebes, and the father of Laius, whose son is Oedipus) brought about the deaths of Oedipus and his wife-mother, Jocasta, as well as the double fratricide of Eteocles and Polynices. Furthermore, Antigone dies after defying King Creon. The play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Read MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages............................................................ 220 Exercises .......................................................................................................................................... 220 CHAPTER 7 Defending Against Deception ............................................................................. 226 Deception Is All Around Us ............................................................................................................. 227 Exaggeration