Green River Murders

In 2003, Gary L. Ridgway pleaded guilty to 48 counts of homicide, prompted by his desire to avoid the death penalty. Ridgway’s attorney was quoted in the press as stating that the paint evidence was crucial in his client’s decision to change his plea (Ryland and Suzuki, 2012).

It was the identification and analysis of microscopic particles of paint, orders of magnitude smaller than those that searched for by most crime laboratories that lead to this break in the case.  Ultimately, Microtrace was able to link these particles to a specific, and unusual, type of paint that was used in the location where Gary Ridgway worked.   The involvement of Microtrace in this investigation has been documented in a variety of print articles and television programs.  One summary can be read here, while a selection of others are listed below:

• Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer
  
• From the Green River: Forensic Evidence and the Prosecution of Gary Ridgway
• Biography – The Green River Killer
• Three more charges against Ridgway in Green River case
• Prosecutor’s Summary of Evidence in the Green River Murders
• Cold Case Files – The Green River Killer
• Radio Interview: Crime Solving with Microscopic Evidence
• Murders under a Microscope
• Behind the scenes of Ridgway’s stunning confession
• Ridgway faces 3 new charges
• Introduction to the Analysis of Paint Evidence

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