Cecile Gaspar wasnt home when the men first showed up. Roberta Hays But in December of 1982 there was no question that Colleen meant to leave for good. On July 15, 1982, two teenage boys discovered the body of Wendy Lee Coffield, age 16, floating the Green River between Kent and Tukwila. Constance Naon Kelly Ware Cynthia, who often went by Cookie, got a job through a private contractor to paint apartments, and worked with a friend, Opal Mills, another of Ridgways victims. Marcia Faye Chapman She and her boyfriend, a 24 year old Bobby, were recently engaged and she hoped they could have a regular, normal life. I just kept waiting for somebody to call and say, My young daughter ran away, Dr. Taylor said. GREAT NEWS! Shawnda was last seen along Pacific Highway South near S144th. She was stunned. (Photo by Kurt Smith, copyright MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107), Members of an Explorer Search & Rescue unit comb a field north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. This newspaper clipping is from the Spokesman Review. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Anyone can read what you share. The assailant was dubbed the Green . And that was over and over again. She had been killed by ligature strangulation. The body was that of Wendy Lee Coffield, a dropout and runaway. Growing up Opal was a pure hearted, loving child who named the dolls and stuffed animals kept on her bed. It is impossible to put into words how much her murder has devastated and destroyed my family. There was such a high volume of victims, she said in an interview before her death. I didnt know what to make of any of it.. Tracy Winston November 5, 2003: Gary Leon Ridgway pled guilty to 48 counts of Aggravated Murder in the First Degree. By 1983 Carol was a young mother separated from her husband but she was determined to make it work for the sake of her daughter, Sarah, her absolute pride and joy. When the police recovered Coffield's remains from the water, they had no idea that this was just the beginning of a nightmare that would stretch on for more than a decade. Burial Details Unknown Tammie Charlene Liles Flowers have been left. Wendy Lee Coffield (1966-1982) - Find a Grave Memorial Just a day or two later, sometime in August 1983, Wendy ran away for the last time. At Ridgways trial, her sister Michelle gave this moving speech about her sister: Gisele was very much loved by her family and has been missed very much every day for the last 20 years. Sorry! In memory of all the lost and murdered young women who fell victim to the Green River Killer, with my profound regret that they never had the chance to make the new start so many of them hoped to achieve Ann Rule, author of Green River, Running Red. Opal Mills, victim of the Green River Killer. The youngest of three children, Deborah- who typically went by the nickname Dub- grew up in an impoverished environment. Gisele was only 17 years old when she was murdered by that animal sitting over there who we have to call a manDying would be too easy for him. If you call after hours, please leave voice mail so we can get back in touch with you. Though convicted of killing 49 young women and girls, he has confessed to 71 murders, and some investigators believe the actual number is even higher. Even Ms. Gaspar briefly wondered whether he mightve been responsible for Wendys disappearance. The police got a lead on her identity after they published photographs of her tattoos in local newspapers. Marcia Chapman and Cynthia Hinds, victims of the Green River Killer. Carol Ann Christensen The way Wendy was identified, said Detective Jensen, I never would have believed it was possible 10 years ago. We Want To Finance Your Film. Kimberly Nelson Moreover, six months prior to Coffield's discovery, the body of her friend Leanne Wilcox was found several miles from the river in an empty lot. Kent is a small city that is situated to the south of SeaTac. Family newspaper obituaries and a missing persons report from 1983 served as confirmation, and the Doe Project notified the Sheriffs Office that it had a name. Make sure that the file is a photo. Way too much true crime. Not a crier. Patricia Barczak The last time Kenneth saw his wife was sometime in 1982, when she dropped off their daughter for the last time. Misplaced bones resurface, victim linked to Green River Killer We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. By 1991, the task force was reduced to one person: Detective Jensen. Killing Time - Wendy Lee Coffield was 16 years old and | Facebook Quickly, Ainsworth swam toward the riverbank where the truck stood earlier. Mary Sue Bello By 12 she would often run away from home after fights with her parents. July 15, 1982: Children found Wendy Coffield (16 years old), strangled in the Green River Aug. 16: After the bodies of four more young women are found in or near the Green River, King County police set up the biggest police task force since the Ted Bundy murders of the 1970s. CLICK HERE FOR MORE! At some point during her young life Denise had a medical procedure involving her brain and her skull had a small hole in the bony process there. It was believed that she had been murdered within 24 hours of her discovery. (AP Photo/King County Sheriff's Department, ho), Investigators move the body of a woman found slain. "I'm saying, stop moving and I'll let you go. She left her family home though she called her parents often to check in became pregnant and miscarried twice and was experimenting with drugs, mostly marijuana and LSD. Tina Marie Thompson (He believes that he took at least three victims before Coffield, going back as early as the 1970s.) Her family described her as a loving and caring person. Your email address will not be published. Sadly, this was just the beginning of Ridgway's killing spree. By 1982 Mary had been through quite a lot. Her body was found by two teenage boys riding their bikes across the bridge of the Green River, Wendy was under the Peck Bridge. She sometimes said that it would be better for the baby if her mother adopted Shaunt. She had run away a few times before when she was living with her father and brother near the Lake Washington Ship Canal in north Seattle. For a moment, everything seemed normal. One by one, detectives began to stitch together the extent of what Mr. Ridgway had done. Required fields are marked *. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. We never heard from her again and did not know what happened to herWe respectfully ask that the media allow us privacy.. They remain missing today, and their cases remain uncharged. A number of sources refer to the bridge as "Peck Bridge". In Colorado, life had taken a turn in the Stephens household. The prosecutor who helped convict the notorious Green River Killer of murdering at least 49 women in the 1980s says she is still haunted by the serial killer's lack of emotion over their deaths -. Victims Spotlight: Remembering the Victims of the Green River Killer, She was described as cheerful, outgoing and someone who could take care of herself. One can only assume that they may have had a lack of financial resources and that their low socioeconomic status may have contributed to Dubs future course of life. Green river homicides investigation - King County, Washington The youngest child of an upper middle class family with an IQ of 145, Gisele did well in school and was an avid reader; her favorite book was Colleen McCulloughs The Thornbirds. Wendy Lee Coffield Flowers have been left. A few months later, in November of 2001, Mr. Ridgway was arrested when DNA found on three victims was linked to hair and saliva samples obtained from him almost two decades prior. Apply Now. Details of the Washington State County where the killer roamed unabated are revealed. Patricia Yellowrobe Green river homicides investigation - King County, Washington I baked her a chocolate cake. During the search, a detective made another macabre discovery. She was the first victim found.. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. They were young, mostly teenagers or in their early 20s. Rule, Ann (2005). Thus began one of the longest and largest serial murder investigations in United States history. Reach 250,000+ A Month on Display, Mobile, OTT VOD Apps and Video. Photo filed Aug. 13, 1983. Patricia Yellowrobe