In a significant development, the attorney for the man accused of the Gilgo Beach serial murders held a press conference on Tuesday, addressing reporters after New York prosecutors announced a fourth murder charge against his client. This latest revelation comes as the King County Sheriff’s Office has identified the last known remains of the infamous Green River Killer case, nearly 40 years after the victim was last seen.
The partial remains, initially labeled as “Bones 20” due to the lack of confirmation regarding their identity, were discovered back in 2003. However, thanks to the diligent work of Othram, a specialized sequencing laboratory focusing on forensic genetic genealogy, the remains have finally been identified. Forensic scientists were able to develop a DNA profile from “Bones 20” and determine that the victim was Tammie Liles.
Tammie Liles was first identified as a victim in 1988 when dental records matched her remains to a separate set of remains found near Tigard, Oregon. The King County Sheriff’s Office revealed that in 1985, the remains of two unidentified women, including Liles and Angela Girdner, were found near the Tualatin Golf Course in Tigard.
Gary Ridgway, also known as the Green River Killer, initially denied the murder of Liles and Girdner. However, he eventually led detectives to a location where he claimed to have left a victim’s body. Investigators were able to uncover several bones and teeth that were unidentifiable at the time. Ridgway later admitted to moving the remains of some victims from King County to Tigard, which helped piece together the partial remains.
In November 2003, Ridgway pleaded guilty to the murder of Tammie Liles, known as “Bones 20,” along with Denise Bush, Shirley Sherrill, and 45 other victims. He later admitted to the murder of a 49th victim as well. Ridgway, who terrorized Washington state throughout the 1980s, was convicted of killing 49 women but has confessed to a total of 71 murders. Authorities suspect that there may be even more victims.
Currently serving life in prison at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Ridgway’s case continues to captivate public attention due to the sheer scale of his crimes and the long overdue identification of his victims. This recent development sheds new light on the extent of Ridgway’s atrocities and serves as a reminder of the importance of forensic genetic genealogy in solving cold cases and bringing justice to the families of victims.
