‘Mind of a Monster’ Reveals the Motivation Behind ‘The Green River Killer’

Beginning in the early 1980s, Washington state was gripped with fear as the bodies of young women began appearing along the banks of the Green River. As the number of victims grew, investigators created a taskforce and enlisted the help of the FBI, but it took almost 20 years to finally catch their man.

Through startling and chilling tapes and video archive of Gary Ridgway’s police interviews, The Green River Killer: Mind of a Monster reveals, in Ridgway’s own disturbing words, insight into his evil: from how his troubling behavior as a child morphed into his morbid motivation to murder as many women as possible. This 2-hour special premieres Monday, February 17 on Investigation Discovery.

Investigation Discovery

As one of America’s most prolific serial killers, Gary Ridgway earned his moniker from the area where he chose to dispose of his victims. Ridgway was convicted of killing 49 women between 1982 and 2001, though he confessed to 71 murders and it is believed he committed more than 90. Ridgway utilized the Pacific Highway South to stalk vulnerable, transient young women, many in their teens.

To his friends and neighbors, Ridgway came across as a “stand-up guy” and loving father and husband, a characteristic he often exploited in order to give his victims a false sense of security. A suspect from as early as 1983, Ridgway continued to evade investigators for close to two decades, as they struggled to conclusively link him to the crimes.

The Green River Killer: Mind of a Monster, Premiere, Monday, February 17, 9/8c, Investigation Discovery